Bidding Your Project

The most important and most difficult process in the pre-construction stage is understanding the bidding process. Is everyone bidding on the same thing?
Are you building a high-end or lower-end project? If one contractor is bidding low-end cabinets and the other high-end cabinets the bid with the low-end cabinets will obviously be less. Try to have an idea of what you’d like to spend on cabinets, flooring, lighting, fixtures and windows. If you don’t know, have the bidders all use the same cost “allowance” in their bids for the price of the items that may vary. That way the only costs that can vary are the cost of labor and the contractor’s overhead and profit.
Remember your bidding will give you a range of costs to complete your project and the opportunity to spend some time with your potential Contractor, one who may soon become the most significant component of your team, lending his expertise on costs, design and methods.