Why bids need leveling
Subcontractors price what they read, and they read differently. One drywall sub includes taping to level 4; another excludes it. One electrician carries temporary power; another assumes the GC provides it.
The low bid can easily be missing more scope than it saves. Leveling puts a dollar value on every gap so the comparison is fair.
Columns every leveling sheet needs
Keep alternates and unit prices out of the leveled total. Mixing them in is the most common reason two people reading the same sheet reach different answers.
- Scope item: one row per line from your scope sheet or spec section.
- Bidder columns: included, excluded or qualified for each item.
- Plug value: your estimate of the cost of anything excluded, with its source.
- Base bid: the number as submitted.
- Adjustments: plugs added for exclusions, credits for extras you do not need.
- Leveled total: base bid plus adjustments.
- Alternates and unit prices: listed separately.
- Notes: bond, schedule, addenda acknowledged, insurance and license.
Step by step
- Write the scope sheet before bids arrive, by spec section and plan sheet. It becomes the row list.
- Confirm addenda. A bid that did not acknowledge one may be priced on superseded plans.
- Read every exclusion and qualification and mark it against the matching row.
- Price the gaps with a plug from your own estimate, another bidder's breakout or historical cost, and note the source.
- Call the low bidders to confirm or price their exclusions. Log the answer, the date and the person.
- Calculate leveled totals: base bid plus plugs, minus credits.
- Check what numbers do not show: bonding capacity, schedule commitment, crew size, safety record and recent performance.
- Write down why you chose the sub. On public and owner-audited work, the sheet is your record.
Bid leveling checklist
- Scope sheet sent with the invitation to bid
- All addenda acknowledged by each bidder
- Every exclusion and qualification transferred to the sheet
- Plug values entered with a source
- Clarification calls logged
- Alternates and unit prices kept separate
- Bond and insurance requirements confirmed
- Bid validity period checked against your own bid date
- Leveled totals recalculated after clarifications
- Selection rationale written in the notes
Mistakes that cost money
- Leveling only the two lowest bidders. The third bidder's breakout is often your best source for plug values.
- Using one plug value across trades without checking quantities.
- Leveling on bid day with no scope sheet, so the scope gets built from whichever bid is most detailed.
- Carrying a sub's "by others" exclusion without assigning it to another trade. Scope that belongs to nobody comes back as a change order.
Where Bidmere helps
On a tight bid day, leveling is where estimators run out of time. Bidmere prepares scope sheets before bids arrive, leveled comparisons with documented plugs, and a clean record of clarifications.
Common questions
Who levels bids, the GC or the owner?
General contractors level subcontractor bids. Owners and their representatives level GC bids on negotiated or best-value work, using the same method.
What is a plug number?
An estimated value entered for scope a bidder excluded, so the bid can be compared on equal terms.
Is the lowest leveled bid always the right choice?
No. Bonding capacity, schedule, current workload and past performance can outweigh a small price difference.