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Estimating & Bidding

Bid Leveling

In Plain English

Reviewing all bids side by side to make sure each one covers the same work before choosing a winner.

Definition

Bid leveling is the process of reviewing and normalizing subcontractor or contractor bids to ensure they cover the same scope before making award decisions. Estimators identify inclusions, exclusions, and assumptions in each bid to create an apples-to-apples comparison. Bid leveling reduces the risk of scope gaps after award.

Example

After bid leveling, the project team discovered the low bidder had excluded demolition, making them no longer the best value.

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