What’s Included in a Remodeling Estimate (And What’s Not) in 2026
What a complete estimate itemizes, what gets left out, and why two bids for the same kitchen can differ by $15,000+.
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Key Takeaways
- A complete remodeling estimate should itemize 12 categories: demolition/disposal, cabinetry/hardware, countertops, tile/flooring, plumbing rough-in and finish, electrical rough-in and finish, drywall/paint, fixtures and appliances, permits, design, project management, and a payment schedule.
- The reason two bids for the same kitchen can differ by $15,000+ usually isn’t that one contractor is cheaper — it’s that the bids don’t include the same work. The most common gaps are appliances ($3,000–$15,000+), electrical panel upgrades ($1,500–$4,000), permits ($200–$1,500), design fees ($500–$3,500), dumpster/disposal ($600–$1,500), and project management.
- An allowance is a placeholder dollar amount for a material you haven’t picked yet. Allowances are reasonable on late, low-impact selections like paint color, but a red flag when used for cabinetry, countertops, tile, or major fixtures.
- In Pennsylvania, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act caps deposits at $1,000 or one-third of the contract price (whichever is less) for non-custom materials, and requires written change orders for any scope change after signing.
- Fedor Fabrication (PA HIC #PA202519) uses fixed-price contracts with milestone payments and finalizes every selection before contract signing — so there are no allowances on cabinetry, countertops, tile, or fixtures.
A complete remodeling estimate in Southeastern PA should itemize:
- Demolition and disposal
- Cabinetry and hardware
- Countertops
- Tile and flooring (including waterproofing)
- Plumbing rough-in and finish
- Electrical rough-in and finish (including panel upgrade if needed)
- Drywall and paint
- Fixtures and appliances
- Permits
- Design fees
- Project management
- A clearly stated payment schedule
Anything labeled “by owner” or “TBD” is a cost shifted onto you. It has to be added back before two bids can be compared honestly.
If you have one to three estimates and the numbers don’t line up, the bids may not be measuring the same project. This guide walks every line a real kitchen or bathroom estimate should contain — plus what allowances mean, how to compare bids apples-to-apples, and the red flags that signal a number is going to grow.
What’s the Difference Between a Remodeling Estimate, a Quote, and a Proposal?
There is no legal definition for “estimate,” “quote,” or “proposal” in Pennsylvania, and different contractors use the words to mean different things — so the label tells you almost nothing. What matters is what is actually printed on the page.
- Estimate — an educated approximation, often informal, and may or may not be binding. Frequently contains allowances and “TBD” line items.
- Quote — firmer than an estimate, but in residential remodeling it still typically contains allowances. May or may not include a payment schedule.
- Proposal — a fully detailed, fixed-price contract document. Every material, every labor line, and every scope item is specified. The number is the number.
The honest takeaway: read the contents, not the cover sheet. A “proposal” can be one page with a single dollar figure, and an “estimate” can be a twelve-page itemized fixed-price contract. It is common to be handed a fully itemized fixed-price contract and still hear “but the other guy’s proposal was lower” — when the other document was a single line that said “Kitchen remodel — $48,000” with no scope attached. A one-line “proposal” and a twelve-page “estimate” are not the same promise, regardless of which word is on the cover.
What Should Be Included in a Remodeling Estimate? (The 12-Line Anatomy)
A complete kitchen or bathroom remodeling estimate in Chester County, Delaware County, and the Main Line should itemize twelve categories — in roughly the order they appear on the page, with what good detail looks like and what’s commonly left off.
