Contractor Bid Comparison Checklist

Why the lowest total may not be the lowest cost

A proposal total is meaningful only when the contractor has priced the required scope. A low proposal may omit permits, disposal, restoration, testing, supervision, closeout, or another responsibility included by competing bidders.

The purpose of bid comparison is not to make every proposal look identical. It is to expose material differences so decision-makers understand what each price buys and what risk remains.

Scope-to-Go compares proposals against the approved Scope of Work because price should be evaluated after scope alignment, not in isolation.

Confirm the common reference documents

Begin by confirming that every contractor received and acknowledged the same Scope of Work, RFP instructions, drawings, site information, and addenda. Preserve each original proposal and its submission date before requesting revisions.

If one contractor used an earlier scope or missed an addendum, correct that issue before treating the proposals as comparable.

• Issued Scope of Work and RFP revision
• Drawings, photographs, schedules, and attachments
• Pre-bid meeting or site-visit information
• Every addendum and written clarification
• Proposal version, submission date, and validity period

The platform keeps the issued scope and project communications connected so the comparison has a traceable baseline.

Build a requirement by requirement comparison

Review each major requirement rather than relying on the proposal summary. Mark whether it is included, excluded, unclear, substituted, or priced as an alternate.

Pay special attention to supporting work. Contractors frequently describe the primary installation clearly while leaving demolition, protection, temporary conditions, testing, restoration, and closeout uncertain.

• Work areas, assets, quantities, and service limits
• Products, materials, performance characteristics, and substitutions
• Removal, disposal, protection, patching, restoration, and cleanup
• Permits, inspections, startup, testing, training, and closeout
• Owner and contractor responsibilities
• Schedule, phasing, access, shutdown, and coordination requirements

Scope-to-Go’s comparison organizes these differences so missing scope is visible beside the price rather than buried in separate proposals.

Normalize the pricing structure

Place each price in the category requested by the RFP. Do not add optional work into one bidder’s base total while leaving it separate for another.

Allowances and unit prices also need context. Record the allowance amount, what it covers, and how actual cost will be adjusted. For unit prices, identify the unit, included labor and materials, and when the rate may be used.

• Base price for the complete required work
• Alternates separated by the same definition
• Allowances using the requested amount and purpose
• Unit prices with a stated unit and adjustment method
• Taxes, freight, mobilization, permits, bonds, escalation, and payment terms

The Bid Comparison Tool preserves the original numbers while presenting normalized categories for review.

Review assumptions exclusions and substitutions

An assumption tells you what the contractor believed when pricing. An exclusion tells you what the contractor did not include. A substitution changes the specified product, material, method, or performance basis.

None of these should be silently accepted. Determine whether each item is compatible with the project, changes risk, or requires a revised price.

• Record the proposal language accurately
• Identify the related SOW requirement
• Decide whether the item is acceptable, rejected, or needs clarification
• Ask for the cost and schedule effect
• Document any approved deviation before award

Scope-to-Go highlights these disclosures because a short exclusion can create a larger cost exposure than the apparent bid difference.

Use focused clarification questions

A clarification resolves what the contractor intended; it should not secretly rewrite the competition or give one bidder information others should receive. Ask a focused question tied to the proposal and scope.

If the answer changes price, schedule, product, or responsibility, request a revised proposal or clearly incorporated written response. Recheck the comparison after every reply.

• Quote the unclear proposal language
• Reference the related SOW section
• Ask a direct included-or-excluded question
• Request price and schedule effects when applicable
• Record the response, date, status, and comparison impact

The clarification workflow keeps each question and answer attached to the proposal so the recommendation does not depend on scattered email.

Evaluate delivery risk as well as price

A complete comparison also considers whether the contractor can deliver the proposed work under the required conditions. Review schedule, qualifications, warranty, long-lead items, insurance, licensing, subcontractors, and proposed project controls.

This is not a generic scoring exercise. Weight only the factors your organization is authorized to evaluate and document the basis consistently.

• Start date, duration, milestones, and phasing
• Long-lead materials and procurement assumptions
• Warranty length, coverage, response, and exclusions
• Relevant qualifications, licenses, insurance, and subcontractors
• Safety, quality-control, communication, and closeout approach

The platform helps keep the factual comparison separate from the facility manager’s recommendation and the approver’s final decision.

Document the recommendation and approval

The recommendation should explain the material differences, resolved clarifications, remaining risks, and why the selected proposal best satisfies the approved evaluation basis.

Keep the original proposals, comparison, clarifications, recommendation, and approval together. That record makes the decision easier to explain later and prevents the award from being separated from the scope it was based on.

Scope-to-Go carries the comparison into recommendation and approval so decision-makers can see the project record without reconstructing it from calls and emails.