How to compare construction proposals on the same scope

Create a common comparison sheet

Use one row per work category and one column per proposal. Start with the same document revision and site assumptions. Mark each item included, excluded, allowance or clarification needed. An empty cell is a question, not evidence that the work is included.

Separate a bid qualification from an alternate: a qualification explains the basis of the price; an alternate offers an optional change to that basis. Review both before deciding what the final contract should cover.

Continue with Understand remodeling cost drivers to examine what is behind the proposal total.

Read what each price actually includes

For residential remodeling, identify demolition, protection, disposal, affected systems, finishes and reinstatement. Commercial construction may also need coordination of landlord work, specialist equipment and operating constraints. The categories depend on the actual project; this is a review framework rather than a universal scope.

• Which drawing revision and specifications were priced?
• Are quantities, finish selections and equipment responsibilities clear?
• Who provides access, temporary arrangements and protection?
• How are permitting fees and separate professional services treated?
• What work or conditions are explicitly excluded?

Understand allowances and unresolved selections

An allowance is an amount included for an item that is not fully defined. Ask exactly what it covers and how the final amount will be reconciled. An allowance for purchasing an item may not also include installation, delivery or related work unless the proposal says so.

Illustrative example: one remodeling bid includes specified cabinetry and installation; another includes an allowance for cabinet supply with installation excluded. Their totals are not comparable until the same scope is priced or the difference is recorded.

Review the plan as well as the total

Ask which decisions, approvals and deliveries the proposed sequence assumes. Review access, occupancy, trade coordination and the process for communicating changes. Request written treatment of work added after contract execution, including how pricing and schedule effects are agreed.

A low total does not resolve an unclear scope. For home improvements, the FTC recommends written estimates and asking about significant price differences; commercial clients should also have their own procurement and contract requirements reviewed.

Verify the parties you would contract with

Record the proposed contracting business and the responsible licensed individual. Check the official Florida DBPR record and the business association rather than relying on a logo or a license number printed on a proposal. Obtain insurance information appropriate to the proposed work and confirm relevant project references. This guide does not certify any bidder.

Close the comparison with a clarification record

Send each bidder a focused list of unresolved items. Keep the responses with the proposal, identify the accepted document set and make sure agreed clarifications appear in the contract documents. Do not silently add a presumed cost to another bidder’s total and present the adjusted figure as their offer.

• Document basis reconciled
• Major inclusions and exclusions recorded
• Allowances and owner-supplied items identified
• Schedule dependencies discussed
• Contracting identity and credential checks completed
• Open items resolved or explicitly retained

Choose the next discussion

Use remodeling cost factors to investigate why a scope costs more than expected. When your project is ready for review, ARCHE GROUP can receive an invitation to bid with the drawings, comparison questions and deadline.