| # | Line Item | What “Good Detail” Looks Like | Typical Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Demolition & disposal | Demo labor, dumpster, and haul-away as separate lines, or one line that explicitly says “includes dumpster and haul-away” | $1,800–$7,000 kitchen / $3,000–$5,500 bath |
| 2 | Cabinetry & hardware | Brand named, box construction (plywood vs. particle board), door style, finish, count; hardware its own line | $8,000–$50,000+ (kitchen) |
| 3 | Countertops | Material, brand/color, sq ft, edge profile, sink cutout, installation included | $3,000–$15,000+ / $1,500–$4,500 vanity |
| 4 | Tile & flooring | Sq ft by area, material or allowance amount visible, waterproofing system named | $1,500–$15,000+ |
| 5 | Plumbing — rough-in + finish | Rough-in and finish on separate lines; fixtures included or “by owner” stated | $2,500–$8,000 / $2,000–$8,000 bath |
| 6 | Electrical — rough-in + finish | Circuit count, panel work priced or explicitly excluded, GFCI noted | $2,500–$12,000 |
| 7 | Drywall, paint & trim | Paint separate from drywall; walls + ceiling specified; trim itemized | $2,400–$8,500 |
| 8 | Fixtures, appliances & accessories | Brand/model OR a clearly stated allowance with a dollar figure | $1,000–$15,000+ |
| 9 | Permits & inspections | Listed as included with a fee range, or explicitly excluded | $200–$1,500 |
| 10 | Design fees | Itemized, or credited toward the project if you sign | $500–$5,000 |
| 11 | Project management | Visible line with a percentage or dollar figure | 3–10% of contract value |
| 12 | Payment schedule | Defined milestones tied to phase completion with dollar amounts | n/a |
What’s a “rough-in” and why is it broken out separately?
A rough-in is all the behind-the-wall work — supply and drain lines, valves, wiring, junction boxes, pressure tests — done before drywall closes the walls. Finish work is everything installed after: faucets, showerheads, toilets, outlets, switches, and light fixtures. A good estimate breaks plumbing and electrical into a rough-in line and a finish line, because it tells you whether fixture supply is included or shifted to you.
The single most common surprise upcharge we see on pre-2000 homes across Chester County, Delaware County, and the Main Line is the electrical panel upgrade ($1,500–$4,000). A 1990s colonial in Downingtown or a 1960s split-level in Newtown Square often has a panel that was never sized for a modern kitchen’s load. A complete estimate either prices that upgrade or explicitly says it’s excluded — it should never just go unmentioned and then surface on day two of demolition, because an undersized panel almost always surfaces during electrical rough-in once the walls are open, not before.
Quotable: A complete remodeling estimate should include itemized line items for demolition, cabinetry, countertops, tile, plumbing, electrical, drywall and paint, fixtures, appliances, permits, design fees, project management, and a clearly stated payment schedule. Anything labeled “by owner” or “TBD” is a cost shifted to you.
How is the project management line supposed to look?
Project management covers scheduling subcontractors, ordering and tracking materials, coordinating inspections, and being your single point of contact. A clear estimate shows it as a visible line with a percentage or dollar figure — typically 3–5% at Fedor Fabrication, sometimes 8–15% at other firms. Both can be honest; what matters is that you can see it. If you can’t find a project-management line and you can’t find a stated markup percentage, the cost is still in there somewhere — it’s just hidden in inflated material prices, where it is impossible to compare against another bid line for line.
What Does an “Allowance” Mean in a Remodeling Estimate?
An allowance is a placeholder dollar amount the contractor inserts for a material or fixture you haven’t selected yet. If your final selection costs more than the allowance, you pay the difference — and often a labor upcharge on top, because the upgraded material took more work to install.
Here’s the honest version most articles won’t give you: allowances aren’t automatically bad. A $50 paint allowance is reasonable, because paint color is one of the last decisions and doesn’t change the cost in any meaningful way. A $500 hardware allowance is reasonable, because plenty of homeowners don’t pick knobs and pulls until late. The dishonest version is large allowances on the categories that drive 60–70% of the budget.
| Allowance Type | Reasonable? | What the “Trap” Looks Like |
|---|---|---|
| Paint color | Yes — low-impact, late decision | n/a |
| Cabinet hardware | Yes — usually $300–$1,500 | “Hardware: by owner” with no number |
| Cabinetry | No — should be specified | “Cabinetry allowance: $12,000” — final bill $19,000–$28,000 |
| Tile (per sq ft) | Only if specified per area | “Tile allowance: $4/sq ft” — quietly guarantees builder-grade |
| Plumbing fixtures | Reasonable at $200–$800 per fixture | “Allowance: $1,500 for all bath fixtures” — won’t cover what you’ll actually pick |
| Lighting | Reasonable at $100–$300 per fixture | “Allowance: $800 for all kitchen lighting” — island pendants alone exceed it |
The trap isn’t the allowance itself — it’s the gap between the allowance and what you actually pick at the showroom. Homeowners routinely walk into Avalon Flooring or The Tile Shop in King of Prussia, fall in love with a porcelain at twice the allowanced rate, and only then learn the change-order math — the gap between a builder-grade allowance and a real selection is where most budget-overrun stories actually begin.
