Bid package
Bid leveling: free template and service for GCs
Bid leveling puts every subcontractor bid on the same scope so the price comparison means something. Use the free bid leveling template, or send the bids and let Bidmere build the sheet.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed price agreed before any work starts
- Plan review is free
- You pay only after you accept the price and delivery date
- Your plug values, your award decision
- No files needed to get a quote
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| Scope item | Bid D | Bid B | Bid C | Bid A | Bid E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal stud framing | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Gypsum board | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Level 4 finish | Included | Included | Gap | Included | Included |
| Interior painting | Included | Included | Included | Included | Gap |
| Acoustical ceilings | Included | Included | Included | Included | Gap |
| Firestopping | Included | Gap | Gap | Gap | Gap |
| Blocking and backing | Included | Included | Included | Gap | Gap |
| Cleanup and debris removal | Included | Included | Included | Gap | Included |
| Scope covered | 8 of 8 | 7 of 8 | 6 of 8 | 5 of 8 | 4 of 8 |
- In the bid
- Missing from the bid
A low base bid can leave scope out. Sorted by coverage, Bid D covers 8 of 8 scope items and Bid E covers 4. Each gap is flagged so bids compare like for like. The general contractor closes the gaps and chooses the subcontractor.
Quick answer
Bid leveling from Bidmere compares subcontractor bids for each trade package against one scope checklist. General contractors get a leveling sheet, scope gaps priced at plug values they approve, and clarification questions for bidders. It is quoted as a bid package from $1,950, typically ready in 5 business days, with a fixed quote first.
What is bid leveling?
Bid leveling is putting subcontractor bids for the same trade package on a common scope basis, so their prices can be compared fairly. Each bid is checked against one scope checklist, and every exclusion, alternate and silent item is shown beside the quoted price.
General contractors level bids on bid day to pick the number they carry, and again at buyout before they award subcontracts. A low base bid that leaves out firestopping or access equipment is not the low bid once that scope is added back.
A leveled comparison keeps three things visible:
- The original quoted price, unchanged
- What each bidder confirmed, excluded or left silent
- Adjustments your team approved to compare on the same basis
How do you level subcontractor bids?
Level the scope before you compare totals. The steps below work for any trade package.
- Build the scope checklist. List scope items from the plans, specifications and addenda for the package, including Division 01 items such as cleanup, hoisting and testing.
- Read every bid against it. Mark each item included, excluded or unknown, with the reference from the bidder’s scope letter.
- Check the basics. Addenda acknowledged, bid form followed, tax, bond and insurance stated, schedule assumptions noted.
- Separate alternates and unit prices. Keep them out of the base comparison.
- Price the gaps. Apply plug values your team approves for excluded scope. Keep unknowns as open questions, not zero.
- Send clarifications. Ask bidders to confirm silent items in writing.
- Compare and decide. Review leveled amounts together with capability, schedule and terms before you award.
A blank answer means unknown. It does not mean the work is included.
Bid leveling template: compare the scope before the total
Download the free bid leveling template in Excel or CSV. It has a scope checklist, a column per bidder, plug values and leveled amounts calculated for you. It opens in Google Sheets. No sign-up is needed.
The template keeps four columns separate for each bidder: the quoted price, confirmed exclusions, unanswered questions and your approved adjustments. That separation is what makes the sheet defensible when a bidder asks why they lost.
The fictional painting example below shows the method. All prices are invented for one hypothetical package. In this example, the general contractor approved a $12,000 comparison allowance for access equipment that Bidder A excluded.
How to read a bid leveling sheet
In the fictional example, Bidder A quoted lowest at $100,000 but excluded access equipment. With the approved $12,000 allowance, A compares at $112,000. Bidder B quoted $108,000 with every checklist item confirmed. Bidder C quoted $103,000 but did not acknowledge the latest addendum, so C stays unresolved until it answers.
Three points to take from it:
- The $112,000 for A is not a revised offer. It is your comparison basis.
- B has the lower comparable amount here, but the sheet does not say B should win.
- C is not dropped. It is held until the clarification comes back.
Use the free sensitivity calculator in the bid leveling sheet guide to find the plug value that would flip the comparison. The guide walks through filling in the sheet yourself; the service below has Bidmere level the bids for you.
Have the solicitation in hand? Send the RFP or bid documents. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteWhich scope gaps show up most on a bid leveling sheet?
