# EstimateHawk

> EstimateHawk is a neutral construction-bid comparison tool. Homeowners and
> contractors upload 2–5 estimates (PDF, Excel, CSV, or photos) and AI levels
> them line item by line: scope gaps, apples-to-apples true-cost ranking, and
> pricing outliers. EstimateHawk takes no money from contractors or insurers —
> no commissions, no referral fees. The analysis works only for the person
> who uploads the bids.

Key facts:

- Free bid check (no signup): upload bids, get a redacted diagnosis in about 30 seconds.
- Full single-report unlock: $9 one-time. Project Pass (up to 5 bids, market pricing, exports): $39 one-time. Professional (up to 30 project comparisons/month): $99/month.
- Done-for-you contractor bid-leveling report (human-reviewed PDF): $149 one-time.
- Bid comparison API for platforms and AI agents: prepaid report credits from $15/report, full JSON report, no subscription (see /api/). OpenAPI at /api/openapi.json. Remote MCP at /mcp (Bearer key; Claude custom connector / ChatGPT Developer Mode).
- Works with itemized renovation quotes, subcontractor bids, and insurance repair estimates including Xactimate exports.
- Not affiliated with any contractor, insurer, or referral network.

## Start here

- [Bid leveling software](https://estimatehawk.com/bid-leveling-software/): extract, normalize, and rank 2–5 contractor or subcontractor bids. Free check, $9 report, $39 Project Pass. No contractor commissions.
- [Free bid check](https://estimatehawk.com/check-my-bids/): upload 2–3 contractor bids, get scope-gap and price-spread findings free, no signup.
- [Insurance estimate check](https://estimatehawk.com/check-my-insurance-estimate/): compare an insurer's repair estimate (incl. Xactimate) against a contractor's quote.
- [Sample report](https://estimatehawk.com/sample-report/): what the full paid report looks like.
- [How it works](https://estimatehawk.com/how-it-works/): the analysis pipeline, step by step.
- [Methodology](https://estimatehawk.com/methodology/): how bids are leveled and where market references come from.
- [Pricing](https://estimatehawk.com/pricing/): $9 report, $39 Project Pass, $99/mo Professional.
- [Bid comparison API](https://estimatehawk.com/api/): for platforms and AI agents — submit 2–5 estimates by HTTPS, get the full graded comparison back as JSON. Prepaid report credits (10 for $150, 100 for $1,200, 500 for $4,500), no subscription. OpenAPI: https://estimatehawk.com/api/openapi.json. Remote MCP (Claude custom connector / ChatGPT Developer Mode): https://estimatehawk.com/mcp — Bearer API key, no in-chat checkout.

## For contractors and project managers

- [For property managers](https://estimatehawk.com/for/property-managers/): compare contractor and vendor bids without a precon team. Free check or $39 Project Pass.
- [Contractor bid-leveling report](https://estimatehawk.com/contractor-bid-leveling/): done-for-you leveling of 2–5 subcontractor bids for one trade, $149.
- [Sample contractor report](https://estimatehawk.com/sample-contractor-report/): redacted example of the deliverable.
- [Free bid leveling template](https://estimatehawk.com/tools/bid-leveling-template/): Excel and CSV worksheet for leveling subcontractor bids.
- [Free bid comparison template](https://estimatehawk.com/tools/free-bid-comparison/): side-by-side spreadsheet template for comparing contractor bids.
- [Use cases](https://estimatehawk.com/use-cases/): bid leveling, scope-gap detection, subcontractor vetting, change-order prevention, insurance adjusters, supplier quote comparison.
- [Supplier quote comparison](https://estimatehawk.com/use-cases/supplier-quote-comparison/): level supplier quotes from an RFQ — cross-quote product matching, missing items, pricing-basis warnings.

## For insurance adjusters and claims professionals

- [Insurance adjusters](https://estimatehawk.com/use-cases/insurance-adjusters/): reconcile contractor estimates against the carrier scope — missing items, market-priced differences, supplement review. Independent; no money from contractors or insurers.

## Comparisons

- [best bid comparison software](https://estimatehawk.com/compare/best-bid-comparison-software/)
- [vs spreadsheets](https://estimatehawk.com/compare/vs-spreadsheets/)
- [free bid leveling tool](https://estimatehawk.com/compare/free-bid-leveling-tool/)
- [vs buildingconnected](https://estimatehawk.com/compare/vs-buildingconnected/)
- [estimatehawk vs buildr](https://estimatehawk.com/compare/estimatehawk-vs-buildr/)
- [vs consight](https://estimatehawk.com/compare/vs-consight/)
- [vs trueleveler](https://estimatehawk.com/compare/vs-trueleveler/)
- [vs bidcompareai](https://estimatehawk.com/compare/vs-bidcompareai/)
- [vs chatgpt](https://estimatehawk.com/compare/vs-chatgpt/)