The Fedor approach is to finalize selections before contract signing, so there are no allowances on cabinetry, countertops, tile, or fixtures. Smaller decisions — final paint color, specific knob — may still be open at signing, but they don’t move the budget more than a few hundred dollars.
Quotable: Allowances are sometimes reasonable for late-stage selections like paint color and hardware, but they’re a red flag when used for cabinetry, countertops, tile, or major fixtures — those should be specified before you sign.
What’s NOT Included in Most Remodeling Estimates (And Should Be)?
These are the items most frequently excluded from — or buried inside — low estimates. If you don’t see them on the page, they’re either not included, or they’re hidden, which is sometimes worse. Use these as a checklist against every bid you have.
On kitchen estimates, look for:
- Appliances ($3,000–$15,000+) — the single biggest source of bid-to-bid difference
- Electrical panel upgrade ($1,500–$4,000) — biggest gap on pre-2000 homes
- Permit fees ($300–$1,500)
- Design fees ($500–$3,500)
- Dumpster and disposal ($600–$1,500)
- Painting ceilings, trim, and adjacent rooms (not just the walls)
- Cabinet hardware (handles, pulls)
- Range hood ducting to the exterior ($500–$2,000)
- Drywall repair beyond the immediate work area
- Backsplash (sometimes deferred as a “future phase”)
- Project management (or it’s buried in markups)
On bathroom estimates, look for:
- Glass shower enclosure ($2,500–$5,000) — often a separate vendor
- Tile waterproofing system ($400–$1,200) — Schluter or RedGard, a waterproof membrane behind the tile
- Subfloor repair contingency ($500–$2,000) — common in older homes
- Exhaust fan replacement and venting to the exterior ($300–$800)
- GFCI circuit upgrades (a ground-fault outlet required by code in wet areas)
- Permit fees ($200–$1,500)
- Old supply-line replacement (galvanized or polybutylene piping) — $1,500–$4,000
On both kitchen and bathroom estimates:
- Asbestos testing on homes built before 1985, plus abatement if positive ($1,500–$5,000)
- Structural surprises behind walls (usually handled with a written contingency)
- HVAC register or duct adjustments
- Final cleaning and the closeout walkthrough
When a competitor bid is read line by line against this checklist, the largest gap is almost always one of the items above being silently absent — most often appliances or the electrical panel upgrade — not a difference in labor rate. That is the difference between two numbers that look thousands of dollars apart and two projects that are actually priced the same.
Why Aren’t a $40K Bid and a $55K Bid the Same Project?
Two bids for the same kitchen rarely differ because one contractor is genuinely cheaper — they differ because the lower bid quietly excluded scope you’ll pay for anyway. Once you add back the cabinets above a low allowance, the appliances marked “by owner,” the panel upgrade that surfaces on day two of demo, the permits, and a designer’s fee, a roughly $42,000 bid and a $54,000 bid for the same pull-and-replace kitchen routinely land within a few thousand dollars of each other. The lower number was never the real number; it was the same project with the costs deferred onto you.
Working that comparison line by line — and what to do with each “by owner” entry — is its own guide: see how to compare two remodeling estimates apples-to-apples for the full side-by-side method and worksheet.
What’s the Difference Between Fixed-Price, Allowance-Based, and Time & Materials?
