Sharing Contractors' Bids

[BooDog]

We're are in the process of buying a home and intend to have a fair amount of remodeling work done after we close. I've been soliciting bids from various contractors and recently had one of the contractors ask to see the other bids I've received so he could compare "apples to apples" in preparing his bid.

I've made it clear to each of the contractors that I'm taking bids from multiple contractors but I've never had one actually ask to see the other bids.

Is it appropriate to share one contractor's bid with another contractor?

Thx,

Boodog

 

[busterbrown16]

I see no reason why you cannot share the bids. If you feel any information is proprietary, it would be the price, so you can hide the price. If they want to see what is included in the bid, then there should be no problem showing them the actual bid sheet.

 

[ACuriae]

There's nothing technically wrong with sharing bids, although I'd be extrememly wary of a contractor who can't bid a job without seeing what the other contractors are including in their bid sheets.

You're also doing yourself a disservice by sharing bids with a contractor who hasn't submitted a bid yet. I represent a bunch of custom home builders and trades in Central Texas and have represented more than a handful of homeowners. When you get bids, I suggest that you don't share them until after all bids have been submitted (because keeping them blind tends--not guarantees, but tends--to make the bidding more honest).

And don't be enamored with outliers in time-to-completion and bid amount. If all the contractors bid 6-8 weeks and $20,000-$25,000 but one guy says 3 weeks and another says $10,000, chances are good that those guys are either lying, stupid, inexperienced or have accidentally omitted part of the bid. When you have all of your bids, you can use your next lowest reasonable bid to investigate the outliers and have them show you where the differences are between their bid and the next lowest.

 

[BigWill]

I wouldn't do it.

What I would do is get a professional's help (architect) to develop a "scope of work" for all contractors to bid to, along with a description of materials. I can replace your kitchen faucet for 200 bucks. Am I using the 20 dollar faucet or the 139 dollar faucet? You have no way of knowing unless there is a specific spec written for that faucet.

 

[Perham1]

I don't see how this would be to your advantage.

To the contractor who sees the other bids, yes; but not for you.

 

[TexasEd]

Wouldn't do it.

I work in an industry where bidding for contracts is required and there are rules in place to prevent it, but you sometimes suspect things are leaked anyway.

I always try to prepare a plan with requirements to give the contractors and ask that they turn in their bids with certain items broken out in the pricing.

I ask for anything that is not conforming to be pointed out and an explanation why.

Has worked for me so far.

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

From a contractor's perspective, I will often ask for other contracts in two cases:

1. AFTER I have provided my estimate so that the customer & I can compare the scope of work, i.e. what the $$ covers. I often suggest that they make a copy & redact any pricing. Sometimes it's as simple as my use of a higher dollar shingle or the other quote is for a smaller sized roof in which case I double check my measurements.

2. AFTER I have won the contract, I will ask to have the other estimates in the event the customer doesn't want them. This allows me to compare both the components & pricing as well as the style / format & overall way the estimate has been prepared.

 

[HornBud]

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