Full-process tender pricing — from reading the drawings to a submission-ready document. Competitive rates, accurate quantities, subcontractor returns analysed, margin protected.
The tender process
Tender pricing is not just putting numbers in a spreadsheet. A credible, margin-protecting submission requires a structured process — from the first reading of the documents through to the final figure on the return.
Every tender starts with a proper read of the drawings, specifications and employer's requirements — understanding scope, identifying risk and flagging ambiguities before a single quantity is measured. From there, the process follows a clear path to submission.
Why it matters
A poorly priced tender has one of two outcomes: you miss the award because you're too high, or you win and find out six months in why you shouldn't have. Getting tender pricing right is how contractors protect margin, improve win rate and make better bid/no-bid decisions.
Accurate pricing means competitive pricing. When quantities are right and rates are built up properly, you can sharpen the margin without guessing — and bid more confidently.
The risk in any tender is the scope you miss. A thorough take-off and specification review identifies gaps before they become post-contract problems that erode the job margin.
A quick sense-check or early high-level estimate helps you decide whether a tender is worth pursuing before committing the full resource to a competitive submission.
Deliverables
Everything needed to submit a complete, compliant tender — in a format your team can use, interrogate and take forward if the job is won.
Trade-by-trade breakdown with quantities, rates and totals. Fully unlocked and editable — your team can review, adjust and use it as the live cost plan when the job starts.
Take-off drawings marked up to show what has been measured, what is excluded and any items flagged for clarification — audit trail of the measurement, useful if scope is queried later.
Quotes received from each subcontractor presented side-by-side with scope qualifications, exclusions and recommended selection — makes the adjudication straightforward and defensible.
One-page summary of the total bid cost split by trade and category — gives directors a clear picture of what's in the number before submission and supports internal adjudication.
A clear list of scope assumptions, items excluded from the tender price and risks to be noted — gives the client team confidence in the number and supports any clarification letters.
Site preliminaries built up item by item — management, accommodation, plant, welfare, insurances and any project-specific requirements — not a flat percentage applied to the works cost.
Scope of work
Whether you're competing hard on a lump sum or entering a two-stage negotiation, the approach to pricing changes. Here's what each type involves and how I handle each.
The most common form — you receive full documentation and submit a single fixed price against the same drawings as your competitors. Accuracy and competitive rates are everything here. Full take-off, rate build-up, subcontractor returns and a final adjudicated figure.
Stage one establishes your preliminaries, overheads and profit — stage two prices the works once design is developed. Pricing the first stage correctly positions you for preferred contractor status and a strong negotiating position in stage two.
Invited directly by the client or consultant. Scope is priced on an open-book basis and agreed through discussion. A detailed, well-structured cost plan demonstrates competence and builds confidence with the client team — essential for converting the negotiation into an award.
Frameworks require schedule of rates or method statements alongside the price. Getting onto a framework opens a pipeline of work — the tender submission needs to be thorough, compliant and commercially well-structured to score well against the evaluation criteria.
Transparent pricing
Every tender pricing engagement is priced on a fixed fee — agreed upfront before work starts, based on the size and complexity of the job. No hourly rates, no ambiguity.
Also see: Quantity Take-Off Services and Bill of Quantities Preparation
Get in touch
Send me the drawings and documents — I'll confirm the fee and turnaround time the same day. No obligation to proceed.