Every quote on HandLancer is broken into material line items and labour line items. That is not presentation — those two totals become the two halves of escrow, so the itemisation literally determines how your money is held.
Material lines
These are the things that get consumed or installed: pipe, cable, board, paint, a pump. You release this portion early so the artisan is not funding your supplies out of pocket. Check quantities and specification, not just price — "board" and "moisture-resistant board" are different jobs in a humid climate.
Labour lines
This is the artisan’s time and skill, and it is the portion that stays locked until you have seen the finished work and rated it. A suspiciously low labour figure usually means something has been left out of scope — most often preparation.
Three questions worth asking
- 01What is the cause, not just the fix? A remedy without a diagnosis tends to come back.
- 02What is excluded? Making good, disposal and preparation are the usual omissions.
- 03What happens if it opens up worse than expected? Agree that before funding, not halfway through.
You can message any artisan in-app before approving a quote. Asking these three questions costs nothing and is the cheapest part of any job.