There are three pricing structures you’ll encounter, and the difference between them matters more than the bottom-line number.
| Structure | How Price Is Set | Who Carries the Risk | Best / Worst Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-price (lump-sum) | Total set before construction; all selections finalized at signing; changes only via written change order | Contractor carries labor-overrun risk | Best: no surprises. Requires patience through the selections phase |
| Allowance-based | Total includes placeholders for unselected materials; you pay the difference | Homeowner carries selection risk | Faster to sign; final number unknown until selections done |
| Time & materials (T&M / cost-plus) | Actual labor hours + material cost + markup (typically 15–25%) | Homeowner carries open-ended risk | Honest when scope truly can’t be predicted; dishonest as an open-ended blank check |
T&M has an honest use: a full gut of a 1900s home in West Chester where nobody can see what’s behind the plaster until it’s open. The dishonest use is a contractor who simply won’t commit to a number. For most kitchen and bathroom remodels across Chester County, Delaware County, and the Main Line, fixed-price is the most homeowner-protective structure — you know what you’re paying, and the contractor takes the risk if labor runs long. This is what Fedor uses on every project; for the longer answer, see our guide to what fixed-price remodeling actually means.
What Are the Red Flags in a Remodeling Estimate?
If you see any of these on an estimate, ask hard questions before you sign. None of them automatically means the contractor is dishonest — but each one is a place where a number tends to grow later.
- A single line that just says “labor.” You can’t see what’s being done, and you can’t negotiate scope without renegotiating the whole bid.
- Multiple “TBD” or “by owner” line items. Watch especially for appliances, fixtures, permits, dumpster, hardware, and paint.
- Allowances on major categories with no per-item dollar figure. A “$10,000 cabinet allowance” tells you nothing about what cabinets you’re actually getting.
- No payment schedule, or a deposit larger than one-third of the contract. Pennsylvania law has specific limits — see the next section.
- No specified completion date. A real proposal includes a target start and substantial-completion date, even as ranges.
- No change-order process described. “We’ll sort it out as we go” is how surprises become expensive.
- No PA HIC registration number on the document. Pennsylvania requires the contractor’s Home Improvement Contractor number on every home-improvement contract over $500.
- No written warranty terms. A verbal “we’ll take care of it” doesn’t survive a phone call after the job ends.
- Pressure to sign today. “This price is only good for 24 hours” is a tactic. A contractor confident in the number gives you time to compare.
For the broader version of this — the questions to ask before you ever get to an estimate — read our guides on red flags when hiring a contractor and how to choose a remodeling contractor.
How Do I Compare Two Remodeling Estimates Apples-to-Apples?
Print this. Fill it out for each bid. Total each column, then add back the cost of anything marked “by owner” using market rates. Compare the true out-of-pocket totals — not the bottom-line number each contractor handed you.
| Line Item | Bid A | Bid B | Bid C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition + dumpster + haul-away | |||
| Cabinetry (specified amount, or allowance) | |||
| Countertops | |||
| Tile / backsplash (material + labor + waterproofing) | |||
| Flooring | |||
| Plumbing rough-in | |||
| Plumbing fixtures | |||
| Electrical rough-in (incl. panel upgrade if needed) | |||
| Electrical fixtures + lighting | |||
| Drywall + paint (walls, ceiling, trim) | |||
| Appliances | |||
| Permits | |||
| Design fees | |||
| Project management | |||
| Hardware | |||
| Final cleaning + closeout walkthrough | |||
| Stated bid total | |||
| Add: “by owner” items you’ll pay separately | |||
| TRUE OUT-OF-POCKET TOTAL |
Once a homeowner fills this out honestly, the bids usually land within 5–10% of each other. Sometimes the lowest bid really is still the lowest — and that’s fine. The point isn’t to push you toward the most expensive contractor. It’s to make sure you actually know what you’re choosing between.
How Does Pennsylvania Law Protect You on Estimates and Deposits?
Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA) sets enforceable rules for any home-improvement contract over $500 in our market. It’s worth knowing two of them before you sign anything.
First, deposits are capped. For projects with non-custom materials, HICPA limits the deposit to $1,000 or one-third of the contract price, whichever is less. For projects with custom materials — custom cabinetry, custom stone — a reasonable advance toward those materials is allowed. Be cautious of any contractor pushing for a 50%-up-front deposit on a standard remodel.
Second, change orders must be in writing. A change order is a written modification to the original contract scope, signed by both parties before the additional work happens. Under HICPA, a scope change after signing requires written documentation. A legitimate change order is triggered either by an unexpected condition discovered during construction (rotted subfloor, galvanized supply lines) or a homeowner-requested upgrade — and it should be priced, dated, and approved in writing, never verbal.
