How to compare construction tenders
Put the returns on a common basis before deciding which offer represents the best fit for the project.
by Jack Butler-Kettle · About 4 min readShare
Before you start
Collect the same enquiry documents, all tender returns, qualifications, allowances and clarification responses.
A tender comparison reconciles what each bidder has priced against the same issued scope. It identifies qualifications, omissions, allowances and commercial differences.
The lowest submitted total may exclude work included elsewhere. Adjustments used for comparison are assessments, not automatically revised offers from the bidders.
Step-by-step guide
1. Establish a common scope
List the tender documents, revisions and clarifications issued to all bidders. Check that each return uses that information.
Record missing documents or alternative proposals separately. A design alternative needs an explicit technical and commercial assessment before it replaces the specified work.
Subcontract procurement and tender management can coordinate the enquiry and comparison process.
For a homeowner, this means comparing builders’ quotes for the same work. Give each builder the same pricing pack.
Check drawings and revisions, materials, preparation, access, protection, waste, testing and making good. State owner-supplied items and responsibility for installing them.
Ask each return to state exclusions, provisional allowances, tax, programme, validity and proposed payment stages. A blank item needs clarification, not an assumed zero.
2. Identify qualifications and allowances
Check exclusions, provisional sums, quantities, programme assumptions and the duration of the offer. Identify items where a bidder has priced a different obligation.
Do not silently insert an allowance and call the result an agreed price. Label the source and status of each comparison adjustment.
Ask the bidder to clarify the price consequence of resolving each qualification.
3. Prepare an explained like-for-like comparison
Show the original return, each adjustment and the comparison total. Keep unresolved items visible rather than burying them in a general contingency.
Check arithmetic and commercial consistency across preliminaries, work packages and allowances. Compare payment terms and programme alongside price.
A fixed-fee tender comparison can cover a defined set of returns and clarification round.
Keep each original quote beside the comparison adjustment. For example, a £70,000 quote excluding £12,000 of necessary work compares at £82,000 on that assumed scope.
An £80,000 inclusive quote may then be lower, but confirm the missing-work price and both scopes before deciding. These are illustrative figures, excluding tax consistently.
4. Resolve outstanding items before appointment
Confirm accepted clarifications and the final commercial basis with the selected bidder. Make sure the intended agreement records them consistently.
A recommendation should explain remaining uncertainty and any conditions before appointment. The customer makes the appointment decision with the relevant technical and professional advice.
A Construction contract review before signing can examine the proposed terms alongside the agreed commercial position.
The comparison identifies differences; the accepted price still requires agreement with the selected bidder. Check the final contract includes agreed clarifications.
Before you finish: Trace adjustments to evidence and distinguish agreed prices from assumptions. Check the appointment includes the accepted clarifications.
Worked example
The facts
Tender A is £180,000 and includes defined scaffolding. Tender B is £170,000 but expressly excludes that same scaffolding.
What happens
The evaluator records the exclusion against the common tender scope.
A substantiated £14,000 allowance is used for comparison only. Tender B's comparison total becomes £184,000.
The bidder is asked to confirm their price for including the scaffolding. Until then, £184,000 is not their revised offer.
The figures
| Return | Submitted | Comparison adjustment | Comparison total |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | £180,000 | £0 | £180,000 |
| B | £170,000 | £14,000 | £184,000 |
What this shows
The £10,000 headline saving does not survive the illustrative scope adjustment. Final selection still considers confirmed prices and other relevant differences.
Tender comparison template
Record omissions, qualifications and evidence for each adjustment. Keep the submitted price distinct from the adjusted comparison price.
Free blank template for your own project. The completed example is shown below. No email address required.
View the completed example
Completed fictional example
Westhaven refurbishment · 14 October 2026 · Version 1.0
Tender comparison template
Scroll across if needed to read the whole record. A dash means no value has been entered.
| Tenderer | Submitted price (£) | Scope additions (£) | Scope deductions (£) | Comparable price (£) | Qualification / evidence | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Builder A | £180,000.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £180,000.00 | Includes common schedule SW-01 rev C | Lowest comparable price in this example |
| Builder B | £170,000.00 | £14,000.00 | £0.00 | £184,000.00 | Excludes services; comparable quote Q-S01 £14,000 | £184,000 comparable; clarify programme and quality |
Do not choose solely on the adjusted total. Review competence, scope, programme, payment terms and unresolved risks. All example prices exclude VAT.