How to compare contractor proposals — backyard, landscape, pavers.

The five bids problem — same yard, five different scopes

• Ask every contractor to bid to a written scope you provide, not to a scope they invent.
• If a contractor refuses to bid your written scope, that is the answer — they are selling a package, not a project.
• Bids that omit units (sq ft, lin ft, plant count, tree size) cannot be compared. Push back until units appear.
• A proposal with only a total and no line items cannot be compared to another proposal. Ask for the breakdown before you draw any conclusion about the number.

How to compare complete backyard proposals

A complete backyard bid touches five or six trades — hardscape, structures, pool (if included), landscape, lighting, and often kitchen or fence. Comparing whole numbers is meaningless. Compare by trade.

• Break the bid into trades: hardscape, structure, pool, landscape, lighting, kitchen, fence, drainage.
• Confirm which trades are subcontracted and which are self-performed. Both are legitimate, but you need to know who is accountable.
• Ask how coordination is handled. One general contractor carrying all trades and several separate contracts are both workable; what matters is who owns each handoff, in writing.
• Ask for the master schedule — sequence, durations, dependencies, and who owns each handoff.
• Confirm what happens at zone transitions (paver to turf, deck to pool, pergola to slab). Transitions are where budgets leak.
• Confirm post-construction landscape restoration is scoped, not assumed.
• Confirm design coordination (CAD or 3D) is included, not billed hourly after the fact.

How to compare landscape bids

Landscape line items are easy to read past. Two proposals at a similar number can carry different plant counts, container sizes, soil prep, irrigation detail and establishment terms, so compare the written specifics rather than the total.

• Plant count and container size — a 15-gallon tree is not a 24-inch box tree. Line up sizes, not just species.
• Soil prep and amendment — Valley native soil is commonly amended for non-desert plants. Ask each bidder whether amendment is included and what it covers.
• Drip irrigation — ask for emitter counts and flow rates per plant. 'Irrigation to plants' without counts is a line worth clarifying in writing.
• Tree staking and guy wires — ask whether staking is included and for how long.
• Mulch or decorative rock depth — ask for the stated depth rather than assuming it.
• Establishment period — who waters what during the first 30–90 days, and who replaces plants that fail.
• Warranty on plants — 30 days, 90 days, one year? Ask each bidder to state the term in writing so you are comparing the same promise.
• HOA plant palette compliance — if the HOA has an approved plant list, the bid should reference it in writing.

How to compare paver-installation bids

Paver base preparation is not visible once the job is finished, so it has to be documented up front. Ask every bidder to put these in writing, then compare the answers side by side.

• Base material and depth — ask each bidder to state both. AE's own practice is 2–3" of ABC under patios and walkways and 4–6" under driveways, with more for build-up or heavier traffic, and AE does not use quarter minus under pavers. That is AE practice, not a code requirement; final details follow site conditions, the signed scope, approved engineering, manufacturer instructions and the authority having jurisdiction.
• Bedding layer — ask what material and thickness sits between base and paver. AE uses a 1" washed-sand bed, screeded flat.
• Joint sand — ask which product is used. AE uses polymeric joint sand on every paver installation.
• Edge restraint — ask whether a restraint is included on every unsupported perimeter, and what type.
• Compaction — ask how many passes are made and at which layers.
• Cutting — ask to see finished radii and edges in the contractor's past work.
• Drainage — ask for the slope plan and where surface water goes. A proposal with no slope note is worth a written clarification.
• Paver brand and line — Belgard, Pavestone, Techo-Bloc, Acker-Stone each have a range. 'Standard paver' is not a specification.
• Warranty — ask for the workmanship warranty in writing, separately from whatever product warranty the manufacturer offers for the paver you select. Manufacturer terms vary by product and manufacturer; read the actual document.

How to identify missing scope (the master checklist)

The line item that is not on the bid is the one that turns into a change order or a call-back. Use this as a walk-through before signing anything.

• Permits — pulled by whom, cost bundled or add-on, expedite fees.
• HOA submittal — prepared by whom, revision rounds included, timeline impact.
• Site prep and demolition — dumpster fees, disposal, dust control.
• Excavation depth and disposal of spoils — who hauls the dirt.
• Sub-base and base preparation — depth and material named.
• Drainage — surface slope plan, deck drains, French drains, tie-in to street or dry well.
• Electrical rough-in — conduit sleeves for future lighting or gate hardware.
• Gas rough-in — stub-outs for future BBQ, fire feature, heater.
• Low-voltage rough-in — sleeves for landscape lighting and irrigation controllers.
• Utility locates — Blue Stake ticket confirmed.
• Access protection — plywood over existing pavers or turf when crews cross them.
• Post-construction cleanup and haul-off — final broom sweep, restore or replace disturbed areas.
• Punch list and final walk — a scheduled walk before final payment.
• Warranty — workmanship in writing, manufacturer warranties passed through.
• Insurance certificates — GL and workers' comp naming you as certificate holder.

Allowances vs. fixed selections

An allowance is a placeholder dollar amount for a category not yet chosen. A fixed selection is a real product on the contract. Both are legitimate; the ratio decides whether your final invoice matches your headline number.

