Bid leveling is one of the most important parts of buying out a project. The lowest number is not always the best bid, and the cleanest-looking proposal can still be missing scope. Skoppe Compare now brings leveling to a whole new level by helping teams compare bidder pricing, review scope issues, flag problems, and see adjusted totals in one clean workflow.
The problem with normal bid comparison
Most bid comparison still happens across spreadsheets, emails, notes, and phone calls. One bidder includes trucking, another leaves it out. One bidder has a lower number but misses a quantity. Another bidder includes an item under a different line. By the time the team is ready to award, it is hard to know which number is the real number.
What we built in Skoppe Compare
- Side-by-side bidder comparison by scope item, so each proposal can be reviewed against the same trade scope.
- Leveling issues that highlight items needing review, including missing scope, quantity conflicts, and price outliers.
- A cleaner Review flow that lets the team accept, ignore, or flag an issue without leaving the comparison table.
- Bidder-facing flags that can be created directly from a review item when a subcontractor clarification is needed.
- A heat map view that makes low, middle, and high pricing easy to understand without overloading the table.
- Adjusted totals based on accepted adjustments, so the award decision is based on leveled numbers, not just base bids.
Why it matters
- GCs can see what is included, missing, ignored, accepted, or still needing review.
- Estimators can move faster without losing the details that protect the budget.
- Project managers can understand why a bidder is really low or really high.
- Owners and leadership get a cleaner view of the award recommendation.
- Subcontractors get clearer questions instead of scattered emails and unclear comments.
- The final number is easier to trust because adjustments are tracked directly inside the comparison.
FAQ
What is bid leveling?
Bid leveling is the process of comparing subcontractor bids against the same scope so a contractor can understand what is included, what is missing, and what the real adjusted price should be.
How does Skoppe help with bid leveling?
Skoppe organizes bids by trade and scope item, highlights leveling issues, supports bidder-specific flags, and calculates adjusted totals based on accepted adjustments.
What is the heat map used for?
The heat map gives a quick visual comparison of pricing across bidders. It helps the team spot low, middle, and high bid items without reading every number one by one.
Can review items become subcontractor flags?
Yes. When a review item needs clarification from a bidder, Skoppe can turn it into a bidder-facing flag so the issue is tracked clearly.
Why are adjusted totals important?
Adjusted totals show the bid after accepted leveling adjustments. This helps contractors award based on the real comparable number, not only the original proposal total.