Should I pick the lowest bid the assistant finds?

Not before you compare scope. A low bid with exclusions can cost more in the end. Use the table to see what each bid leaves out.

Can AI tell if a contractor is licensed?

No. Check your state licensing board and ask for proof of insurance.

Can I paste a PDF bid?

Yes, but check any price the assistant copies against the PDF.

Compare Contractor Bids With AI

Paste each bid into the assistant and ask it for a table that lines up scope, price, what is excluded, timing and warranty, with a quote for each cell. The cheapest bid is often the one that leaves something out. AI will not check a contractor's license or insurance, so do that yourself and get a W-9 before you pay.

Why three bids rarely compare

Contractors write bids in their own layout. One lists materials, one gives a lump sum, one leaves out haul-away or permits. A table with the same rows for every bid shows the gaps. Assistants are good at that kind of reading and reformatting, which is the work you would otherwise do with a pencil.

A prompt to copy

Example prompt: "Here are three contractor bids for [job] at a rental unit. Make one table with a column per contractor and these rows: total price, labor, materials, permits, haul-away and cleanup, start date, finish date, warranty, payment schedule, what is excluded. Use only what each bid says, and write NOT STATED when a bid is silent. Quote the words you used. Then list the questions I should ask each contractor to close the gaps."

Remove tenant names and the unit's private details first. The bid usually needs only the address of the building or the unit number.

How to read the table

Example made-up bids to replace a bathroom floor. Bid A is $2,100 and says tile, labor and haul-away. Bid B is $1,750 and says tile and labor only. Bid C is $2,400 and adds a subfloor repair. If haul-away costs about $200 (a number the contractor would give you), Bid B is closer to $1,950. Bid C is the only one that mentions the subfloor, and it may be the only one that prices the real problem if the floor is soft. The table makes this visible. The prices alone do not.

Rows that say NOT STATED are questions for the contractor.
A very low bid with many exclusions is a sign to ask, not to hire.
Different scopes are not comparable. Ask the contractors to quote the same scope.

What AI cannot check

License and insurance: look them up with your state's licensing board and ask for a certificate of insurance. See hiring maintenance vendors.
Lead-safe rules: EPA says anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes built before 1978 must be certified, and that covers rentals (EPA: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program). Ask any bidder on an older building for their certification.
Tax paperwork: a Form W-9 gives the payer the contractor's taxpayer identification number for any information return the payer must file (IRS: About Form W-9). Collect it before the first payment.
References and past work: call them.

Questions to put to every bidder

The table shows gaps, and the questions close them. Ask the same ones of everyone so the answers can sit in the same table. Send them in writing so you have the answers on record.

What exactly is included, and what would make the price change once work starts?
Who pulls any permit, and is the fee in the price?
Who removes the old material and cleans up?
What are the start and finish dates, and what happens if the schedule slips?
What does the warranty cover, for how long, and who do I call?
What is the payment schedule? A large deposit up front is worth a question.

Paste the replies back into the assistant and ask it to update the table. Keep the final table with the invoice. If the final bill differs from the bid, the table shows where.

Keep the bids with the job

Save every bid, the table and the questions you asked in the unit or work order record. If a repair comes back, or you need to explain a cost to a partner or an accountant later, you can show what you compared and why you chose as you did.

How DoorKeeping handles it

Once you pick a contractor, a connected Claude or ChatGPT can create a work order in DoorKeeping and send the job to a vendor by link, so the vendor needs no login. Work orders and their history stay in your records. The tools that touch money wait for your approval on doorkeeping.com.

Sources

EPA: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, read Oct 30, 2026
IRS: About Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, read Oct 30, 2026
DoorKeeping: Connect Claude or ChatGPT (steps and tools list), read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

Should I pick the lowest bid the assistant finds?: Not before you compare scope. A low bid with exclusions can cost more in the end. Use the table to see what each bid leaves out.
Can AI tell if a contractor is licensed?: No. Check your state licensing board and ask for proof of insurance.
Can I paste a PDF bid?: Yes, but check any price the assistant copies against the PDF.