§ 01 Quote Check

Check a quote before you sign

Put a quote next to what homeowners actually paid, then check its terms against the law that applies. We never call a quote fair or a scam: we show where it sits, what to ask, and why.

Sample AWater heater $2,450 · ZIP 77002 Sample BWindows $75,000 · ZIP 90012

Your quote

No upload. Nothing is stored unless you save it to your home.

Job

ZIPQuoted price

Deposit asked before work starts

How was it sold?

What does the written quote say?

Is a license or registration number on the quote?

Are start and finish dates written down?

Are materials itemized (brand, model, quantity)?

Is the permit included, pulled by the contractor?

Is there a payment schedule tied to finished work?

Will they give lien releases as you pay?

Did you get a written cancellation notice?

Is the warranty in writing?

Deterministic rules, no AI guess: the same inputs always give the same answer. How it works

Result · Chimney, stairs or other exterior part

Price: Enter the quoted price.
Terms: Nothing flagged by the rules on file.

AHS 2023 · hired · United States · n=397CPI-U ×1.10 to Aug 2026Rules checked 2026-10-05

Share card Save to my homeNot a verdict on your contractor.

1 · Price

What hired owners reported paying

middle half of what owners paid

$1,32025th

$3,300median

$7,15075th

Wide scope. The 75th percentile is 5.4× the 25th, so Quote Check shows this job as context and does not place a single quote on it.

Middle half: $1,320 to $7,150; median $3,300. Survey dollars $1,200 / $3,000 / $6,500, adjusted by CPI-U (334.980 ÷ 304.702).

American Housing Survey 2023 PUFSelf-reported, nominal dollars, scope varies. A reported cost is never a quote.All geographies for this job

2 · Terms

What the rules on file say

Enter a ZIP and how the quote was sold to see the federal and state rules that apply.

What the law says, quoted with its source. Not legal advice: for your situation ask your state's contractor board or attorney general.

3 · Ask before you sign

Questions for the contractor

Is this a repair or a rebuild, and why?For chimney, stairs or other exterior part jobs
Is a permit needed?For chimney, stairs or other exterior part jobs
Does the price include flashing where it meets the roof?For chimney, stairs or other exterior part jobs

Answer the questions on the left to tailor this list. Red flags for this job

4 · Local trade wage

Carpenters, United States

Wage, not price

25th pct$23.32per hour

Median$29.12per hour

75th pct$36.94per hour

This ZIP is not in a metro area BLS reports on, so this is the national figure.

Your multiplier: ×2.0Median wage × multiplier: $58/hr

You set this; casaq publishes no “typical markup” because we have no citable source for one. OEWS reports what employers pay these workers per hour. A contractor’s bill also covers the business: insurance, licensing, vehicles, tools, office staff, warranty callbacks, unbilled travel time and profit. The wage is a floor for understanding a quote, never a price.

BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 47-2031 · 670,090 workers Carpenters wages by metro

5 · What the job involves

Chimney, stairs or other exterior part

This category covers chimneys, exterior stairs and other parts of the exterior. It mixes small repairs with rebuilds, so prices are spread.

How it usually goes

Inspect and scope
Permit if structural
Demolition of damaged parts
Rebuild or repair
Final inspection

What moves the price

Repair vs rebuild
Height and access
Masonry vs wood

Original casaq explainer. General description, not an estimate for your house.Full guide to chimney, stairs or other exterior part quotes

Guides by job

What each job involves, what moves its price, its red flags and the questions to ask.