HSHomeScope Guide
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Homeowner decision path

What do you have right now?

Choose your current situation. HomeScope will take you to a useful next step. No sales form.

Owner distribution kit

Useful content,
ready to share.

Download exact-size Pinterest graphics, record short educational videos, copy community-safe responses, and share original municipal research. Personalize every post and only use a resource where it directly helps.

MICHIGAN HOME PROJECT GUIDE

Plan the budget.Check permits.Compare bids.

Free local calculators and contractor-ready checklists

HOMESCOPEGUIDE.COM
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BEFORE YOU HIRE A CONTRACTOR

Ask betterquestions beforeyou sign.

Scope, materials, allowances, warranties and payments

HOMESCOPEGUIDE.COM
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MICHIGAN PERMIT DIRECTORY

Permit information.Without thescavenger hunt.

Official sources for 30 Michigan municipalities

HOMESCOPEGUIDE.COM
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RENOVATION BUDGETING

Your quote is notyour completeproject budget.

Build a visible reserve for project unknowns

HOMESCOPEGUIDE.COM
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MICHIGAN HOME ADDITIONS

Estimate byaddition size,not house size.

Model a local cost-per-square-foot planning range

HOMESCOPEGUIDE.COM
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CONTRACTOR PAYMENT CHECK

Tie paymentsto progress,not promises.

Review deposits, milestones, and final records

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01

The lowest bid problem

Hook: “The cheapest contractor quote may not be the cheapest project.”
  1. Show two quote totals.
  2. Reveal missing materials, exclusions, and warranty.
  3. Show the HomeScope bid-comparison tool.
  4. Close: Compare scope before price.

Two bids can look similar until you compare what each one actually includes. Use the free contractor bid-comparison tool at HomeScopeGuide.com.

02

Before you build a deck

Hook: “Planning a Michigan deck? Do these three things before requesting bids.”
  1. Estimate the size and working budget.
  2. Check your municipality’s official permit starting point.
  3. Give every contractor the same scope.
  4. Close on the deck guide.

A clearer scope produces more comparable bids. Start with the free Michigan deck guide at HomeScopeGuide.com.

03

Permit search shortcut

Hook: “Stop searching five city pages for one permit answer.”
  1. Show confusing search tabs.
  2. Filter the Permit Directory by city and project.
  3. Open the official municipal source.
  4. Close: Research here, confirm there.

HomeScope Guide organizes official permit starting points without pretending to replace your city or township. Search the free directory at HomeScopeGuide.com.

04

Build a real contingency

Hook: “A contingency is not a random ten percent added to every project.”
  1. Show a base project budget.
  2. Name design gaps and concealed conditions.
  3. Use the contingency planner.
  4. Close: Keep the reserve outside the base scope.

Plan for the unknowns you can actually see. Try the free renovation contingency calculator at HomeScopeGuide.com.

05

Payment schedule check

Hook: “Before signing, ask what completed work triggers every contractor payment.”
  1. Show deposit and milestone rows.
  2. Flag a payment with no completed-work trigger.
  3. Keep final payment for inspections, the punch list, and final records.
  4. Close on the free checker.

A payment schedule should explain what progress earns each payment. Review yours with the free checker at HomeScopeGuide.com.

06

Addition math mistake

Hook: “For addition planning, use the new space - not your whole house.”
  1. Show the addition footprint.
  2. Enter addition square feet and community.
  3. Show the broad range and estimate limits.
  4. Close on the complete addition guide.

Early addition math is only a starting point. Model the range, then account for site work, tie-ins, design, permits, and selections at HomeScopeGuide.com.

Facebook / neighborhood group

I put together a free Michigan home-project planning resource that combines local cost ranges, official permit starting points, and questions to ask contractors. It doesn’t sell contractor placements or replace your city’s requirements - it’s simply meant to make early planning less confusing. If you’re comparing a deck, roof, fence, garage, addition, basement, kitchen, siding, or window project, it may help: https://homescopeguide.com/guides

Reddit answer template

A useful way to compare these quotes is to confirm that each prices the same written work, then check, materials, allowances, exclusions, warranty, payment milestones, permits, and cleanup. I built a free browser-based comparison tool for exactly that; it doesn’t require an account and the entries stay in your browser: https://homescopeguide.com/tools/contractor-bid-comparison. Still verify licensing, insurance, references, permits, and contract terms independently.

Realtor / inspector sharing note

HomeScope Guide has a free Michigan Permit & Inspection Directory and contractor bid-comparison tool designed for homeowner education. If your clients regularly ask where to begin, you’re welcome to share or embed the tools - no referral arrangement or endorsement is implied: https://homescopeguide.com/partners

Reddit: renovation contingency

I would separate the contractor's base scope from a homeowner-held contingency instead of treating the quote as the complete project budget. The reserve should reflect actual unknowns - design gaps, concealed conditions, age, access, and occupied work - not a promise that costs will increase. I built a free scenario calculator for this: https://homescopeguide.com/tools/renovation-contingency-calculator. It is educational, not a prediction or professional estimate.

Facebook: permit starting point

If you're trying to find the right permit page, start with the municipality - not a general search result or a neighboring city's process. I built a free Michigan directory that organizes official department, application, portal, inspection, and document starting points and shows when each source was checked: https://homescopeguide.com/michigan/permit-directory. I own the site; always confirm the current requirement directly with your city or township.

HOA / neighborhood newsletter

Free homeowner resource: HomeScope Guide offers Michigan project calculators, contractor questions, a printable planning workbook, and a municipal permit-source directory. It does not sell contractor rankings or replace official requirements. Residents can start here: https://homescopeguide.com/guides - and organizations may use the free calculator embeds at https://homescopeguide.com/partners.

30

municipalities organized

Each record links homeowners back to the official city or township source and shows its checked date.

Different

portal paths

Michigan homeowners may encounter BS&A, AccessMyGov, city-specific portals, email submission, or an in-person starting point.

Not one

inspection workflow

Published instructions vary by municipality, including online requests, phone lines, account linking, and local timing details.

Primary

sources only

The directory records supported details from official municipal pages instead of copying rules between communities.

Review the official source directory →

Downloadable resource

Michigan Project Planning Pack

A polished six-page homeowner workbook combining budget setup, permit research, bid preparation, and contractor comparison.