Guides
How to Compare Commercial Construction Bids in Georgia (Without Getting Burned)
The lowest bid is rarely the cheapest project. Here is how to read commercial construction bids line by line, spot what is missing, and pick the contractor who will actually finish on budget.
You put a commercial project out to bid in Marietta, Canton, or anywhere in North Metro Atlanta, and the numbers come back 20 to 30 percent apart. Same drawings, same scope, wildly different prices. That spread is normal, and it almost never means one contractor is cheap and another is greedy. It usually means they are pricing different jobs.
Here is how to compare bids so you are choosing the best contractor, not just the smallest number.
1. Make sure everyone bid the same drawings
Bids are only comparable if every contractor priced the same set of plans, at the same revision, with the same addenda. If one bidder used the original drawings and another used the revised set, the numbers are meaningless side by side. Confirm the drawing date and addenda list in each proposal before you look at a single price.
2. Read the exclusions before the total
The exclusion list is where low bids hide. Common exclusions that move real money on Georgia commercial projects:
- Permit fees and impact fees
- Utility tap fees and meter installations
- Low voltage, security, and fire alarm systems
- Furniture, fixtures, and equipment
- Landscaping beyond basic grading
- Special inspections and materials testing
- After hours work and premium time
A bid that excludes permits, tap fees, and testing on a 5,000 square foot build out can be $40,000 to $80,000 lower than a complete bid and still deliver the exact same building for more money in the end.
3. Compare allowances line by line
Allowances are placeholder budgets for items not yet selected, like flooring, light fixtures, and storefronts. A contractor can win a bid by carrying a $2 per square foot flooring allowance when the space realistically needs $6. That gap comes back to you as a change order at full markup.
Ask each bidder to list every allowance and the dollar amount behind it. Then sanity check the big ones against current material pricing. Realistic allowances are the difference between a budget and a fairy tale.
4. Check what the number includes for labor conditions
Ask whether the bid assumes standard hours or after hours work, whether the space is occupied or vacant during construction, and whether prevailing site conditions (existing utilities, unknown subgrade, roof structure) were verified or assumed. A GC who walked your site and opened a ceiling or two before bidding is pricing reality. One who bid from a photo is pricing hope.
5. Compare the schedule, not just the price
A build out that runs 12 weeks versus 16 weeks is worth real money if you are paying rent, or losing rent, during construction. Look for a milestone schedule in the proposal: permit submission, permit issuance, mobilization, inspections, substantial completion. A contractor who will commit to dates with a plan behind them is telling you how they run jobs.
6. Look at how the bid is built, not just what it totals
A professional proposal breaks the price into divisions: sitework, concrete, framing, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, finishes. A single lump sum with no backup is a red flag, because you have nothing to compare and nothing to hold them to. Division level pricing lets you spot the bidder who forgot HVAC or carried half the electrical scope.
7. Verify license, insurance, and references before the award meeting
In Georgia, commercial general contractors must hold a state license for projects over $2,500. Ask for the license number and verify it with the Georgia State Licensing Board, get a certificate of insurance naming you as additional insured, and call two references from projects similar to yours in the last year. Ten minutes of verification beats months of litigation.
8. Treat a very low bid as a question, not a win
When one bid is 15 percent or more below the pack, something is missing: scope, allowances, supervision, or solvency. Ask the low bidder to walk you through their number line by line. Sometimes you find an honest efficiency. More often you find the change order list they are planning to live on.
The bottom line
Comparing commercial construction bids is not about finding the cheapest number. It is about finding the most complete number from the contractor most likely to finish on time and on budget. Match the drawings, read the exclusions, audit the allowances, check the schedule, and verify the license. Do that and the right bid usually picks itself.
Comparing bids on a project in Marietta, Canton, Cobb County, or North Metro Atlanta? We are happy to give you a straight, line item proposal you can actually compare. Request a proposal and we respond within 24 hours.
