Construction bid package review checklist: what to read before you price
Review a bid package in the order that decides whether and how to price it: bid form and instructions, addenda, supplementary conditions, general conditions, Division 01, then trade specs against drawings. Before pricing, confirm the due date, bid security, LDs, insurance limits, prevailing wage, participation goals and scope. Reading front to back is how kill clauses get missed.
What order should you read a bid package in?
Read for decisions, not page order. The time budget is a suggestion for a mid-size commercial package; adjust it to the set.
| Step | Section | What you are looking for | Suggested budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bid form | Base bid, alternates, unit prices, allowances: exactly what must be priced | 5 min |
| 2 | Instructions to bidders | Deadline, delivery method, bid security, required forms | 5 min |
| 3 | Addenda, latest first | What changed since issue; addenda control | 10 min |
| 4 | Supplementary conditions | Edits to A201 or ConsensusDocs: LDs, indemnity, retainage, claims | 15 min |
| 5 | Agreement and general conditions | The baseline the edits change; LD rate in the agreement | 10 min |
| 6 | Division 01, then trade divisions | Submittals, schedule, closeout, allowances, then your scope | 20 to 30 min |
| 7 | Drawings | Sheet index first, then the sheets for the divisions you price | 15 to 20 min |
| 8 | Bonds, insurance, compliance forms | Bond percentages, insurance limits, wage and participation forms | 5 min |
What should a construction bid review checklist include?
Responsiveness
- Due date, time zone, delivery method and portal.
- Bid security: form, amount, surety requirements.
- Every addendum received and acknowledged on the bid form.
- Required forms: prequalification, affidavits, participation commitments, signatures.
- Pre-bid meeting or site visit: mandatory or optional?
Commercial terms
- Liquidated damages: rate, cap, milestones (agreement and supplementary conditions).
- Indemnity form and additional insured requirements.
- Retainage (retention) percentage and release terms.
- Payment terms and, for subs, pay-when-paid or pay-if-paid.
- Insurance limits and performance and payment bond requirements.
Public work compliance
- Wage determination attached (Davis-Bacon or state rates) and its date.
- Participation goals (DBE, HUB, MBE/WBE) and their current status.
- FAR 52 clause list on federal work; SAM.gov registration active.
- Domestic preference (Buy American or Build America, Buy America) requirements.
Scope
- Each bid form item traced to a spec section and drawing sheet.
- Alternates, allowances and unit prices understood.
- Spec and drawing conflicts raised as RFIs before the question deadline.
- Exclusions and owner-furnished items listed.
Which sections hide the most risk?
- Supplementary conditions. Where owners remove caps, widen indemnity, narrow time extensions and add milestone LDs. Read every line.
- Instructions to bidders. A missed form or bond detail makes the bid non-responsive whatever the price. On federal sealed bids, a bid must comply in all material respects with the invitation (FAR 14.301).
- General conditions. In AIA A201-2017, focus on Articles 3 (Contractor), 7 (Changes), 8 (Time), 9 (Payments), 11 (Insurance and Bonds), 14 (Termination) and 15 (Claims), the articles supplementary conditions most often amend.
Where do scope gaps hide?
Between the specs and the drawings. Read each CSI division against its sheets with the bid form open: anything on one side but not the other is a gap to price or raise as an RFI before bid day. Gaps that survive this read flow into sub bids; the scope gap guide covers catching them at leveling.
What is the CSI MasterFormat reading order?
Read Division 01 first, then only the divisions on your bid form. For a Travis County, TX commercial interior fit-out that usually means:
- Division 01 General Requirements: submittals, schedule, closeout, allowances, alternates.
- Divisions 07, 08, 09: thermal and moisture protection, openings, finishes. Most interior scope gaps sit here.
- Divisions 21, 22, 23: fire suppression, plumbing, HVAC.
- Divisions 26, 27, 28: electrical, communications, electronic safety and security.
- Divisions 03 to 06 and 31 to 33 if structure, shell or sitework is in scope.
Clara, BAU AI's bids and RFPs agent, reads the whole package in this logic, flags each item with its page and section, and drafts a Go/No-Go memo. Clara at work shows the output on one package.
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a construction bid package?
Instructions to bidders, the bid form, the agreement and general conditions, supplementary conditions, specifications, drawings, bond and insurance requirements, compliance forms on public work, and any addenda.
What is the first thing to read in a bid package?
The bid form. It tells you what must be priced, including alternates, unit prices and allowances, so every later section has a frame.
How do you catch addenda late in the bid period?
Check the plan room or portal the day before bid day and again on bid day, read addenda newest first, and acknowledge each one on the bid form. A late addendum can change scope or bid terms.
How do you find scope gaps before bid day?
Trace each bid form item to its spec section and drawing sheets, list what appears on one side only, and send RFIs before the question deadline. Price or exclude anything still unresolved.