Sub Bid Comparison Sheet
Line up multiple sub bids side by side. Flag outliers automatically. Pick the right number.
| Line item | Low | Mean | Median | High | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,900 | $4,300 | $4,200 | $4,800 | |||||
| $25,500 | $28,333 | $28,000 | $31,500 | |||||
| $11,800 | $12,500 | $12,500 | $13,200 | |||||
| $9,500 | $11,267 | $10,100 | $14,200 | |||||
| TOTAL | $54,200 -3.9% vs mean | $59,600 +5.7% vs mean | $55,400 -1.8% vs mean | |||||
Summary
- Lowest total: Bidder A at $54,200
- Closest to mean (likely most complete scope): Bidder C
- Most outliers: none
- Spread: $5,400 (+10.0% between low and high)
Methodology:Per-cell outliers are flagged when a bidder's line price is more than two standard deviations from the mean across bidders (requires 3+ bids on that line). Per-bidder totals shaded green for low, red for high.
Estimates only. Verify with detailed takeoff and current supplier quotes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between sub bids?
Lowest price is rarely the right answer alone. Weigh price against: scope completeness (did they bid the same drawings?), schedule fit, bonding and insurance, past performance on similar work, and crew availability. The bidder closest to the mean total often has the most complete and realistic scope coverage. A bid 25% under the next-lowest deserves scrutiny — they may have missed something, or they may be buying the job and planning to recover via change orders.
What is a healthy spread between sub bids?
For well-defined scopes with experienced bidders, expect 5–15% spread between low and high totals. Spreads above 25% usually mean the scope is ambiguous, the drawings are incomplete, or one bidder misread the takeoff. Spreads below 3% are suspicious too — bidders may be coordinating, or the job is so commoditized that pricing power has compressed.
When is the low bid suspicious?
Investigate the low bidder if their total is more than 15% below the second-lowest, or if they have multiple high-outlier flags on individual line items (suggesting they over-priced some lines to mask under-pricing on others). Ask for a line-item proposal, a list of qualifications and exclusions, and references on three recent jobs of similar size. If they cannot articulate why they are lower, they probably missed scope.
What about scope inclusions and exclusions?
Pure dollar comparison is misleading unless every bid covers identical scope. Always request a written list of inclusions, exclusions, and clarifications with each bid. Common missing items: permits, temporary power, site cleanup, hoisting, after-hours premium, prevailing wage, and material escalation. Normalize bids by adding back the value of any major exclusion before comparing totals.