Compare the same buildings, surfaces, measurements and visits first; compare the price second. A lower proposal may exclude stairs, ceilings, special stains, recovery or a return visit. Use a written base scope and ask each bidder to identify deviations. The sample below is a planning aid, not a legal contract or any contractor’s standard terms.
What belongs in a comparable base scope?
Create one dated document with a revision number. Mark buildings and limits on a site plan, attach representative photos and distinguish confirmed quantities from contractor-verification items. Provide the same version to every bidder, then circulate material clarifications to everyone using your organization’s procurement process.
| Bid line | State explicitly | If the proposal is silent |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings and surfaces | Building IDs; elevations; floor, wall and ceiling scope | Treat as unresolved, not included |
| Measurements and units | Quantity; gross/net convention; verification responsibility | Ask for the basis behind the amount |
| Visits | Annual count and exact work on each visit | Do not multiply unlike visits as identical |
| Preparation | Belongings, furniture, parked vehicles, notices | Assign an owner and ready-by time |
| Method and protection | Material instructions, test area, adjacent surfaces | Request the contractor’s proposed approach |
| Water and drainage | Supply permission, recovery, destination and approvals | Hold the assumption open |
| Difficult conditions | Special stains, defects, inaccessible areas | Identify allowances and exclusions |
| Closeout | Building-labeled photos, exceptions, walkthrough | Agree how completion is demonstrated |
Request relevant vendor documentation through your usual process: correct legal/business name, insurance evidence suited to the work, any applicable licensing, references for comparable occupied-property work, method information and subcontractor roles. Have the appropriate person review limits, exclusions and contract language. A certificate or reference is a document to evaluate, not proof that every proposed task is covered.
Sample scope of work to adapt
Planning template. Replace all blanks, verify the actual site and use your organization’s approved contract documents for obligations and payment terms. Download the editable text version.
- Property and authority: Property name/address; manager contact; person authorized to approve work; scope revision/date. Confirm who owns each selected common area.
- Surface schedule: Building IDs, elevations and materials. List breezeway floors, walls, ceilings, stairs, landings and paths as separate included or excluded items. Attach quantities with their measurement basis.
- Outcome: Describe the soil or condition to address. Identify existing damage, uncertain stains and repair-first areas. Agree on a test location and review procedure before broader work.
- Proposed method: Contractor identifies compatible methods and products, relevant manufacturer instructions, protection and stop conditions. Do not specify one universal pressure or mixture.
- Access and preparation: Proposed phases; resident routes; arrangements for affected accessible/sole entrances; deliveries and pets; preparation responsibilities; management contact for issues.
- Water handling: Authorized supply, hose routing, drainage map, containment/recovery approach, proposed disposal destination and responsible party for necessary approvals.
- Commercial basis: Base scope price, visit count, work per visit, tax treatment, known extras, allowances, exclusions, expiration and proposed change-approval process.
- Completion: Photos by building/surface, skipped-area register, test-area comparison where applicable, manager walkthrough and agreed correction process.
For breezeway work, attach the occupied-site plan rather than treating notices as a generic footnote. For HOA and condo work, confirm the approved common-property boundary before the bidder measures private owner areas.
Why a cheaper proposal may not be comparable
Hypothetical example, not local pricing. Both proposals cover the same two buildings, but their visit and preparation terms differ. Proposal A is $2,400 per visit for two visits, with breezeway ceilings excluded. Proposal B is $5,200 annually for two visits, with ceilings included but furniture moves assigned to management.
| Comparison | Proposal A | Proposal B |
|---|---|---|
| Annual base arithmetic | $2,400 × 2 = $4,800 | $5,200 counted once |
| Breezeway ceilings | Excluded; added price unknown | Included |
| Furniture moves | Not stated | Property responsibility |
| Initial conclusion | Known base only; scope incomplete | Different included scope |
It would be premature to say A saves $400 on the required project. First ask A for a ceiling allowance or a revised inclusive price and clarify furniture handling in both bids. If both now cover the same scope, compare the revised totals and remaining terms. If a required item remains unpriced, keep it out of a falsely complete “all-in” total.
The interactive bid comparison tool distinguishes actual annual pricing from per-visit pricing and flags missing information. It offers no winner badge because price alone cannot evaluate method suitability, workmanship, insurance fit or the contractor’s ability to coordinate an occupied site.
How should allowances and changes be handled?
An allowance should say what it covers, its unit or limit, and what happens if the underlying quantity differs. A vague “stain removal as needed” line can conceal a different interpretation of the job. Ask whether persistent staining receives a test, a defined treatment, an alternative price or an explicit exclusion.
A change trigger might be a previously inaccessible elevation, a different coating, extra cleanup after another trade or a property-requested return visit. Record the evidence, proposed cost and schedule effect, and obtain approval through the designated person before work expands. These are planning prompts; use your approved agreement to establish enforceable terms.
What should be checked before award?
Confirm the final revision, decision authority, site readiness, access plan, water destination and test-area process. Verify the actual entity on the proposal against the vendor documentation. Retain unresolved questions in a visible list rather than assuming the low bidder shares your interpretation.
Use the measurement guide when quantities disagree, and the completion checklist to define how the result will be reviewed. The complete planning guide connects this purchasing step to inspection, resident preparation and maintenance.