The same items go missing from subcontractor bids across trades. Put them on every checklist:
- Firestopping and fire-rated penetrations
- Blocking and backing in walls
- Access equipment, lifts and scaffolding
- Hoisting and material handling
- Cleanup and debris removal, and who supplies dumpsters
- Temporary protection of finished work
- Permits and inspection fees
- Testing, commissioning and startup
- Patching after other trades
- Overtime or phased work in occupied buildings
- Sales tax, bond and insurance
- Items the spec assigns to a trade but the drawings show elsewhere
Bid leveling services: what you send and what you get
Send the bids and the documents. We build the sheet and the questions. Your team clarifies with bidders and makes the award.
You send
- The subcontractor bids and scope letters you received
- Plans, specifications and addenda for each trade package
- Your scope sheets or trade breakdowns, if you use them
- Your plug values or rules for missing scope
You get
- A leveling sheet with bidders side by side for each package
- A scope checklist with each bidder marked included, excluded or silent
- A gap and plug summary, shown apart from the bid amounts
- Clarification questions for your team to send
- Notes on addenda, alternates, unit prices, bond, insurance and schedule
Not included: selecting or awarding the subcontractor, contacting bidders, checking licenses, bonding or insurance, and negotiating price or terms.
Sample takeoff
What a takeoff looks like
| Bidder | Quoted base | Scope evidence | Approved adjustment | Comparison status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $100,000 | Access equipment excluded; other items confirmed | +$12,000 access equipment | $112,000 on agreed basis |
| B | $108,000 | All checklist items confirmed | $0 | $108,000 on agreed basis |
| C | $103,000 | Access included; latest addendum not acknowledged | Unknown until clarified | Unresolved |
Fictional example: a three-bidder painting package. All prices are invented and are not rates, benchmarks or a customer award.
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Will you choose the subcontractor?
No. We prepare the comparison and the questions. Your team clarifies, decides and awards.
Will you contact our bidders?
No. We draft the clarification questions. Your team sends them and records the answers.
Whose plug values are used?
Yours. Missing scope is priced only at values your team approves, and shown apart from the bid amounts.
Are our bids kept confidential?
Yes. Bid documents are used only for your comparison. See how we handle files on the security page.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is bid leveling?
Bid leveling is putting subcontractor bids for the same trade package on a common scope basis so prices can be compared fairly. Each bid is checked against one scope checklist, with exclusions, alternates and missing items shown beside the quoted price. General contractors level bids on bid day and again at buyout.
What does a leveled bid mean?
A leveled bid is a comparison amount that adds approved values for missing scope to the original quote, so bidders compare on the same basis. It is not a revised offer from the subcontractor. If a missing item has no confirmed value, it stays unresolved and the comparison is incomplete until it is clarified.
Is there a free bid leveling template?
Yes. Bidmere’s free bid leveling template comes in Excel and CSV and opens in Google Sheets. It has a scope checklist, a column per bidder, plug values and calculated leveled amounts. A filled-in fictional example is included so you can see the method before using it on a live bid.
What should a bid leveling sheet include?
The scope checklist for the package, each bidder’s base price, an included, excluded or unknown mark per item with its reference, alternates and unit prices kept separate, addenda acknowledged, tax, bond and insurance notes, approved plug values, the leveled amount and open questions. Keep the quoted price and adjustments in separate columns.
How much do bid leveling services cost?
Bid leveling is quoted as a bid package from $1,950, depending on the number of trade packages and bidders. You get a fixed quote within 2 business hours, and you pay only after you accept the fixed price and delivery date.
How long does bid leveling take?
Bid packages are typically ready in 5 business days from your accepted quote and complete documents. Bid-day leveling depends on when bids arrive, so tell us your bid time and package count when you request a quote. We confirm what can be delivered before you commit.
Do you contact subcontractors to clarify their bids?
No. We draft the clarification questions, grouped by bidder and tied to the specification section or addendum behind each one. Your team sends them to bidders and records each answer in the sheet. That keeps bidder relationships and any commitments with your company.
Can software do bid leveling for me?
Bid management platforms can collect bids and line them up, and some include leveling views. Someone still has to read each scope letter against the specs and decide plug values. That reading is the part Bidmere does. Your team makes the decisions.
Get a fixed quote
Share the project basics. You get a fixed price and delivery date within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.