My neighbor saved $4,800 on her bathroom remodel… with a 4-minute AI trick

Today's Tip: Decoding Contractor Quotes

The difference between a $14,000 bathroom remodel and a $22,000 one might be three missing words in the fine print.

Let me explain…

My neighbor Margaret… she’s 64, retired school librarian, sharp as they come… told me last month she needed her guest bathroom redone. Leaky shower pan, cracked tiles, the whole nine yards. So she did everything right. Called three contractors. Got three written quotes.

And that’s where the trouble started.

Quote one: $14,200. Quote two: $18,500. Quote three: $22,000. An $8,000 spread for what she assumed was the same job. But when she sat down to compare them side by side… they didn’t even use the same line items. One said “demo and haul.” Another said “selective demolition — debris removal not included.” The third just said “prep work.”

Sound familiar? According to the Houzz 2026 Home Study, more than a third of homeowners exceeded their renovation budget last year. And the biggest reason isn’t greedy contractors… it’s that homeowners can’t tell what’s actually included in each quote.

Margaret almost just went with the cheapest one. Most people do. But here’s the thing… the cheapest quote was missing plumbing permits, a vapor barrier behind the new tile, and any mention of a fan upgrade for ventilation. That “cheap” quote would have cost her thousands more in change orders once the work started.

Instead, she typed her three quotes into an AI tool and asked it to do something incredibly specific. She asked it to build a comparison chart… line by line… and flag everything that was missing from each one.

It took about four minutes. Here’s the prompt that does it…

★ Copy-Paste Prompt

Works in Claude, Gemini & Grok

I have 3 contractor quotes for a bathroom remodel (or whatever your project is). I’m going to paste them below. Please do the following:

1. Create a side-by-side comparison table with every line item from all 3 quotes. If one quote includes something the others don’t, mark it as “NOT INCLUDED” in the missing columns.

2. Flag any vague line items where the scope is unclear (like “prep work” or “miscellaneous”).

3. List anything that a typical project of this type SHOULD include but that NONE of the quotes mention (like permits, debris hauling, or a final inspection).

4. For each quote, give me 3 specific questions I should ask that contractor before signing anything.

Here are the quotes:

[Paste Quote 1 here]

[Paste Quote 2 here]

[Paste Quote 3 here]

Why this works: Contractors use different terminology for the same tasks. This prompt forces the AI to normalize everything into a single comparison… so you can see exactly where the gaps are. The “questions to ask” section gives you a script for your next phone call… no awkward guessing required.

Margaret did exactly this. She typed each quote into the AI word for word. Within minutes, she had a clean table showing that the $14,200 quote was missing five items the other two included… including the plumbing permit and debris removal. Those two items alone would have added roughly $2,800 once the project was underway.

The $22,000 quote? It included everything… plus a premium tile allowance she hadn’t asked for. When she called that contractor and asked to swap to standard tile, the price dropped to $17,600. She ended up going with the middle contractor at $18,500… but only after asking the three follow-up questions the AI suggested. One of those questions uncovered that the warranty only covered labor for 90 days. She negotiated it up to a year.

None of this took expertise. It took four minutes and a copy-paste prompt.

★ Today’s “Aha!” Moment

The most expensive contractor isn’t always the most expensive. The cheapest one usually is. AI doesn’t find you the lowest price… it shows you what the lowest price is actually buying. That’s worth more than any discount.

Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Can an AI really understand construction quotes? Isn’t it going to get confused by all that technical language?”

Fair question. And the answer is… this is actually where AI shines. It doesn’t get confused by jargon. It reads “selective demolition” and “demo and haul” and knows they’re describing similar work… but with different scope. It catches that one quote bundles drywall repair into the tile line item while another lists it separately. You’d need a general contractor friend to spot that yourself. Most of us don’t have one on speed dial.

★ One Thing to Watch

AI can compare what’s written on the page… but it cannot verify a contractor’s license, check their insurance, or confirm they’ll actually show up on Monday. Always verify credentials through your state’s contractor licensing board (a quick web search for “[your state] contractor license lookup” will get you there). The AI handles the paperwork analysis. You handle the handshake.

Here’s what I want you to do this week. If you have a home project coming up… any size… get at least two written quotes. Then paste them into Claude, Gemini, or Grok with the prompt above. Read the comparison table it gives you. Then call the contractors back with the specific questions it generates.

You’ll walk into that conversation knowing more than 90% of homeowners do. And that’s not a guess… that’s just math.

