There's an old party game maybe you've played it called the "Whisper Down the Lane." The first player writes down a phrase and then whispers it into someone's ear. That person in turn whispers it to someone else. And so on. The fun begins when the last person in line attempts to repeat the original statement aloud.

The kind of miscommunication that results from this party game can present itself when you deal with a contractor if you're not very careful.

"That's not the sink I wanted," you might say to the contractor. "My old sink was made of cast iron. The one you put in is stamped out of tin."

The fact that the wrong sink was installed raises the question of what kind of sink was agreed upon initially. Details that aren't written down have a way of getting confused, forgotten or misunderstood later.

Contractors and consumers alike, don't spend enough time planning and detailing an agreement. If we as consumers don't demand detail, we won't get it.

Ask for: 1) a detailed set of plans (for jobs more than a couple of thousand dollars), 2) a clear set of written specifications, and 3) a detailed estimate.

Don't enter into a contract with a contractor without all three.

A detailed set of plans is essential and should be drawn to a specific scale. They should include written dimensions and should show everything that exists, everything that's being removed and what's going to be added. There should be a legend that defines symbols and another that defines abbreviations.

Written specifications amplify the plans. There usually isn't enough room on the plans to include all the details. For example, the plans might show a plug in the wall. Here, the specifications would be used to indicate the plug type (square decorator style, for example) and the color. The plans might show the door and the door knob type, and the specifications would note the type and number of hinges and the exact brand, model and finish of the knob.

Sometimes the specifications are included in the plans, sometimes they are separate and sometimes they are included in the plans and separately as well. If your project is a large one, expect a book of specifications in addition to the plans.

A detailed estimate is as important as the details in the plans. Hiring a contractor who provides this bid "XYZ Company will perform all the work in the plans for $8,750." could be a mistake. In this kind of bid there is no feedback from the contractor. Accepting a one sentence bid leaves you open to expensive change orders later. "This part of the plans isn't clear lady," the contractor might say as he hands you a $700 change order. The experts say that feedback is the key to successful communication. Ensure that the contractor's bid is thoroughly detailed. This gives you two sets of details to compare. The ones the architect provided and the contractor's written response to them.

A contractor's bid becomes even more important when no plans exist. An example of a bad bid:

XYZ company will replace 2 doors and hardware for $825.00 A good bid:

ABC company will replace 2 doors and hardware for the following price: Doors to be Jones Brand 2345 in Red Oak (see photo attached). Door price includes new door frames and trim to match existing. Hardware to be Smith Brand 2678 in polished brass finish (see photo attached). Placement of hardware and hinges to match other doors in house. Doors, frames and trim to be finished with three coat clear polyurethane finish with sanding between each coat. ABC company will clean and remove all debris created by its work.

ITEM No. Cost Total
1) Supply Door 2-EACH $275-EACH total $550.
2) Install Door 2-EACH $65-EACH total $130.
3A) (Passage type) 1-EACH $12-EACH total $12.
3B) (Locking type) 1-EACH $25-EACH total $25.
4) Install Door Knob 2-EACH $15-EACH total $30.
5) Paint Door 2-EACH $65-EACH $130.

BID SUBTOTAL $ 877.
TAX $42.
TOTAL BID $919.

In our opinion the second contractor is the right choice even though his price is higher. Why? Because we know he's done his homework. In our experience, more often than not, the quality of the job is commensurate with the quality of the bid.