Proper Respect for getting quotes... how many is too many?

You really only need 3. 15 is not really a good use of anyone’s time including yours.

Working for a professional home service business, we hear it all the time that you are getting a bunch of bids for whatever project and that lowest bidder will probably get it. I’ll typically decline to bid or won’t make it a priority to get out there right away since I’m booking months in advance to complete work at a higher price than 99% of my competitors. There’s a labor shortage right now for most of the country and businesses are struggling to find good employees for more work so we raise the prices to make more per job.

If I were you I would just say your looking to have a tree removed that will need a crane since it’s overhanging your house (some don’t have access to cranes) and have them give you a price, no need to tell them you are price shopping. Half of them won’t show up anyways, a 1/4th will show up but never give you a price and 3 will give you a price but it will be crazy high since it’s crane work and one will be a decent but higher than expected price.

That's pretty ridiculous, I think anywhere between 3-5 will give you a good idea what balances between affordable and done professionally. You shouldn't be going for cheapest anyhow, so 15 prices would be too much to pick through. After 3 prices you'll start to get an idea how the range of cost, and depending on the impression you've gotten you'll be able to tell who would do the job best, if uncertain another 2 estimates would definitely help you decide.

If you call 15 people, you won’t get that many quotes. Half probably won’t call back or show up.

Make your list, work your way down the list until you have three quotes you think are reasonable, or until you are out of options.

I called 6-7 places recommended by word of mouth for a paving job and half of them didn’t respond or service my area, and I got only 2 quotes I thought were reasonable.

30 is just too many diameter in my opinion, unbelievable.

That's really a waste of your time more than anything. 3 is fine.

I would get 3 quotes. In my opinion it is bad business for a company to ask the see the others quotes. If one does I wouldn't go with them. I do hvac and people price shop all the time. I never ask to see the others quotes. Another thing I don't do is when asked about how someone else's work looks is say anything bad about it. I think that is bad business as well. I always just say it looks good. Now if something is completely wrong or unsafe that is a different story.

I'd get two or three quotes, especially if they're all people who were recommended to you.

More than that is a waste of your own time, even.

If the loot is the problem - it is - you should ask the personal referrals if they feel their recommendation was high priced, mid priced, or low priced, and filter that way before calling anyone.

I just wrote a post about this.

I got 3 quotes, but contacted 5 in total. 2 just flat out didn't respond, lol. Even with the information on "just" 3 I'm having a hard time filtering out who to choose.

Thank you for the comments. You guys have helped immensely.