★ ★ ★

Tool Spotlight ★

Grok

Site: grok.com

Made by: xAI

Cost: Free tier available

If today’s tip got you thinking about contractor research, Grok is worth a look. Built by Elon Musk’s xAI, Grok pulls live information from the web and from X (formerly Twitter)… which means it can check current contractor reviews, look up local permit requirements, and find pricing benchmarks while you’re comparing quotes. You can start for free at grok.com with a basic account… no paid subscription required for casual use.

Where Grok stands out is speed and freshness. When you need to know whether a specific roofing material is still available, what the going rate for plumbing work is in your zip code, or whether a contractor has any recent complaints… Grok’s live web access means you’re getting answers based on what’s happening today, not six months ago. The free tier gives you around 10 prompts every two hours, which is plenty for a focused research session.

Best for: Current events research, product and price comparisons, live web lookups, fact-checking, anything that requires up-to-date information

★ ★ ★

★ Quick Wins

The Warranty Detective — Got an appliance acting up? Before you call a repair shop, try this. Type: “My [brand and model] dishwasher was purchased in [month/year]. What does the standard manufacturer warranty typically cover, and is it likely still active? What should I say when I call their support line to check?” This gives you a script before you pick up the phone… so you sound like you know your rights. Works in Claude, Gemini, and Grok.

The Terms-of-Service Translator — Next time a website or app asks you to agree to a long terms-of-service document, don’t just click “accept.” Copy the text and paste it in with: “Summarize this terms-of-service agreement in plain English. List the 5 most important things I’m agreeing to, and flag anything unusual or concerning.” You’ll be shocked at what you’ve been agreeing to. Takes 30 seconds. Works in Claude, Gemini, and Grok.

The Polite Pushback Email — Need to dispute a charge, complain about a service, or push back on a bill… but don’t want to sound angry? Type: “Write a firm but polite email to [company] disputing a $[amount] charge on my [date] statement. The issue is [describe it briefly]. I want a refund or credit. Keep it under 150 words.” You get a professional message in seconds… no stewing over the wording. Works in Claude, Gemini, and Grok.

Skill Builder: Uploading Documents and Photos

Here’s something most people don’t realize about AI tools… you don’t have to type everything from scratch. You can paste in entire documents, contracts, letters, bills, even photos of printed pages… and the AI will read them and work with the content directly.

This changes everything. Instead of trying to describe a problem in your own words… you can just hand the AI the actual source material and say, “Tell me what this means.”

There are two ways to do this. The first is copy and paste. If the document is digital (an email, a PDF on your computer, a webpage), highlight the text, copy it, and paste it right into the chat window. Then add your question after it. The second way is uploading a file or photo. Claude, Gemini, and Grok all let you attach files or images. Look for the paperclip icon or the “+” button near the text box. You can upload a photo of a paper document, a PDF, even a screenshot.

The key is telling the AI exactly what you want it to do with the document. Don’t just paste it in and hope for the best. Give it a specific task. Here’s a prompt you can save and reuse any time you need to hand the AI a document…

★ Document Review Starter Prompt

Works in Claude, Gemini & Grok

I’m going to paste a document below. It is a [type of document — e.g., insurance policy, contractor quote, lease agreement, medical bill]. Please do the following:

1. Summarize it in 3–5 plain-English sentences so I understand the main points.
2. List any deadlines, dollar amounts, or action items I need to be aware of.
3. Flag anything that seems unusual, is written in confusing language, or that I should ask a question about before signing or paying.
4. If anything important seems to be missing from this document, tell me what it is.

[Paste or upload your document here]

Why this works: The numbered instructions give the AI a clear checklist… so it doesn’t just summarize and stop. Step 3 is the secret weapon… it catches the fine print you’d normally skim past. Step 4 makes the AI think about what should be there… not just what is.

One important tip… when you upload a photo of a printed document, make sure the image is well-lit and the text is in focus. Blurry photos or dark shadows will confuse the AI, and you’ll get sloppy results. A flat, overhead photo in good lighting works best.

Once you get comfortable pasting documents into AI… you’ll start seeing uses everywhere. Insurance explanation-of-benefits letters. HOA rule changes. Rental agreements for vacation homes. Any time someone hands you a piece of paper and expects you to just sign it… paste it into the AI first. It takes 60 seconds and it might save you from agreeing to something you didn’t fully understand.

My neighbor saved $4,800 on her bathroom remodel... with a 4-minute AI trick

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