• Fix everything you have already decided — paver line, coping profile, plant list, tile, appliances.
• Keep allowances only for what you legitimately have not chosen yet — often lighting fixtures, specific tree cultivars, or finish stains.
• For every allowance, ask: what does a real selection cost? The answer tells you the true budget.
• Convert allowances to fixed selections before signing whenever possible. Allowance amounts that stay open are settled later, at whatever the chosen item costs then.
• Watch for allowances on items the plan already specifies — that means the bidder did not price your actual selection.
• Add the allowances up across each proposal. Two bids close on the total can be far apart on how much of your budget is still unresolved.

Payment schedules: what Arizona law actually requires

There is no universal deposit percentage for ordinary landscape or hardscape work. What the law addresses is disclosure and, for certain pool and spa contracts, stage caps.

• A.R.S. §32-1158 requires covered written contracts over $1,000 to state the deposit amount, the progress-payment amounts, and the construction stages each payment is tied to.
• A.R.S. §32-1158.01 applies to qualifying owner-occupied residential in-ground pool and spa contracts: no more than 15% at execution; no more than 25% after excavation; no more than 25% after steel, plumbing and pneumatically applied concrete (or installation of a prefabricated shell); no more than 25% after decking; remaining sums before interior finish or completion, with written change orders. Under subsection B, only if the purchaser requires the contractor to furnish payment and performance bonds securing performance may those payment provisions be changed in any manner the parties agree.
• AE's own practice on a new pool build is a 15/25/25/25/10 milestone schedule. That is AE's schedule, not a state-mandated one.
• For non-pool work, judge the structure rather than the percentage: is every payment written, tied to a defined construction stage, and never far ahead of the work in place?
• Ask any bidder to explain in writing what each payment buys. A schedule you can map to visible work is the goal.
• If a schedule looks front-loaded relative to the work, ask why before you sign — there may be a material-purchase reason, and it should be stated.

Change-order standards

Some projects finish exactly as scoped and others change along the way. What matters is the process, the documentation, and the transparency.

• Every change order in writing, signed by both parties, before the work proceeds. Get changes documented rather than relying on a hallway conversation.
• Each change order priced with material, labor and markup broken out, so you can see what changed.
• Ask how markup on a change compares to the markup in the base contract, and get the answer in writing before you sign.
• Homeowner-requested changes, site-condition changes and contractor-error changes are different categories — ask how each is handled and billed.
• A running change-order log with a cumulative total, shared regularly. If you cannot see the running total, you cannot make informed choices.
• Change-order volume varies with site conditions, how completely the scope was defined, and the decisions you make mid-project — compare the process, not a percentage.

Questions worth asking before you sign

None of these prove anything on its own. Each one is a prompt to ask for something in writing before you compare totals.

• No license number on the proposal — ask for it, then look it up yourself in the official Arizona registrant search and confirm the classification covers the work.
• Insurance certificates not offered when asked — ask for the coverage the contractor says it carries and confirm it with the issuing agent.
• A payment schedule you cannot map to defined construction stages — ask for the stages in writing.
• A large share of the bid carried as allowances — ask what real selections would cost.
• No line-item breakdown, only a total.
• No written change-order process.
• 'Cash discount' pressure or off-books pricing.
• No recent references you can actually call.
• Refuses to bid your written scope.
• Won't say which trades are self-performed and which are subcontracted.
• Verbal-only warranty — ask for the workmanship warranty term in writing, separate from manufacturer warranties.
• Pressure for a same-day signature or 'the price goes up tomorrow.'

Why proposal prices differ

A gap between two numbers is information, not a verdict. The useful move is to find out which lines differ and why, in writing.

• Scope: work that is in one proposal and simply not in the other.
• Quantities and materials: square footage, plant sizes, paver line, coping profile, fixture counts.
• Site conditions and access: haul distance, gate width, excavation difficulty, protection of existing finishes.
• Base, bedding and drainage detail: ask each bidder to state theirs so you can compare like with like.
• Scheduling, crew structure and how much work is self-performed.
• Overhead, warranty terms and how much risk the contractor is carrying on the price.
• Ask each bidder, in writing, to explain the lines that differ from the others. A lower number is not proof of a problem, and a higher number is not proof of quality.

How AE writes proposals

For transparency, here is what an AE Outdoor Living proposal contains — use it as a benchmark for any contractor bid you receive.

• Written scope broken by trade with real units (sq ft, lin ft, cu yd, plant count with container size).
• Base spec named on every hardscape line (ABC depth, sand type, joint material).
• Every allowance named with the real selection cost noted alongside.
• Milestone-tied payment schedule matched to the trade — no front-loaded deposits.
• Written change-order process with same-margin markup on both sides.
• Named subcontractors where applicable, all licensed and insured, all disclosed.
• Insurance certificates offered before signing, homeowner named as certificate holder.
• Warranty stack listed by category: structural, material, workmanship, plants.
• HOA and permit responsibilities stated plainly — what is included in the price and what is not.
• Post-construction restoration scoped, not assumed.
• A scheduled final walk with a written punch list before the final payment.