Most owners who reach the bidding stage have already lived with the problem for a while: a crack that won’t stay patched, a floor that has drifted, a retaining wall that leans a little more each winter. By the time proposals arrive, there’s understandable relief that something will finally happen, and a strong pull toward the lowest number on the page.
That instinct deserves a pause. In Del Mar, where lots are tight, review is careful and many owners live elsewhere part of the year, the differences between bids often sit in the parts that are easiest to skim.
The state’s starting advice
The Contractors State License Board offers simple guidance that holds up well. It suggests getting at least three written bids, and making sure they’re based on identical plans, specifications and scope of work. It cautions against automatically taking the lowest bid, and notes that a bid much lower than the others may mean a mistake or missing work.
The same page reminds owners that contractors must show their state license on bids and contracts, and that seeing one listed isn’t proof the license is active. Checking status on the CSLB website takes a few minutes.
When scopes don’t match
The CSLB advice assumes identical scopes. For structural repair, that’s often not where owners start. Each contractor visits, forms a view of the problem and proposes a fix. One might suggest a handful of piers along one wall. Another might propose piers around the whole perimeter. A third might recommend drainage work first and monitoring before any piers at all.
These aren’t three prices for one job. They’re three different jobs. The useful question is less “which is cheapest” and more “which diagnosis is right.” That’s often where an independent engineer’s evaluation earns its place, because it gives every bidder the same design to price. Where structural design is needed, we coordinate with licensed engineers as needed. Our earlier note on coordinating with engineers describes how that tends to work.
Engineering, inside or outside the price
Bids handle engineering in different ways:
- Some include engineering and calculations in the price.
- Some exclude it and expect the owner to hire an engineer separately.
- Some include a basic letter but not full plans.
- Some assume a soils report already exists.
If one proposal includes engineering and another doesn’t, the totals can’t be compared directly. It’s worth asking each bidder what engineering their price assumes, and who that engineer works for.
Design review and the City’s process
Del Mar’s resident handbook on design review explains that many exterior changes go through a review process with notice to neighbors and, for some projects, a hearing before the Design Review Board. Not every structural repair triggers that review. But work that changes how a house looks from outside, adds height, or alters walls and grading may.
A bid that assumes no review and a bid that allows for it will differ in schedule and cost. Neither can promise how the City will decide, or how long its process will take. What a proposal can do is say what it assumes and what happens if those assumptions change. Our post on design review and structural repair goes further into this.
Site limits that shape the cost
Del Mar’s construction rules are part of every bid, stated or not. The City’s construction information page limits work to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays, with no construction on Sundays or holidays. Set-up, deliveries and clean-up count as construction work.
Other site factors often show up as line items or quiet assumptions:
- Narrow streets and limited parking for crews and equipment.
- Hillside access, where materials may need to be carried by hand.
- Protecting neighboring property, walls and landscaping.
- Hauling and disposal.
- Restoring finishes, landscaping and hardscape after the work.
When one bid looks much lower, these are good places to look for the difference.
The exclusions paragraph
Nearly every bid has a short list of things it doesn’t include. That list deserves as much attention as the scope. Common exclusions in structural work include:
- Engineering, soils reports and special inspections.
- Permit and plan check fees.
- Unforeseen conditions discovered after opening walls or floors.
- Plumbing, electrical or drainage work beyond the immediate repair.
- Interior finishes, drywall, paint and flooring.
- Landscape and hardscape restoration.
None of these is unusual on its own. The concern is when two bids exclude different items and the owner compares them as if they were alike.
What the contract has to say
California’s Business and Professions Code Section 7159 sets out what a home improvement contract must contain. Among other things, it calls for the contractor’s name, business address and state license details, a description of the work and materials, the contract price, a schedule of progress payments, approximate start and completion dates, and a notice of the owner’s right to cancel within three business days. Change orders have to be in writing.
CSLB notes that a down payment on a home improvement contract is limited to 10 percent of the contract price or a fixed dollar cap, whichever is less, with a narrow exception for contractors carrying a specific blanket bond. A proposal asking for much more up front is worth questioning.
For owners who won’t be in town
Many Del Mar houses are second homes or rentals. If you’ll be away during the work, it’s worth asking each bidder:
- Who will be the day-to-day contact, and how will updates arrive?
- Will photos be shared at key stages, such as excavation and before concrete is poured?
- Who meets City inspectors?
- How will change orders be presented and approved remotely?
Clear answers here can matter as much as price. Our checklist for remote owners covers related ground.
A visit before the bids
If you’re collecting proposals for structural work, we can visit, look at what’s happening and explain the options in plain terms, so that whatever bids you gather are easier to compare. Our page on foundation repair cost factors offers more context. We serve all of Del Mar. Request a Free Quote to arrange a time.