You can verify any contractor’s registration before you sign. Fedor Fabrication’s number is PA HIC #PA202519, and Pennsylvania’s contractor registry is public — see Sources and References below.
Quotable: In Pennsylvania, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act caps deposits at $1,000 or one-third of the contract price (whichever is less) for projects with non-custom materials, and requires written change orders for any scope change after signing.
What We Tell Our Clients
The estimate is not the place to be polite. You’re about to hand a stranger tens of thousands of dollars, and the document in front of you is the only thing that defines what you actually get for it.
Read every line. Ask these questions out loud:
- What does “labor” cover?
- Where are the appliances?
- Is the panel upgrade in there? (In a pre-2000 home across Chester County, Delaware County, or the Main Line, it usually needs to be.)
The homeowners who get burned aren’t careless — they’re trusting. They assumed the lowest number was the same project as the highest one. It almost never is.
When we sit at someone’s kitchen island with a competitor’s bid next to ours, we don’t argue about price. We line the two documents up side by side and add back everything the other bid left out. Sometimes our number is still higher. Sometimes the other contractor is the better fit. What we want is for the homeowner to be able to tell the difference.
That’s why we:
- Finalize every selection before the contract is signed
- Show project management as its own line
- Write every change order before any extra work happens
- Use fixed-price contracts with four milestone payments — deposit at signing, second at start of work, third at tile and cabinet completion, final at substantial completion + walkthrough
We’re not the cheapest contractor, and we may not be the right one for your project. But you’ll know exactly what you’re getting from us before a single wall is touched.
Next Step
Want a Fedor Proposal to Compare Line-by-Line?
Bring the bids you already have. We’ll line them up next to ours and add back everything the others left out — so you can see what you’re actually choosing between.
Not sure we’re the right fit? That’s a fair question to ask first — here’s an honest look at who Fedor is best for, and what to expect at your first consultation.
Or call us directly: 610-431-7150 · PA HIC #PA202519
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be included in a remodeling estimate?
A complete remodeling estimate should itemize twelve categories: demolition and disposal, cabinetry and hardware, countertops, tile and flooring (with the waterproofing system), plumbing rough-in and finish, electrical rough-in and finish, drywall and paint, fixtures, appliances, permits, design fees, project management, and a defined payment schedule. Anything labeled “by owner” or “TBD” is a cost shifted onto you that has to be added back before two bids can be compared honestly. The most common surprise upcharge we see on pre-2000 homes across Chester County, Delaware County, and the Main Line is the electrical panel upgrade at $1,500-$4,000 – a complete estimate prices it or excludes it, never just omits it.
What is the difference between a remodeling estimate, quote, and proposal?
There is no legal definition for “estimate,” “quote,” or “proposal” in Pennsylvania, so the label tells you almost nothing – what matters is what is printed on the page. In general an estimate is the loosest and often informal, a quote is firmer but may still contain allowances, and a proposal is typically a fully detailed fixed-price contract. We have handed homeowners a fully itemized fixed-price contract and had them say the other guy’s “proposal” was lower, when that document was a single line reading “Kitchen remodel – $48,000” with no scope attached. Read the contents, not the cover sheet.
What is an allowance in a remodeling estimate?
An allowance is a placeholder dollar amount the contractor inserts for a material or fixture you have not selected yet; if your final selection costs more, you pay the difference, often plus a labor upcharge. Allowances are reasonable on small late decisions like a $50 paint allowance, but a red flag on cabinetry, countertops, tile, or major fixtures, the categories that drive 60-70% of the budget. We see homeowners walk into Avalon Flooring or The Tile Shop in King of Prussia and pick porcelain at twice the allowanced rate, then learn the change-order math. Fedor finalizes those selections before contract signing, so there are no allowances on them.
How do I compare two remodeling estimates?
Build a line-item worksheet listing every category: demolition, cabinetry, countertops, tile, flooring, plumbing, electrical, drywall, paint, appliances, permits, design, project management, and hardware. Fill in the dollar amount for each bid, and for any line marked “by owner” or “TBD,” add an estimated market cost. Compare the true out-of-pocket totals, not the stated bid totals – they usually land within 5 – 10% of each other once you do.
