Short answer
Give both builders the same dated drawings and ask each to price the same work. On a Pacific Palisades wildfire rebuild, read the fixed contract sum alongside its inclusions, exclusions, allowances and payment schedule.
Follow one item through both bids
Take the front windows. One bid may include purchase, installation, flashing, interior trim and paint. Another may carry an allowance for the windows while leaving installation in a different section. Write down the window count, frame type, included labor and allowance in each bid. Ask each builder to identify which line pays for every step.
An allowance is an amount carried for a selection that still needs to be made. Ask what it covers and how a credit or extra charge will be calculated once you choose the product.
Separate the house from the lot
On one sheet, list demolition, survey and design fees, grading, retaining walls, utilities, permit fees, garage and landscaping. For every line, record who is responsible, where the cost appears and what still needs investigation. An empty line is a question to resolve before you compare totals.
Read the payment terms alongside the price
California’s Contractors State License Board explains that rebuilding after the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires requires a fixed-price contract. Its disaster guidance ties progress payments to completed work or materials delivered to your home. Ask the builder to identify the milestone behind each payment and the drawing revision attached to the contract. Keep those documents with the signed agreement.
Put it into practice.
Compare builder proposals line by line
Put each proposal next to the same drawings and selections. Compare site work, allowances, exclusions and change procedures before comparing the totals.