Skip to main content

Bid Levelling and Comparing Estimates

Summary

Bid levelling lets you compare subcontractor quotes against your own internal numbers — line item by line item — so you can evaluate pricing before awarding.

This is the single place where you see your project estimate, your bid package estimate, and every subcontractor quote side-by-side.

Subcontractors only ever see their own quote and the bid package line items. They never see your internal estimated values.

When you create a bid package, the line items you add in the Trades & Cost Breakdown step automatically flow into your master project estimate (as $0 values by default, or with your existing estimate values if you import them). Subcontractors then price those exact same line items.

In bid levelling you are compared:

  • Your internal project estimate (or manually entered values)
  • The bid package estimate (synced copy of your line items)
  • Each subcontractor’s submitted quote (totals + line items + attachments)

The left column always shows your numbers. The right side stacks every subcontractor who bid on that trade.

Prerequisites

  • An active bid package that has received at least one subcontractor quote
  • (Recommended) Line items created in the bid package for detailed apples-to-apples comparison

Steps

  1. Access Bid Levelling — From your project → click Bidding in the left menu → select the active bid package → click any trade with quotes, OR open a subcontractor’s Bid Conversation and select the Bid Levelling tab.

  2. Understand how line items sync between estimate and bid levelling — Line items created in the bid package automatically appear in your project estimate. If you imported values from your estimate when creating the package, those numbers stay perfectly synced — update in one place and they update in both.

  3. Compare your estimate against subcontractor quote(s) — The left side is locked to your internal numbers and total. The right side shows every subcontractor who submitted for that trade, stacked vertically with their line-item pricing, totals, and any attached files.

  4. Evaluate variances, allow revisions, and compare multiple bidders — Scroll line-by-line to spot differences. Subcontractors can resubmit anytime using Remove Quote → new submission. All bidders on the same trade appear together in the fixed layout (no filters needed). The view works identically on mobile with responsive adjustments.

Confirmation

You are in the Bid Levelling view: your internal estimate on the left, subcontractor quote(s) stacked on the right, line items and totals clearly visible for direct comparison.

FAQ

Can subcontractors see my internal estimate values?
No — they only see the bid package line items and their own submitted pricing.

What if I didn’t add line items to the bid package?
Subcontractors can only submit a lump-sum total; you lose line-item visibility and comparison.

Can a subcontractor revise their quote after submission?
Yes — they click Remove Quote in their bid conversation and submit a new one as many times as needed.

Do updates to my project estimate automatically update in bid levelling?
Yes, if you imported the line items when creating the bid package; the values remain synced in both places.

How are multiple subcontractors displayed for the same trade?
All quotes appear stacked vertically in the same fixed layout for consistent side-by-side comparison.

What happens to the bid conversation after I award the bid?
The conversation stays open. Communication simply moves to Project Job Chat or Action chats.

Does bid levelling work on mobile?
Yes — the layout adjusts for smaller screens but all functionality is identical.

Back to top