What a Bad Glass Quote Tells You
A glass quote that’s significantly off — high or low — isn’t a minor inconvenience. It’s a sign of what kind of company you’re dealing with.
Here’s why estimating accuracy matters more than people realize, and how to spot the warning signs in a quote before you commit.
The Lowball Trap
You got three quotes. Two are around $4,500. One is $2,800. The $2,800 quote looks like a steal. It almost never is.
The ways a lowball quote becomes expensive:
Missing scope. The lowball quote doesn’t include hardware, sealants, or trim work that everyone else included. By the time the job is done, you’ve paid for those add-ons separately and the total exceeds the higher quotes.
Wrong materials. The lowball quote uses thinner glass, cheaper hardware, or lower-grade sealants. The work looks like everyone else’s on day one. By year three it’s failing.
Change orders. The lowball company shows up to do the work, “discovers” issues, and adds change orders. By the time it’s done, the final cost is well above the original three-quote spread.
Disappearance. The lowball company takes a deposit, does part of the work, and disappears. Hard to recover the money, harder to get the job finished.
The Padded Quote
On the other end, sometimes a quote comes in dramatically higher than expected. Sometimes that’s accurate — your job is more complex than it looks. Sometimes it’s padding.
Ways a padded quote shows up:
Vague line items. The bid is one number with no breakdown. Padding hides easier when there’s nothing to compare against.
“Discovery” surcharges. The contractor inflates a baseline and then offers a “discount” if you sign quickly. The discounted number is still higher than competing real quotes.
Unnecessary upgrades. The bid specifies premium glass or hardware you didn’t ask for and don’t need.
Neither extreme — too low or too high — is a good sign on its own. Three competent companies bidding the same scope should land within 15-20% of each other most of the time.
What Accuracy Actually Requires
A glass quote is only accurate if the estimator did three things:
Understood the scope. They asked the right questions. They confirmed what’s being replaced, what hardware is involved, what finishes you want.
Priced from current data. Glass and hardware pricing changes. A quote built from last quarter’s supplier prices will be wrong.
Included everything. Materials, labor, delivery, sealants, hardware, disposal of old glass, taxes. A real quote covers all of it.
If the estimator spent five minutes on a major project and didn’t ask any questions, that’s not accuracy. That’s a guess.
Want a real number? Text a photo to (504) 368-8826.
Field Verification After Quote
Once you accept a quote, the next step is field verification — actual measurement at the install site before fabrication. Good companies do this regardless. Bad companies skip it and hope.
Field measurement catches discrepancies between what the customer described and what’s actually there. Walls that aren’t plumb. Curbs that haven’t been installed yet. Hardware locations that won’t work with the layout you discussed.
The quote should hold after field verification unless something changes (your custom hardware request, your decision to upgrade to low-iron glass, etc.). If field verification dramatically changes the price, the original quote wasn’t accurate to begin with.
When Quotes Should Legitimately Change
Some changes between quote and invoice are legitimate:
You changed something. You decided you wanted thicker glass or premium hardware after the original quote.
The site conditions changed. Other contractors damaged something, requiring repair work that wasn’t in the original scope.
Material prices spiked. Rare but real — sometimes specialty materials see significant supplier price increases. Reputable companies absorb modest changes and notify you of significant ones up front.
What’s not legitimate: “we found extra work needed” without specifics. “Things were harder than expected.” Any change order should be specific, documented, and discussed before the work happens.
How to Compare Three Quotes
When you’ve got three quotes in hand, compare them like this:
Match the scope. Are all three quoting the same glass spec, same hardware, same labor scope? Get clarifications until they’re comparable.
Look at line items. Quotes that break out materials, labor, and any extras are easier to evaluate than single-number quotes.
Check credentials. License, bonding, insurance, references for similar work. These matter at all price points.
Talk to references. Recent customers for similar projects. Not the ones the contractor handpicked from years ago — actual recent jobs. If you’re remodeling a bath in Uptown or doing a commercial buildout, ask specifically for references on similar work.
Our Track Record
Star Glass quotes hold to the final invoice in the vast majority of jobs. When prices change, they change because the customer changed something or because we discovered conditions that genuinely couldn’t be seen from the photo.
We’d rather give you an accurate quote and hold to it than win the job on a lowball and stick you with change orders. That’s not marketing — that’s how the business works long-term.
Ready to Get Started?
Star Glass Inc. serves Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, and the greater New Orleans metro. Reach us any way that works best for you:
Call or text: (504) 368-8826 Email: glass@starglass.com
Visit us: 1000 Westbank Expy, Gretna, LA 70053