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Estimating & Bidding

Bid Shopping

In Plain English

When a GC tells other subs what price the lowest sub quoted in order to get an even lower price.

Definition

Bid shopping is the practice of a general contractor revealing a subcontractor's bid price to competitors in order to obtain lower prices after the GC has won the prime contract. It is widely considered unethical and damages trust between general contractors and subcontractors. Some states have laws limiting bid shopping on public projects.

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