01
Bid control
Confirm bidder, revision, received time, addenda acknowledged, bid bond if required, and proposal validity.
Direct answer
How should general contractors compare subcontractor bids?
General contractors should compare subcontractor bids against the same trade scope, not only the bottom-line totals. First preserve each bid as submitted; then map inclusions, exclusions, allowances, alternates, schedule, qualifications, and commercial terms into common rows. Resolve material differences with written clarifications, show any leveling adjustment separately, and base the award recommendation on complete evaluated scope, price, capacity, and risk.
Operational completeness check
02
Scope coverage
Compare every bidder to the same drawings, specifications, scope sheet, and trade-boundary assumptions.
03
Commercial terms
Separate base price, alternates, allowances, unit rates, taxes, bonds, escalation, and payment qualifications.
04
Risk and capacity
Record schedule compliance, manpower, lead times, safety or qualification requirements, and unresolved exceptions.
05
Written closeout
Attach clarifications and state the evaluated total and remaining conditions before award.
Sources and verification
Official guide
Procore — construction bid levelingBid leveling as a scope-based, side-by-side comparison used to expose missing work, exclusions, and price differences before award.
Official guide
Procore — bid evaluation and levelingA repeatable bid-evaluation process that compares bidder information against the applicable scope and records award criteria beyond total price.
Bid evaluation criteria, disclosure, negotiation, and award procedures depend on the owner, contract, and whether procurement is public or private. Apply the rules governing the specific solicitation.
Published July 21, 2026 · Sources verified August 4, 2026 · Research methodology
A GC collecting five bids for the same scope is really collecting five different scopes with five different price tags. Reconciling them by hand means copying numbers into a master sheet and hoping nothing got missed along the way.
“Get 3 quotes per trade (subs and suppliers), Compare them side-by-side, Build a clean master estimate, Add overhead + profit correctly.”
“You send out a clean, structured Excel file. Three bidders return it with deleted rows, rearranged columns, and weird formulas you didn't add.”
How it works
01
Paste every bid, whatever the format
PDF, Excel, a locked spreadsheet from a sub who ignored your template — Bid Leveller reads what you paste and pulls the line items out itself.
02
See what's actually comparable
Bids get normalized onto a common scope basis, so a lower number that quietly excludes demo isn't sitting next to one that includes it without a flag.
03
Catch what each bidder left out
The comparison surfaces exclusions and gaps by bidder, so you know what's missing before award — not after the first change order.
Next step
Free, runs in your browser, no signup.
Bid LevellerFree
Paste sub bids in any format. Get a normalized comparison and what each bidder quietly left out.
Related terms
Bid levelingBid leveling is the process of normalizing subcontractor bids onto a common scope basis so they can be compared apples-to-apples, since bidders routinely include or exclude different items.Scope gapA scope gap is work required to complete a project that no bidder priced — missed because it wasn't called out in the plans, specs, or any sub's bid.BuyoutBuyout is the process of awarding subcontracts after bid, negotiating final pricing and scope with the chosen subs to lock in the actual cost basis for the job.
Beyond this page
The tool catches it on one bid. The Estimate Review ($12,000 one-time) finds the pattern across your process.