How to Write a Project Description and Get Bids from Contractors

Maintenance and renovations are necessary to making your house, feel like home but deciding to start a home improvement project is only the first step. Finding the right professional to complete the work is the second. But, how are you supposed to do that when getting multiple bids from contractors is comparable to extracting blood from a stone?

Fear not, we’re here to help. So, let’s start at the beginning.

1. Know what type of professional you need for your project.

This will ensure that your request gets sent to the right pro type. Understandably, some projects will be more straightforward than others. For example, if you need to repair an outlet, then you’ll request an electrician but if your project is more complicated, you’re stuck. Luckily, Porch has made it really easy for you to get in contact with the right professionals. If you’re unsure on which professional type to send your request to, here are a few things to keep in mind when submitting your request:

• General home repairs or installations (that will cost less than $10k) should be sent to a handyman.
• Larger projects ($10k or more) should be sent to a general contractor.
• For projects that need several different specialists (e.g. sink installation, flooring replacement and an electric range installation) consider a general contractor or submitting different project requests to specialists.

Take a look at these articles to help you decide who is the best professional for your project:

If you’re still unsure, then just type in the service you need and our guided form will take care of the rest.

2. Write a detailed description of your project.

When you submit a request for bids from contractors on Porch, they will receive a description of the work that you’ll need and the area that you need it. The bottom line is, the more detail about the job, the more responses you are likely to get from contractors. A pro is less likely to pick up a job with a vague project description in case they cannot provide the services.

Here’s some tips for how to write a project description to get responses from professionals:

• Introduce yourself
  Providing your name in the project description humanizes your request converting you from 1s and 0s into an actual human being, needing help.
• Goals for the project
  Perhaps you’re painting your home to prepare to sell or you’re remodeling your basement for airbnb. Informing the professional about what you want as the end result allows the professional to evaluate whether they’re right for the job from the very first encounter.
• Details, details, details
  Include as much detail about the project as possible. This could include anything from whether you already have the product on site or if you need in picked up from the store. You should include details about the plans you have or if you have no plans and are open to advice from the pro. Think about what is going to be important for the professional to know, so they can evaluate whether they can handle your project.
• Timeline
  Whether you need your project completed by the spring or you’re waiting for a loan to be approved to start, let the professional know. A lot of professionals, that are unavailable to start right away, are looking for future clients. Vice versa, a professional may be available to start as soon as possible but might have a large project planned to start next month.

Here’s an example of bad project description:

‘Gazebo assembly’

Here’s an example of good project description:

‘My name is Holly and I bought a 10×12 steel frame gazebo with a soft top from Lowes. I’ve already ordered the product and it will be available for pick up any time after 21st April. I will need the professional to pick up the product from Lowes and assemble it in my yard. I’m going to place this on my lawn, so I don’t need any foundations built. I would like to arrange this assembly as soon as possible. I’d prefer to be contacted by phone, if I don’t answer, please leave a message.’

3. Send your request to professionals

Once you press ‘Request Pros’, you’re detailed project description will be sent to up to 4 contractors, that should be contacting you over the next 24 hours.

Keep an eye out for a confirmation email from Porch with a link to your connections page. On the connections page platform, you can view the professionals connected to your project and communicate with them directly.

If you’re ready to submit a project on Porch and start getting bids from the right contractors:

For more advice on how to get hire the right professional for your project, check out these articles:

Contributor, Porch.com. Holly is part of the Homeowner Support Team at Porch. With a love for all things cozy, she loves decorating with lots of throws and pillows and drinking tea. Holly’s dream home would include exposed brick, hardwood floors and an abundance of standing lamps.

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