## Guides (blog)

- [5 Red Flags in Subcontractor Bids Every GC Should Catch Before Signing](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/5-red-flags-subcontractor-bids/)
- [What Is Bid Leveling? The Complete Guide for General Contractors](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/what-is-bid-leveling/)
- [Bid Comparison Insights: Compare Contractor Bids Apples-to-Apples](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/how-to-compare-contractor-bids/)
- [13 Costly Bidding Mistakes GCs Make (And How to Avoid Every One)](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/13-costly-bidding-mistakes/)
- [How to Compare Subcontractor Bids Fairly and Accurately](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/comparing-subcontractor-bids-fairly/)
- [Why Contractors Underbid (And How to Stop Losing Money on Every Project)](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/why-contractors-underbid/)
- [5 Ways Bid Leveling Prevents Scope Creep on Construction Projects](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/bid-leveling-prevents-scope-creep/)
- [How Accurate Are Your Construction Estimates? Benchmarks and Tips for GCs](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/construction-estimate-accuracy-benchmarks/)
- [General Contractor Markup & Profit Margins in 2026: Real Numbers by Project Type](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/general-contractor-profit-margins-2026-benchmarks/)
- [How to Compare Roofing Bids: A Line-by-Line Breakdown for GCs](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/roofing-bid-comparison-guide/)
- [7 Ways to Prevent Change Orders Before They Happen](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/prevent-construction-change-orders/)
- [Comparing HVAC Bids: What GCs Need to Check Beyond the Bottom Line](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/hvac-bid-comparison-guide/)
- [How to Compare Electrical Bids: A Practical Guide for General Contractors](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/electrical-bid-comparison/)
- [The Ultimate Bid Evaluation Checklist for General Contractors](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/construction-bid-evaluation-checklist/)
- [99% of Contractor Bids Aren't Apples to Apples — Here's the Fix](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/apples-to-apples-bid-comparison/)
- [Bid Leveling: What It Is, Why Most Tools Fail at It, and How to Do It Right](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/bid-leveling-guide/)
- [How to Level Subcontractor Bids When Every Sub Formats Things Differently](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/level-subcontractor-bids/)
- [Does Procore's Bid Leveling Actually Work?](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/does-procore-bid-leveling-work/)
- [AI Bid Leveling Software: Compare Construction Bids (2026)](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/ai-bid-leveling-software/)
- [Bid Tabulation in Construction: What It Is and How to Automate It](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/bid-tabulation-construction/)
- [How to Compare Plumbing Bids: What GCs Miss Before Signing](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/plumbing-bid-comparison/)
- [How to Compare Concrete Bids: The Scope Items Most GCs Miss](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/concrete-bid-comparison/)
- [Comparing Drywall Bids: Why the Scope Never Matches Across Subs](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/drywall-bid-comparison/)
- [Subcontractor Prequalification: What to Ask Before You Even Look at the Bid](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/subcontractor-prequalification-what-to-ask/)
- [We simplified our pricing](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/we-simplified-our-pricing/)
- [Construction Estimating Software in 2026: What Actually Helps GCs Win More Work](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/construction-estimating-software-2026-comparison/)
- [How to Compare Electrical Bids Without Missing Hidden Costs](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/electrical-bid-comparison-hidden-costs/)
- [Plumbing Bids: Compare When Every Sub Formats It Differently](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/plumbing-bid-comparison-guide/)
- [Bid Bonds Explained: When You Need Them and What They Cover](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/bid-bonds-explained-when-you-need-them-coverage/)
- [Why Construction Projects Go Over Budget](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/construction-project-cost-overruns/)
- [How to Negotiate with Subcontractors Without Burning the Relationship](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/negotiate-subcontractors-without-burning-relationship/)
- [Is My Roofing Estimate Fair? Check Before You Sign](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/is-my-roofing-estimate-fair/)
- [Why Is One Contractor Bid So Much Lower?](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/contractor-bid-much-lower-than-others/)
- [How to Compare Renovation Quotes When No Two Look Alike](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/how-to-compare-renovation-quotes/)
- [Questions to Ask a Contractor Before You Sign Anything](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/questions-to-ask-contractor-before-signing/)
- [Insurance Repair Estimate vs Contractor Quote: Why They Differ](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/insurance-estimate-vs-contractor-quote/)
- [How to Defend a Project Budget With a Clear Bid-Leveling Report](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/how-to-defend-project-budget-bid-leveling-report/)
- [Writing a Scope of Work That Eliminates Bid Ambiguity](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/construction-scope-of-work-template/)
- [Procore or BuildingConnected: Which Handles Bids Better](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/procore-vs-buildingconnected-bids/)
- [Material Escalation in 2026: Bids That Do Not Bleed](https://estimatehawk.com/blog/material-escalation-2026-bids-that-dont-bleed/)