Most families compare the hourly figure at the top of each estimate and stop there. The top figure is only one line. The lines below it decide what you will actually pay in a normal week. Read every line before you decide which offer is lower.

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Step 1: Ask for each estimate in writing

Ask every provider to put the estimate on paper, with the parent's name left off if you prefer. A verbal quote cannot be compared line by line, and a verbal quote often changes once the first invoice arrives.

Step 2: Lay the estimates side by side

Use one sheet with a column for each provider. Fill in each row from the written estimate. If a row is missing, write that down as a question for the provider, not as a zero.

Minimum visit length: ____ / ____

Billing increment (for example, whole hours or quarter hours): ____ / ____

What happens when a visit runs over: ____ / ____

Charge for a short visit or a canceled visit: ____ / ____

Travel or mileage charge: ____ / ____

Overnight or weekend rate, stated as a rule and not a guess: ____ / ____

Substitute coverage terms: ____ / ____

Deposit or prepayment: ____ / ____

Any fee not named as wages: ____ / ____

Step 3: Ask the questions the paper does not answer

  • Is the rate charged for every minute billed, or only for scheduled time?
  • Is there paid setup or handoff time, and is it on the estimate?
  • Which line changes if the parent needs an extra hour on one day?

Listen for a direct answer that matches the paper. A direct answer that differs from the paper is the first problem to write down.

Step 4: Compare the paper, not the impression

If the lower top figure has a higher minimum visit or a larger add-on fee, the two estimates may cost about the same or the higher one may cost less. Work out one typical week for each estimate using only the lines on the paper.

Typical week, offer A: ____

Typical week, offer B: ____

Signs to walk away

  1. A rate is listed with no minimum visit stated anywhere.
  2. A service fee appears with no explanation of what it covers.
  3. The verbal answer and the written estimate disagree on the same line.
  4. The provider will not put the estimate in writing.

For the method used to lay out these sheets, see How We Write the Sheets.