09/10/2026
Three bids for the same mechanical scope came in far apart. The low number looked like a win, until leveling showed it carried no roof curbs, no controls tie-in, and no rigging. That gap doesn't vanish. It comes back as a change order in month four.
How the bid process actually runs on our jobs:
We build the bid list first: who's hungry, who's genuinely available in your window, who already has three jobs in the region. Availability is price.
We scope the package tightly so every sub prices the same work. Vague drawings get vague numbers.
We level line by line and hunt the seams between trades, because the gaps hide between mechanical and electrical, between the slab and the equipment installer.
Then we negotiate schedule and terms alongside the number. Sequencing trades so your line keeps running through the work is often worth more than the low bid.
No knock on in-house teams; they're capable engineers who bid one project every few years. We're in that market every week.
Anyone can collect three bids. Making sure all three cover the same work is where the money is won or lost.
