Cost Guides

A Chicago homeowner quoted $1,200 by one painter and $3,800 by another for a 900-square-foot two-bedroom. Here is what drove that $2,600 gap and how to read any interior painting quote.

A mold inspector quoted two rooms at $3,400 and a second company quoted the same scope at $1,850. Both quotes were “professional mold remediation.” Here is what that phrase means – and does not mean – and how to read the difference before you hire.

A 1,200-square-foot floor installation quote came back at $5,900 from one contractor and $11,200 from another. Neither was wrong – they were pricing different scopes, different materials, and different definitions of “ready to walk on.”