Read the bid before you sign it.
Send your builder's bid. Within five business days it comes back marked up line by line, with a two-page summary of what's missing, what's vague, and what to ask before you sign.
- 1The drawings show inset cabinetry throughout. Ask how this number was priced.
- 2The allowance covers three baths. The plans show four.
- 3No fixture count is listed. Ask what the number assumes.
- 4Rock is excluded. Ask for a unit price before you sign.
Answers you can take straight to your builder.
Your bid, marked up
Every line read against the drawings, with notes where the scope is thin, a number looks light, or the wording leaves room for a change order later.
A two-page summary
What's missing, which allowances look light, what's vague, and the five questions to put to your builder before you sign.
Time to ask questions
Reply with follow-up questions on the report, or add a call to talk it through. You walk into the next builder meeting knowing what to ask.
Four steps, all done from documents.
- 01Book and payPick the review that fits. Payment is collected when you book.
- 02Send your documentsUpload the bid and the drawings. Add the specifications and the contract if you have them.
- 03The reviewEvery line is read against the drawings and specifications, division by division.
- 04Your reportThe marked-up bid and summary arrive within five business days of a complete document set.
The places money hides.
- Your picture against the bid. Whether trim, tile, showers, and other finishes are priced at the level you have in mind.
- Scope against the drawings. Is everything on the plans priced somewhere?
- Allowances. Whether each number fits the finish level the drawings show.
- Exclusions and assumptions. What's been left out, and what the builder assumes you'll provide.
- Site work and utilities. Excavation, rock, access, utility runs, and who carries the risk when conditions differ.
- Winter conditions. Snow removal, temporary heat, and protection, if your build runs through winter.
- Payment schedule. Whether draws follow completed work or run ahead of it.
- Change orders and contingency. How changes are priced and approved, and who controls the contingency.
Flat fees. No hourly billing.
Bid questions call
45 to 60 minutes on video. Bring your bid and your questions. Credited toward a review booked within 30 days.
Book a callSingle bid review
One bid, marked up line by line, with the two-page summary. Back within five business days.
Book a reviewBid leveling
Your bids lined up item by item: what each includes, what each leaves out, and what it would take to make them match. Back within seven business days.
Book levelingAdd a contract terms review, $350. Payment schedule, change order process, allowance reconciliation, and schedule language, read for construction substance. This is not legal review; for legal questions, talk to a construction attorney.
Founding rate. The first five reviews booked by December 31 are half price, $375 for one bid or $625 for leveling, in exchange for an honest written testimonial.
Someone who has spent a career inside builders' numbers.
Talus is run by Tim Lacy. He has spent more than 25 years in residential construction, including seven years directing construction operations for a custom-home builder in the Colorado mountains.
Talus exists because the bid is the cheapest moment to catch a problem. Once the contract is signed, every gap becomes a change order.
Talus is paid only by the person who books the review. No referral fees from builders.
Before you book
Is this legal advice?
No. Talus reviews construction substance: scope, allowances, pricing structure, schedule, and payment terms. For legal questions about the contract, talk to a construction attorney.
Will you tell me which builder to hire?
No. The review shows what each bid includes and what to ask. The choice stays with you.
Do you visit the site?
No. Reviews are done from documents. When a site condition matters, the summary says so and tells you what to ask.
What if I've already signed?
Send a single change order, draw request, or schedule update for a second opinion, at $250 per document.
Where do you work?
Remotely, for projects anywhere in the US. [CONFIRM: the Colorado counties Talus does not take]
Not ready to book? Start with the checklist.
What a complete custom-home bid should spell out, from your picture of the finishes to site work and allowances. Every box you can't check is a question for your builder.