Bid Leveling Overview

Bid leveling is the process of organizing, comparing, and analyzing project bids to facilitate the selection of the best subcontractors for the job. It’s used to identify discrepancies between the bids to make sure the package details and subcontractor quotes are equal for comparison. BuildingConnected provides advanced tools for you to level your bids in the same place that you manage your bids. 

This article walks through an overview of the Bid Leveling tool and how to learn more about the features you can use to level your bids. 


 

1. Estimated Cost 

The Estimated Cost value is shown in the top left corner so that you can easily compare your estimated cost with the bids you received. The Estimated Value comes from the Bid Package Information. See How to edit bid package information.

You can also click into the Estimated Cost value and edit it in the the Bid Leveling tool. 

2. Submitted Proposals

Each company that submits a proposal will have their own individual column. The proposal is broken down into sections and line items based on your project's bid form. For example, if you requested cost breakdowns in Line Items or alternative pricing in Alternates, they will appear here accordingly. See How to edit scope-specific bid forms (BC Pro) for more information about editing bid forms.

Each section displays the total at the bottom that contributes to the Leveled Bid value. 

Proposals are arranged lowest to highest. The lowest bidder is farthest left and is labeled "Apparent low". 


 

3. Level bids

While reviewing the project scope and identifying similarities and differences between the bids you receive, you may find that you need to clarify and make adjustments to the bid value to reflect the accurate cost for the work you need to complete.

In the Bid Leveling tool, you can highlight cells, leave notes on individual values, and make adjustments based on your review. See: 

• How to make adjustments to bids in Bid Leveling
• How to create a revision on behalf of a bidder in Bid Leveling
• How to soft award a bid in Bid Leveling

Find more in the Bid Leveling section of the help center.