Is my contractor estimate too high?
Learn why scope, allowances, exclusions, and responsibilities matter before comparing the total price.
Evaluate your estimateNationwide written document reviews
Get a second opinion on your construction quote.
Before you sign, get an independent written review of your contractor's estimate, proposal, and draft contract. Clear findings by email, with reviews starting at $99.
Independent No phone call required Written in plain English
SOC / REVIEW 024PRE-SIGNATURE
SO
PROJECT REVIEWResidential Addition
Contract value reviewed$184,750
01
Allowance exposure3 selections below local market range
REVIEW02
Scope clarityStructural steel install not assigned
CLARIFY03
Payment scheduleRecommended milestone revision
ADJUSTIndependent assessmentPrepared for homeowner
$12,400potential exposure identified
50+ years of combined construction experience
Florida Certified Building Contractor CBC1269629
Experience on projects valued up to $100 million
Independent construction document reviews
Written findings and recommended questions
No contractor sales pitch
About Second Opinion Construction
Construction experience focused on your decision.
Second Opinion Construction is a family-led construction document-review service operated by Hope Construction Group LLC. Our team combines modern construction project-management experience with decades of business ownership, contracting, development, and building-systems experience.
We are not competing to perform the customer’s construction project. Our purpose is to help homeowners better understand the scope, responsibilities, exclusions, payment terms, and potential risk areas.
Meet the parent companyFree homeowner resources
Start with the question you need answered.
Use our expert-reviewed guides to understand common estimate and contract concerns before deciding whether your documents need a project-specific review.
How do I compare contractor bids?
Put competing proposals on equal footing without assuming that the lowest total represents the same work.
Compare bids fairlyWhat are the contract red flags?
Review payment terms, change orders, unclear scope, missing documents, and completion requirements.
Check contract red flagsWhat we review
Your contractor knows construction.
You should know your contract.
Before you sign, we look for pricing gaps, vague scope, risky terms, and missing details that can turn into conflict later.
Estimate review
We check quantities, allowances, labor, material pricing, and the line items most likely to become change orders.
Contract review
We translate scope, payment terms, exclusions, warranties, and risk clauses into plain English.
Independent guidance
We do not sell construction or refer contractors. Our only job is to protect your decision.
A smarter pre-construction step
One review.
Three clear outcomes.
01
Understand
See exactly what is—and is not—included.
02
Question
Know what to clarify before negotiations close.
03
Decide
Sign, revise, or walk away with confidence.
Experience Behind the Review
More than 50 years of combined construction experience.
Second Opinion Construction brings together two generations of practical construction experience. Our reviews are informed by backgrounds in project management, general contracting, construction business ownership, development, estimating, plumbing systems, and construction operations.
Each review is assigned based on the project type, complexity, and experience most relevant to the submitted documents.
CHSenior Advisor
Senior Review Advisor
Chris Hope
40+ years construction experience
Chris Hope brings more than 40 years of construction experience as a construction business owner, contractor, developer, and plumbing professional in New Jersey. He has owned and operated Hope’s Contracting LLC and Hope’s Plumbing LLC.
His experience includes general contracting, estimating, project planning, real-estate development, construction operations, residential and commercial construction, and plumbing systems.
Specialties
- Construction business ownership
- General contracting
- Real-estate development
- Estimating and project planning
- Residential and commercial construction
- Plumbing systems and related scope
Construction Businesses Founded and Operated
Hope’s Contracting LLCHope’s Plumbing LLCCH IIFounder
Founder & Lead Reviewer
Chris Hope II
10+ years construction experience
Chris Hope II is the founder of Second Opinion Construction and Hope Construction Group LLC. He brings more than 10 years of construction and project-management experience across multifamily, commercial, residential, and industrial projects, including projects valued up to $100 million.
His experience includes managing complex construction projects, reviewing scopes and estimates, coordinating contracts, evaluating allowances and exclusions, reviewing payment structures, and identifying potential change-order risks.
Specialties
- Construction project management
- Estimate and proposal review
- Scope completeness
- Contract and payment review
- Allowances and exclusions
- Change-order risk identification
- Multifamily and commercial construction
Hope Construction Group LLCFlorida Certified Building ContractorCBC1269629
Second Opinion Construction is a service of Hope Construction Group LLC.
Contractor pricing questions
Is your contractor estimate too high?
Price matters, but scope gaps, unrealistic allowances, broad exclusions, and unclear responsibilities often create the bigger risk.
Learn how to evaluate an estimateConstruction quote review
Is this construction quote accurate?
An accurate quote should clearly define the work, materials, allowances, exclusions, payment terms, and responsibilities—not just show a total price. Our nationwide document-review service helps homeowners understand what the quote includes and what may still need clarification.
Check what an accurate quote should includeGet a second opinion on a construction quote
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They found gaps we never would have noticed—and gave us the exact questions to ask. The review paid for itself before construction even started.View review options
Before you sign