Start with scope coverage
Compare the estimate against the bid form, drawing index, specification table of contents and issued addenda. Confirm that every required division is included, intentionally excluded or carried as an allowance. This high-level reconciliation catches missing trades before detailed rate review begins.
Trace major quantities to the drawings
Review the cost drivers first: building area, concrete volume, structural steel, enclosure, major equipment and site quantities. Each should have a drawing, detail or schedule reference. A quantity without a source is difficult to defend or revise.
Check labor assumptions
Confirm wage type, crew composition, production rates, working hours, access constraints and anticipated duration. A correct material quantity can still create a losing bid when labor productivity does not reflect project conditions.
Reconcile alternates and allowances
Alternates should be priced independently without double-counting base scope. Allowances must match the bid documents and state whether labor, taxes, delivery, overhead and profit are included.
Read exclusions as carefully as totals
Exclusions define the commercial risk carried by the bid. Make sure they do not conflict with contract requirements and that necessary clarifications are included in the proposal.
Perform a final bid-day check
Verify subcontractor quotations, supplier expirations, addenda acknowledgments, bonds, permits, insurance, taxes, schedule requirements and proposal signatures. Lock the reviewed estimate and preserve a record of final adjustments.