Bid package: value engineering
Value engineering proposals the owner can evaluate
We organize a suggested change to the plans or specifications into a comparison the owner and designer can decide on, priced at your rates.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed quote within 2 business hours
- Plan review is free
- You pay only after you accept the price and delivery date
- No files needed to get a quote
- Your facts, your prices, your signature
Quick answer
Value engineering proposal support from Bidmere organizes a suggested change to plans or specifications for general contractors, specialty contractors and design-build teams. You get a side-by-side comparison, an affected requirements list, a two-scenario estimate priced at your rates and a submission checklist. Work is quoted to scope as a fixed price within 2 business hours.
What goes into a value engineering proposal?
It goes beyond a lower price. It shows the owner what changes, what stays the same and what it costs, so the decision is easy to make.
- Side-by-side comparison: existing and proposed items compared on function, performance, life-cycle effects and schedule
- Affected requirements list: plans and specification sections that would change
- Two-scenario estimate: quantities and pricing for the existing and proposed option, at your rates
- Submission checklist: required contents, signatures and delivery details
What is a value engineering change proposal?
On federal construction, a value engineering change proposal (VECP) is a contractor recommendation that needs a contract change and lowers cost without impairing essential functions. The standard clause, FAR 52.248-3, asks for a detailed comparison, the requirements that would change and separate cost estimates.
The contracting officer decides whether to accept it. Private and state owners use their own clauses, which may set a format, a savings split or a deadline.
How should the cost comparison be built?
As two complete estimates on the same basis, not one line item with a credit. Both use your rates, the same markups and the same quantity rules.
A fair comparison also counts costs owners often miss: redesign effort, resubmittals, schedule effect and any change in maintenance or warranty. The fictional sample below shows the format.
Which items make good value engineering candidates?
Items with a large quantity, a clear performance requirement and a proven alternative. Small changes on high-quantity items often save more than a large change on one detail.
Common candidates include roof and wall assemblies, finish materials, mechanical equipment selections, site paving sections and structural framing systems. Each still needs the design team’s review. A product substitution with no function change may belong in a substitution request instead, so check the specification’s substitution procedure first.
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 quoteWhat gets value engineering proposals rejected?
- Unclear design responsibility for the proposed change
- A cost comparison that ignores owner and designer redesign effort
- Effects on code approvals, warranties or schedule left unstated
- A required clause format or content not followed
- Savings claimed without matching quantities on both sides
Not included: engineering judgment, design responsibility or a professional seal; setting prices or warranties; signing or submitting; and the owner’s decision.
How does value engineering support work?
- Describe the idea: send the item, the proposed change and the owner’s deadline. We reply with a fixed quote within 2 business hours.
- Compare: we build the side-by-side comparison from your product data and the documents.
- Price both: the two-scenario estimate uses your rates and markups.
- Hand back: you receive the package and checklist. Your team confirms the engineering, signs and submits. The owner and designer decide.
What should you send?
- Plans and specification sections for the item in question
- Product data, installation details and approved technical facts
- Your labor rates, material prices and markups
- The contract clause or owner request that invites the proposal
Sample takeoff
What a takeoff looks like
| Item | Existing | Proposed | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof membrane area | 19.6 | 19.6 | SQ |
| Insulation, tapered polyiso | 1,960 | 1,960 | SF |
| Cover board | 1,960 | 0 | SF |
| Edge metal | 182 | 182 | LF |
| Redesign and resubmittal effort | 0 | Owner to state | LS |
Fictional example: two-scenario comparison for an invented roof assembly change
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Will you certify the change meets code?
No. Engineering judgment, code review and any seal stay with your team and the design team.
Who is responsible for the final submission?
Your company. We prepare and check. Your authorized signer approves, signs and submits.
What if our deadline is close?
Send the due date with your request. We confirm what can be delivered before you accept, or we tell you the scope needs to shrink.
What if the quote is more than we expected?
You see the fixed price before any work starts and pay nothing unless you accept it. You can also narrow the scope to selected sections.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does a value engineering proposal cost?
It is quoted to the work involved, as a fixed price, after we read your documents. One item with clear product data costs less than a multi-system package. Full bid and proposal packages are priced from $1,950 for comparison. The quote arrives within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept the price and delivery date.
How fast can you turn it around?
We reply with a fixed quote or our questions within 2 business hours. Timing depends on how many items you propose and how complete the product data is. Tell us the owner’s decision deadline, since a value engineering idea loses value as work gets committed.
What is a value engineering change proposal?
On federal construction it is a contractor recommendation that needs a contract change and lowers cost without impairing essential functions. The standard clause asks for a detailed comparison, the requirements that would change and separate cost estimates. The contracting officer decides whether to accept it.
When should you propose a change?
Check the project stage, owner request and contract clause first. Identify the decision deadline, work already committed, redesign inputs and approvals required. A design-stage comparison and a post-award contract proposal need different content, so tell us which one you have.
Who decides if a proposal is accepted?
The owner and the designer decide. Your team signs and submits the proposal. Bidmere does not represent that any change will be accepted or that it meets code, and we do not present the proposal to the owner for you.
Can you estimate both options?
Yes. The two-scenario estimate measures the existing and proposed scope from the documents and prices both at your rates and markups. If only the proposed option needs pricing, we use your existing estimate for the baseline and note any quantity differences.
How do you handle confidential documents?
Start with a short, non-confidential description in the quote form. The form takes text only, with no uploads and no payment. If the job needs your plans, financials or pricing, we arrange a secure document exchange after scope review. Leave private rates and personal data out of the first message.
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.