01Issue the same bid package to every proposer
Provide the same site plan, photographs, condition record, available surveys, professional documents, permit information and requested outcome. Use one wall-segment naming system and state which facts remain unverified. Record the issue date and revision. Proposals prepared from different evidence cannot be compared reliably, even when they use similar totals. If new information emerges, distribute it to every remaining bidder and ask for a revised response. Download the blank comparison schedule (CSV)
- One versioned information package
- Consistent wall limits and terminology
- Unknowns disclosed to all bidders
02Separate design and approval responsibility
Ask who confirms wall geometry, soil and groundwater assumptions, structural system, drainage, property boundaries, professional involvement and municipal approvals. List drawings, calculations, application documents, field reviews and closeout records included or excluded. A price that says engineering is extra is not comparable until the required scope, provider and allowance are clear. Confirm current City requirements using the property and proposed work rather than relying on a generic note.
- Named design disciplines
- Permit and application responsibility
- Field-review and closeout deliverables
03Normalize excavation, base and soil handling
Compare excavation quantity, removals, disposal, temporary support, dewatering or water control, bearing preparation, imported material, compaction evidence and unsuitable-material allowances. Require unit rates and written change triggers for uncertain quantities. Identify stockpile space, haul routes and equipment assumptions. A lower base price may rely on less excavation, different disposal assumptions or an incomplete base scope, so the comparison must show quantities and exclusions beside cost.
- Quantities and unit rates
- Unsuitable-material change process
- Access, export and temporary works
04Itemize the complete wall and drainage assembly
List facing or structural elements, reinforcement, retained fill, filters, drain rock, pipes, outlets, caps, steps, returns, transitions and connections to adjacent work. Match exact products and drawing references where available. Trace drainage from collection to discharge and include overflow and maintenance access. Do not allow a single wall-system line item to hide which components or quantities differ between proposals.
- Exact system and component schedule
- Drainage route through final outlet
- Transitions and edge conditions included
05Price access, protection and restoration
Compare mobilization, machine access, utility locating, neighbour coordination, traffic or pedestrian control, property protection, fencing, paving, landscaping, irrigation and cleanup. Mark who repairs incidental damage and what restoration standard applies. The construction route may affect more of the property than the finished wall footprint. Photographs and a pre-work condition record can reduce ambiguity when access crosses existing improvements.
- Construction route and occupied areas
- Protection and damage responsibility
- Defined restoration materials and limits
06Make allowances, exclusions and schedule visible
Separate base price, taxes, allowances, alternates, provisional quantities, unit rates and excluded work. Record assumed start dates, duration, weather limitations, permit dependencies and expiry of pricing. An allowance should identify what it covers and how the final amount is reconciled. Silence is not inclusion: every unresolved item should be asked in writing and the answer incorporated into the proposal or contract amendment.
- Base, allowance and alternate columns
- Schedule dependencies and price validity
- Written clarifications attached to contract
07Compare evidence and closeout—not price alone
List required inspections, professional field reviews, concealed-work photographs, delivery records, test results where specified, reviewed substitutions, as-built information, outlet locations and maintenance instructions. Score proposals on scope completeness and responsibility as well as price. Preserve one final comparison sheet explaining material differences and the reason for selection. The accepted agreement should contain every clarification relied upon, so construction does not proceed under an earlier incomplete description.
- Construction-verification schedule
- Final records and maintenance information
- Selection rationale tied to comparable scope