How to Answer You're More Than Double the Other Bid

When a homeowner tells you that you're more than double the other bid, don't defend your price. Ask what's actually in the other number, then walk them through scope, sequencing, and risk until they can see the two bids aren't the same job. The owner who panics and drops the price is telling the homeowner their first number wasn't honest. The owner who slows down and shows the gaps usually keeps both the job and the margin.

This objection comes up constantly in kitchen remodeling, especially on jobs that touch more than the kitchen itself, like a whole-house renovation with a guest house or ADU attached. A common question we see from owners is how to respond when a homeowner has a much lower number in hand and is clearly testing whether you'll cave. The answer isn't a speech. It's a process you run every time this comes up, so you're never scrambling in the moment.

Why "more than double" almost always means a different scope

Homeowners compare bottom-line numbers, not scope. They don't know that one bid includes permit pulls, structural engineering, dumpster and disposal, electrical and plumbing rough-in to code, and a defined selection allowance, while the other bid is a demo-and-install price with vague allowances and no mention of what happens if the subfloor is rotten.

Before you say a word about price, get the other bid's scope in writing or at least verbally itemized. Ask the homeowner directly: "Can you tell me what's included in that number, specifically for electrical, plumbing, and permits?" Most homeowners can't answer that question in detail, because the low bid usually doesn't spell it out. That gap is your opening, and it's a factual conversation, not a sales pitch.

Answer with scope first, not price

Walk the homeowner through your proposal line by line and ask them to walk you through the other bid the same way. Common gaps worth checking out loud:

• Does the other bid include a licensed electrician and plumber, or a handyman doing both trades without a permit pull?
• Does it include disposal and dumpster fees, or is that an add-on later?
• Does it include an allowance for cabinets, countertops, and appliances, and is that allowance realistic for what the homeowner has been pinning on a mood board?
• Does it account for what's usually hidden behind the walls in a kitchen this age, like outdated wiring, water damage under the sink, or a subfloor that needs replacing?
• Does it include a warranty period on labor, or is the contractor gone the day the invoice is paid?

You're not trying to prove the other contractor is a bad actor. You're showing the homeowner that a number without a defined scope isn't a real bid, it's a placeholder.

Answer with risk second

Once scope is on the table, talk about what happens when the low bid runs into something it didn't price for. In kitchen remodels this happens constantly: a wall comes down and there's old knob-and-tube wiring behind it, or the subfloor under the sink is soft from a slow leak nobody noticed. When that happens mid-project, the homeowner faces either a change order on top of an already-low price, or a contractor who cuts corners to protect their margin.

Frame it plainly: "My number already accounts for what we typically find once we open this kind of kitchen up. If we don't find it, you come out ahead. If the other contractor doesn't find it until the walls are open, you're paying for it twice, once in the surprise invoice and once in the delay to your schedule." That's not a scare tactic, it's the honest difference between a priced-in contingency and a bid that's betting nothing goes wrong.

Put it in writing before the next conversation

Don't let this stay a verbal back-and-forth. Send a short, itemized breakdown by email the same day, not days later when the homeowner has already moved on to comparing bids with someone else. Lay out your scope in plain sections (demo, rough-in, permits, cabinetry and countertops, finish work, cleanup, warranty) so the homeowner can hold it next to whatever the other contractor gave them, even if that document is just a one-page total.

This is also where a disciplined follow-up habit pays off. Homeowners price-shopping kitchen remodels often go quiet for a stretch while they weigh three or four bids, and the contractor who stays visible with a clear, low-pressure follow-up usually wins the job when the homeowner is ready to decide. If you're losing track of who you've followed up with and when, that's a lead pipeline problem worth fixing before it costs you more bids than this one. We've also written about what to do when a lead goes quiet after the walkthrough, which pairs well with this situation.

Don't negotiate the number, negotiate the scope

If a homeowner really can't afford your price, the answer isn't a discount, it's a smaller scope. Offer to phase the project (cabinets and countertops now, flooring and lighting later) or trim selections to a lower allowance tier. That keeps your margin and your standards intact while giving the homeowner a real path to yes. Dropping your price to match an unverified lowball bid trains that homeowner, and anyone they refer you to, to expect the same move every time.

If the homeowner is simply a bad fit, pushing back on price, scope, and timeline at every turn, it may be worth deciding whether this is a job to price firm or walk away from entirely.

FAQ

What's the first thing I should say when a homeowner says I'm more than double?

Ask what's included in the other bid, specifically permits, electrical, plumbing, and disposal. Don't respond to the number until you know what it's actually buying.

Should I ever lower my price to match a competitor's bid?

Not without understanding scope first. If their bid is missing permits, code-compliant electrical, or a realistic selection allowance, it isn't the same job, and matching it means absorbing costs you priced in for a reason.

How do I bring up hidden issues like old wiring or water damage without sounding like I'm fear-mongering?

Be specific and factual. Say what you typically find in kitchens of this age and layout, and explain that your number already accounts for it. That's a planning detail, not a scare tactic.

What if the homeowner just can't afford my price at all?

Offer a phased project or a lower selection allowance tier instead of cutting your price. That keeps the scope honest and gives the homeowner a real way to move forward.

How fast should I follow up after sending my itemized breakdown?

Same day if possible, by email, while the comparison is fresh. If the homeowner goes quiet for a while after that, a short, well-timed follow-up often brings them back before they commit to the lower bid.

Get your pipeline and follow-up working as hard as your bids

A sharp answer to a price objection only wins the job if the homeowner actually stays in your pipeline long enough to hear it. RevOpsFlow helps kitchen remodelers in Atlanta and beyond build the marketing and follow-up systems that keep bids from going cold, starting with our kitchen remodeling marketing services.

If estimates are slipping through the cracks after the walkthrough, The Invisible Newsletter keeps past leads and clients warm with regular email touches, and a website built for phones with instant lead alerts makes sure a new inquiry doesn't sit unanswered while you're on a job site.

Call us at (770) 525-8493, answered by Joy, our AI receptionist, or reach out through our contact page to talk through what's slowing down your bid-to-booked rate.