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HSHomeScope Guide

The Michigan homeowner’s field guide

A home worth
planning for.

Make room for the project you have in mind. Get a realistic starting budget, ask better contractor questions, and know what comes next.

Build my project plan →Just looking for a budget? Start here →

Free to plan. No account required. No contractor lead-selling.

Architectural illustration of a home, deck, and project planning tools
Home starts with a plan.HomeScope Guide · Michigan

Start with the decision in front of you

Where is your project today?

Choose your project stage
YOUR FIRST STEP

Write one shared scope

Describe the same work, products and open decisions before collecting prices.

Leave with: One project description for every bidder.

Write one shared scope →See my three-step plan →

Free tools. No account needed to start.

Start here

Start with a number.
Refine it with a plan.

Choose your community and project, then adjust the approximate size. The range updates as you go.

  • See an estimate before entering contact details.
  • Carry your choices into permit and scope tools.
  • Use written contractor bids to confirm final pricing.
How the planning ranges work →

Your project details

Your project estimateLet’s put a number to your project.

Choose your community, project, and approximate size to see a planning range.

No account required. Estimates are planning guidance, not contractor quotes.

After the home inspection

A long inspection report.
A clearer to-do list.

Open your inspection PDF privately on this device, or paste a few findings. Keep selected observations, page images, and questions together in an editable repair checklist.

Build my repair checklist →See how a report becomes a plan →Free to start and print. Save to an account only when you choose.

Fictional example

FROM THE REPORT

“Leaves and debris observed in the front gutter.”

IN YOUR REPAIR PLAN

Arrange a gutter evaluation

Where: Front entrance

Ask: Is this limited to debris, or are there drainage or attachment issues?

Confirm the work and timing with a qualified professional.

One connected decision pack

Your next steps, in one place.

Use one project context across cost, permits, scope, bids, scheduling, and records. Nothing is sold to a contractor.

Edit my project details ↑
IndependentBrowser-friendlyNo contractor lead funnel

Your project decision pack

Choose a project above
Start with your project

Get a starting range first

Choose your community, project, and size above. Then build a written scope for your next conversation.

Choose my project details ↑
Browse all planning toolsTurn inspection findings into a repair plan →01
Cost rangeSet assumptions and view a transparent range.
Choose a project →02
Permit officeFind your local office and approval path.
Find my office →03
Scope briefDefine work, materials, allowances, and exclusions.
Build the scope →04
Bid comparisonCollect proposals and compare the same work.
Compare bids →05
Project scheduleSee milestones, lead times, and target dates.
Plan dates →06
Project recordsKeep permits, plans, bids, photos, and decisions.
Open records →
Michigan

Michigan-specific where it matters.

HomeScope uses official city, township, county, and state sources, records when they were reviewed, and sends you to the responsible office for the final answer.

How we verify →
Already have a proposal?

Turn contractor language into clear questions.

Paste one proposal into the browser-local checker. HomeScope highlights exact wording, shows what was not found in the pasted text, and lets you confirm every finding before it enters your record.

Check my proposal →No upload, account, contractor score, or lead routing.

Planning ranges are educational, not contractor quotes. Confirm current permit requirements with the local office that handles permits and final pricing with complete written bids.

Transparent by design

What the numbers
can tell you, and what they cannot.

Use each estimate to set a first-pass budget and prepare better questions. Always confirm the final scope, price, and permit requirements locally.

How are HomeScope Guide estimates calculated?

We start with a planning range for your project, use the size you enter, and adjust it for your selected community. The result helps you plan. It is not a contractor quote.

What is not included in the estimate?

Permit fees, design and engineering services, unusual site conditions, premium finishes, repairs discovered after work begins, financing, and temporary living costs may not be included.

Does HomeScope Guide confirm whether I need a permit?

No. Permit requirements can vary by project scope and municipality. Use our guidance as a starting point, then confirm the current rules and fees with your local building department before starting work.

Are these contractor quotes or recommendations?

No. HomeScope Guide provides independent educational planning information. Estimates are not bids, and the site does not currently endorse or recommend specific contractors.

Choose one useful next step

Go deeper.
Keep your project moving.

Choose the resource that matches the decision in front of you. Each path helps you plan, verify the facts, or compare the same written scope.

Plan the workBrowse project guidesCost drivers, scope, permits, and contractor questions.Open guides →Prepare reusable recordsUse planning toolsGet a three-action plan for your project stage, or choose a budget, permit, scope or bid tool.Open tools →Michigan city and township guidesFind my Michigan cityUse source-checked local guidance without confusing jurisdictions.Browse city guides →Official-source handoffFind the permit deskChoose one municipality and continue to its current government source.Search permits →Make prices comparableCompare written bidsPut scope, products, exclusions, warranty, and payments side by side.Compare bids →Learn the decisionsUnderstand the processShort homeowner explanations that end in one practical action.Open Learn →

HomeScope provides independent planning help. We do not recommend contractors. Confirm permit requirements with the local office that handles them, and confirm final pricing with complete written bids.

Keep your plan

Your planning PDF is free.
An account is optional.

Download your planning checklist without entering personal details, or use a free account to save and revisit your project on another device.