Sending out tender documents is quite a task, but if it’s not done correctly it can lead to some huge headaches. You should be looking to get three like-forlike estimates for your building project. However, the last thing you want is to get back a totally different estimate from each builder. The key to avoiding this is to prepare your tender documents correctly so that everyone is quoting for the same thing. Architects can prepare tender documents for you, but a builder’s practical knowledge can prove invaluable too: an experienced builder will have gone through this process hundreds of times, so get one involved and ask their advice.
Put as much detail as possible into your tender documents. Without fail, you will need complete scale drawings, Building Regulations drawings, structural calculations and a good build spec. The first three of these are usually provided in a pretty standard format. The last one, the build specification or job spec, can have many different layouts. This is the document that lays out exactly what you want to prospective builders.
Remember, the clearer your tender documents are, the more chance you will get back three estimates that are genuinely comparable. This is particularly important if your builder will be coordinating trades for you or specifying any of your materials. If one builder includes a high-end luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and the other chooses an inexpensive roll of vinyl, to fulfil a specification for ‘vinyl flooring’ in your home, you can begin to see how difficult it will be to compare prices, and why you sometimes get a high or low estimate.