How to Read and Compare a Concrete Bid

Getting three bids is smart. Knowing how to read them is smarter. A concrete bid tells you a lot about the contractor — not just the price, but how they work, what they'll actually do, and whether they'll show up. Here's what to look for.

Red Flag 1: Vague Scope

A bid that says 'replace driveway' with a dollar figure but no specifics — without specifying demolition, base prep, reinforcement, thickness, finish, or control joints — is a bid that lets the contractor cut corners. If it's not written down, they can do (or not do) whatever they want.

Red Flag 2: No Start Date

The bid says 'start date TBD' or 'sometime in the next few weeks.' This is the deposit-then-disappear pattern. You pay a deposit. The start date keeps moving. The contractor stops answering. Your driveway is torn up for months.

A real bid has a start date written into the contract — before the deposit. That's the Tier Mountain Standard.

Red Flag 3: Suspiciously Low Price

If one bid is significantly lower than the others, something's being cut. Usually: base prep (pouring on bare dirt), reinforcement (skipping rebar or mesh), slab thickness (3 inches instead of 4+), or control joints (fewer cuts = less labor). The low bid often becomes the expensive bid when the slab cracks and needs replacement.

Red Flag 4: No Base Prep Specified

If the bid doesn't mention base preparation — compacted granular base, soil evaluation, drainage grading — the contractor is planning to pour on whatever's there. In Utah clay, that's a failure waiting to happen.

What a Good Bid Includes

• •Specific scope: demo, base prep, reinforcement type, slab thickness, finish, control joints
• •Clear start date written into the contract
• •Payment terms tied to milestones (not a large upfront deposit)
• •Warranty or callback policy
• •What's NOT included (so you're not surprised)

The Tiebreaker Nobody Else Offers

When three bids are close in price and scope, the written start date is the tiebreaker. It's the one thing that protects you from the scheduling runaround. If a contractor won't put a date in writing before the deposit, ask yourself why.

See our process page for the Tier Mountain Standard, and our FAQ for more on quotes and deposits.