How to review and compare bids

Every bid your project receives lands in one place. Here's how to review them efficiently, compare apples to apples, and ask the right follow-ups before you award.

Find your bids#

Open your dashboard and click into the project. The Bids Received tab shows every bid sorted by submission date. Each row shows the contractor's company, total bid amount, proposed timeline, and a status badge (Submitted, In Review, Awarded, Rejected).

What to look at first#

Don't sort by price alone. A low bid that excludes critical scope is rarely the best deal. Look at these in order:

1. Scope completeness — does the bid cover everything you asked for? Watch for "by others" or "not included" language.
2. Timeline — can they actually start and finish when you need?
3. Licensing and insurance — visible on the contractor's company profile.
4. Past work and references — most established contractors include photos and project history.
5. Total price — only meaningful once scope and timeline match.

Side-by-side comparison#

Click Compare bids at the top of the bids tab. Select 2–4 bids and you'll see them laid out in a grid: line items, totals, timeline, included/excluded scope. Differences are highlighted.

Step-by-step#

1. Open the bids tab

   From your project page, click Bids Received. You'll see every submission with a quick summary.

2. Read the full bid

   Click any bid to expand it. Look for the line-item breakdown, milestones, exclusions, and any attached documents (insurance certificates, references, sample contracts).

3. Select bids to compare

   Tick the checkbox on 2–4 bids, then click Compare selected. Differences in scope, timeline, and totals get highlighted automatically.

4. Ask follow-up questions

   For anything unclear, click Message on the bid. See How to message contractors for more.

5. Shortlist your top picks

   Mark your top 2–3 as Shortlisted. The contractors don't see this — it's just for you and your team.

6. Schedule site visits if needed

   For larger projects, schedule a walk-through. Most contractors will adjust their bid after a site visit, and that's a good sign — it means they're being accurate.

7. Award the winner

   Once you've decided, head to How to award a project.

Red flags to watch for#

• Bids with no line items or scope breakdown
• Total bid that's wildly below the others (often means missing scope)
• No insurance information visible on the profile
• No phone number or only a generic email contact
• Pushy follow-ups before you've finished reviewing

A good contractor will give you space to review and answer questions clearly when you ask.