A builder's price is only useful when you know exactly what it buys.
Three quotations can arrive with three different totals and three different assumptions. One includes the glazing. Another allows a provisional amount. A third expects you to supply it. Choosing the lowest number before resolving those differences can leave you with an expensive surprise.
At Horizon Architecture, our tender process is designed to make those differences visible before you appoint a contractor.
Define the work before asking for a price
A meaningful tender starts with detailed project information. Within the agreed technical design scope, we prepare the drawings and specification that explain the work contractors are being asked to price.
The aim is to specify each item and material in the tender scope, including the relevant quality, performance and finish. Where a decision or specialist input remains outstanding, it needs to be identified clearly rather than left for each contractor to interpret.
A wall is more than a line on a plan. Its construction, insulation, finish and junctions affect the work involved. The same care applies to glazing, roof construction, fittings and the interfaces between trades.
Ask three companies to price the same information
We seek quotations from three suitable construction companies using the same tender package. A consistent brief gives the client a more useful comparison than prices based on different conversations or drawing revisions.
We explain the requested return format and identify the information needed alongside the price. The proposed programme, exclusions, allowances and responsibilities all matter. The number of quotations actually received will depend on contractor availability and willingness to tender.
If a tender question changes the scope, the clarification should be recorded and shared consistently with the bidders. Otherwise, the quotations can drift apart before the comparison begins.
Analyse the tenders item by item
We compare the returned tenders for the client, checking what has been priced rather than simply ranking the totals.
That means examining the work sections, specified materials, exclusions, provisional allowances, client-supplied items and relevant tax treatment. An omitted item needs an answer. An unexplained allowance needs a basis. A proposed substitution needs to be assessed against the intended specification.
Where quotations differ, we ask for clarification so the client can see whether the difference reflects scope, product choice, working assumptions or price. We do not turn an unconfirmed estimate into a contractor commitment.
Choose with the full picture in front of you
A tender comparison supports a decision; it does not replace judgement about the contractor. Relevant experience, proposed site management, programme and the handling of changes should be considered alongside cost.
Before appointment, the agreed scope and remaining qualifications need to be reflected in the contract documents. Unresolved decisions should remain visible, with someone responsible for closing them out.
Reduce the room for avoidable extras
Detailed information and a careful tender comparison help reduce omissions, misunderstandings and late decisions. They cannot remove every risk. Concealed conditions, authorised client changes and other project-specific issues can still affect cost.
The benefit is a clearer starting point: you can see what has been included, what remains uncertain and which questions need answering before construction begins.
Contact Horizon Architecture to discuss the technical design and tender scope for your project before asking builders to price it.
