Why bids come back that do not compare
Every bidder prices what the documents say and guesses at what they do not. Two estimators guessing differently produce two numbers, and the spread gets blamed on the subcontractors.
We cover the bidder side in what a drywall bid should include. This is the other direction. It covers what the tender package should say so that every bid describes the same building.
The fix is rarely more pages. It is a short list of decisions made by the tender author instead of left to each estimator. Most of them take a few lines to write and save days of levelling later.
The wall schedule and the finish schedule
Start with a partition schedule that has a tag for every wall type. Each tag should give stud depth, gauge and spacing, board layers and type, insulation, and whether the wall is rated or acoustic. Where a rating applies, name the listed assembly the designer intends. Do not leave the bidder to find one.
Then state the finish level by room or zone. Levels 0 to 5 are defined in GA-214 and ASTM C840, and both are free to cite. A note that says only "paint ready" leaves a Level 4 and a Level 5 bidder twenty percent apart on the same corridor. If lighting is critical, say where. Long corridors with side lighting and feature walls with a gloss paint are the usual Level 5 candidates.
Keep the two schedules cross-referenced. If a room appears on the finish schedule, every wall in it should appear on the partition schedule, and the other way round. Bidders notice mismatches, and each one resolves a mismatch in the way that suits the price.
Details that move the price
Some items look small on a drawing and are large on a bid. Put each one in writing, in the tender and not only on a detail sheet bidders may never open.
- Head of wall deflection. Say which partition types need a deflection track or clip and the deflection the structure is expected to move. A tall floor plate with deflection on every wall is a different price than one with deflection on a few.
- Backing and blocking. State whether in-wall backing for millwork, grab bars and equipment is shown, who supplies it and who locates it.
- Ceilings. Name grid and tile, drywall ceilings and bulkheads separately, with heights. Bulkheads are the item most often assumed to belong to someone else.
- Penetrations and firestopping. Say whose scope the firestop at rated walls is. See whose scope firestopping is for the usual gap.
- Insulation. Say whether it is acoustic or thermal and who supplies it.
- Hoisting and access. Note the elevator, loading dock and any lift available, and the hours they can be used.
Where a detail is still open at tender, say so and ask for an allowance with the quantity stated. An allowance with no quantity is only a placeholder, and bidders will not all use the same one.
Phasing, heat and site conditions
A drywall crew can only work as fast as the site lets it. Tell bidders how many floors or zones are open at once, how many mobilizations the schedule expects, and the working hours. In an occupied building, say so, along with any noise or dust limits. Those limits change the crew size and the sequence.
State who provides temporary heat and from what date. Taping compound needs a stable temperature, and the manufacturer's instructions govern how cold a space can be. If heat is not in the drywall scope, the tender should say that plainly.
| Item in the package | Question it settles | If it is missing |
|---|---|---|
| Partition schedule with tags | What is being built, wall by wall | Bidders price by area |
| Finish level by room | How much finishing labour is carried | Level 4 and Level 5 bids mixed together |
| Deflection note | Which walls need a deflection head | Allowances differ widely |
| Backing responsibility | Who supplies and locates blocking | A change order after boarding |
| Phasing and mobilizations | How many return visits are priced | Patching treated as extra |
| Heat and hoisting | Who provides them and when | Excluded by every bidder |
Ask bidders to answer in one format
A tender that closes the gaps still gets uneven replies if each bidder writes their own. Attach a short bid form with the same lines for everyone: drawings and addenda acknowledged, partition tags priced, finish level assumed, inclusions and exclusions, crew size and duration.
Ask for unit prices on the items likely to change, such as an added wall type, a finish level upgrade or an extra patching visit. They give you a basis for pricing changes after award, agreed while you still have competing bids.
Allow a question window and issue every answer as an addendum to all bidders. A reply that goes to one bidder is a scope difference you created.
We self perform steel stud framing, boarding, taping and finishing, so a complete package lets us price the whole drywall scope in one pass. Send drawings, and where the package has gaps we will list the assumptions we carried.