Before you sign anything, run this list. It's the same one I've used for 26 years, and it catches the mistakes that cost property managers the most — not picking the wrong contractor, but signing a bid that wasn't complete.
The 7 checks
- 1. Same scope. Are all the bids actually quoting the same work? Reconcile them against one complete scope first.
- 2. Exclusions. Read the fine print — permits, disposal, code upgrades, warranties. What's pushed back to ownership?
- 3. Firm pricing. Are quantities and unit prices firm, or are there allowances and 'as needed' lines?
- 4. True cost. Once you add back each bid's missing scope, which is really the lowest? (It's often not the low sticker price.)
- 5. Insurance & license. Current general liability, workers-comp, and the right license/bonding for the job.
- 6. Timeline. Is the schedule realistic, and what happens on occupied units?
- 7. Your paper trail. Can you explain the pick to ownership in plain English, in writing?
Why it matters
Your job isn't just to choose — it's to defend the choice upward. Every one of these checks is a question ownership might ask, and having the answer ready is what makes the decision stick.
BidsScores runs checks 1–4 automatically and produces the board-ready paper trail for check 7 — upload the bids you already collected and you're most of the way through this list in a couple of minutes.