Compare two contractor quotes for a driveway and retaining wall with ChatGPT and catch the missing drainage
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- by Jeffrey Trull (Money Meets AI newsletter)
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Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.
PartialThe source says it only partly worked, or had a significant problem a person had to deal with.
What went wrong: Useful analysis and questions; the post was written before a contractor was chosen.
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Outcome
Jeffrey Trull had two quotes for a driveway extension and retaining wall worth a few thousand dollars, from contractors they'd never used. One was $500 cheaper. They fed both into ChatGPT, which took 5 minutes. It flagged that the cheaper quote didn't mention drainage or backfill, and explained that water building up behind a retaining wall can make it fail; the dearer quote included a full drainage system with stone backfill. It also set out the trade-off between the nicer interlocking blocks and basic cement blocks, and wrote follow-up questions for each contractor, since one quote gave no wall dimensions and the other didn't explain ground prep. Trull planned to take those questions back to both contractors, and to ask the cheaper one to add drainage and backfill, before signing anything.
Agent
Prompt Original prompt
Exact prompt as published in the source.
I have two contractor quotes for the same project. I need you to: 1. Compare line items and flag any major differences in scope, materials, or labor 2. Identify anything that seems missing, unnecessary, or overpriced 3. Highlight any red flags or areas where I should ask follow-up questions 4. Tell me which quote seems more complete and realistic — and why Here are the quotes: [Paste Quote A - screenshot or text] [Paste Quote B - screenshot or text]
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Optional stronger version
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Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Compare quotes for the same home project and tell me what each one is missing. Fill in before running: - The quotes: [ATTACH] - The project and anything I care most about: [DETAILS] Safety first: if this involves gas, the electrical panel or mains wiring, structural work, or anything that smells of burning or gas, stop and tell me to call a licensed professional. Rules: - Compare line by line: scope, materials, labour, warranty and payment terms. - Flag anything missing, unnecessary or unusually priced, and explain why it matters in plain words. - Write specific follow-up questions for each contractor. - Tell me which quote looks more complete and why, but don't guess at local prices; label any price comments as rough. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. - Check whether the work needs a permit where I live, and which quote includes it. Output: A comparison table, red flags, and a question list for each contractor. You'll know it worked when: I choose a contractor knowing exactly what I'm paying for. Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.
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The quotes
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Your prompt
Run this task now, exactly as written below. Everything you need is here, so start straight away and only stop if something required is missing or a rule below tells you to. Goal: Compare quotes for the same home project and tell me what each one is missing. Fill in before running: - The quotes: [ATTACH] - The project and anything I care most about: [DETAILS] Safety first: if this involves gas, the electrical panel or mains wiring, structural work, or anything that smells of burning or gas, stop and tell me to call a licensed professional. Rules: - Compare line by line: scope, materials, labour, warranty and payment terms. - Flag anything missing, unnecessary or unusually priced, and explain why it matters in plain words. - Write specific follow-up questions for each contractor. - Tell me which quote looks more complete and why, but don't guess at local prices; label any price comments as rough. - Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify. - Check whether the work needs a permit where I live, and which quote includes it. Output: A comparison table, red flags, and a question list for each contractor. You'll know it worked when: I choose a contractor knowing exactly what I'm paying for. Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.
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Source
https://moneymeetsai.com/p/ai-contractor-quotes-saved-mistake
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