I'm a newer investor working on my first BRRRR deal in New Mexico and I've learned so much from this forum already. I wanted to ask a small favor from those of you with real rehab experience under your belt.
**Would anyone be willing to share a contractor bid or scope of work from a similar rehab project?**
What I'm really trying to learn is:
- What a reasonable price range looks like for common line items
- How detailed a proper SOW should be
- How labor vs. materials are typically broken out
- What's commonly left out — the "gotchas" that lead to scope creep
- How permits, inspections, and allowances are documented
Feel free to redact any personal info, addresses, or actual pricing. I just want to see the *structure* of a well-written bid so I can better evaluate what I'm getting from local contractors.
Really appreciate any help — this community has been a game changer. 🙏
Rental Property Investor · SE Michigan · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 6k+ votes
5mo
Knowing what I know now and putting myself in your shoes, I don't think I could give you exactly what you are asking for. Instead, I can provide general ideas that lead to success.
In an ideal situation, you know exactly what needs to be fixed. You create a SoW that is perfect and you bid it out to several contractors. Unfortunately, when you are starting out, you don't know what you don't know.
If starting again, I would try to find a "friendly" contractor, one that has a connection with a mentor or other contact. Walk the property with them and use their expertise. Ask them what they would do on this property. Don't adopt what they say 100%, but use this as feedback to develop a SoW. Give that SoW to your "friendly" contractor and three or four others. Get the bids back and compare. If one contractor recommends something completely different ask why. Talk with your "friendly" contractor about that idea. You will learn and grow along the way.
You will learn the most from your mistakes, but that is part of the process.