What’s NOT included in most remodeling estimates?
The most commonly excluded items are appliances ($3,000 – $15,000+), electrical panel upgrades ($1,500 – $4,000), permits ($200 – $1,500), design fees ($500 – $3,500), dumpster and disposal ($600 – $1,500), and project management – which is often buried in markups instead of shown as a line. On bathrooms, glass shower enclosures, exhaust fan upgrades, and tile waterproofing systems are also frequently omitted.
What does “fixed-price” mean in remodeling?
A fixed-price (lump-sum) contract means the total cost is set before construction begins – no hourly rates, no open-ended allowances, no surprise charges. The price changes only if you initiate a scope change, documented and approved in writing as a change order, which Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires for any scope change after signing. For most kitchen and bathroom remodels across Chester County, Delaware County, and the Main Line this is the most homeowner-protective structure, because the contractor carries the labor-overrun risk instead of you. Fedor Fabrication (PA HIC #PA202519) uses fixed-price contracts with milestone payments on every project.
How accurate is a remodeling estimate?
A fixed-price estimate or proposal should be 100% accurate – the number on the page is what you pay unless you change the scope. An allowance-based estimate can come in 15 – 30% over the original number depending on your selections. Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act requires a written change order for any scope change after the contract is signed.
Should I always go with the lowest remodeling estimate?
No. Lower estimates frequently exclude appliances, permits, panel upgrades, dumpster fees, design, or project management – costs you’ll pay regardless. When you build a true line-item comparison, the lowest bid is often within 5 – 10% of the highest, and sometimes ends up costing more once exclusions are added back in. Compare scope, not just price.
How big should the deposit be on a remodeling contract?
In Pennsylvania, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act caps deposits at $1,000 or one-third of the contract price (whichever is less) for projects with non-custom materials. For projects with custom materials such as custom cabinetry or custom stone, a reasonable advance is allowed. Be cautious of any deposit larger than one-third of the total contract value, and of any contractor who pushes for one.
Are permits and design listed as line items in an estimate?
They should be — a complete remodeling estimate lists the building permit and the design/drawing work as their own line items, not buried in “labor” or left off entirely. At Fedor, the municipal permit (issued by your township or borough under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code) and the design work are itemized in the fixed-price proposal so you can see exactly what you are paying for. An estimate that omits the permit line is usually one where permitting was never priced — a common reason a “cheaper” bid grows mid-project.
Sources and References
- PA Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA) — Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. State law governing deposit caps, written change orders, and required contract terms.
- PA Home Improvement Contractor Registration Lookup — PA Office of Attorney General HIC Search. Verify any contractor’s registration number. Fedor Fabrication: PA HIC #PA202519.
- Chester County Department of Community Development — Permits & Inspections — chesco.org. Permit costs and process detail across Chester County municipalities.
- National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) — nkba.org. Industry standards for kitchen and bath scope, design fees, and contract norms.
- Better Business Bureau — Hiring a Contractor — bbb.org. Third-party consumer guidance on deposits, contracts, and red flags.
Related Guides
- Are We the Right Fit? — An honest look at who Fedor is best for and who should look elsewhere.
- Our Process — Step-by-step from first call to final walkthrough, including how selections are finalized before signing.
- What Does “Fixed-Price” Remodeling Actually Mean? — The longer answer on the pricing structure referenced throughout this guide.
- How to Choose a Remodeling Contractor — The 10 questions to ask before you ever get to an estimate.
- Red Flags When Hiring a Contractor — The vetting-stage companion to the estimate red flags above.
- How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost in the Philadelphia Suburbs? — Real local cost ranges by project tier.
- How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost in the Philadelphia Suburbs? — The bathroom companion cost guide.
- What to Expect at Your First Remodeling Consultation — What happens before you ever see a number.
- How to Prepare for Your Remodeling Consultation — The pre-meeting checklist that makes your estimate more accurate.
- Schedule a consultation with Fedor Fabrication — Bring the bids you have; we’ll line them up next to ours. Conducted by the owner, no pressure, no same-day signing.
You’re allowed to ask hard questions. The right contractor will appreciate them. The wrong one will tell you everything you need to know by how they answer.