Bid Leveling Automation
AI automation of subcontractor bid analysis and scope leveling.
Definition
Bid Leveling Automation AI standardizes and compares subcontractor bids to ensure apples-to-apples comparisons. It identifies scope gaps, exclusions, and qualifications while normalizing bid formats to help general contractors and construction managers make informed award decisions.
In Depth
Bid leveling — comparing subcontractor bids on an apples-to-apples basis — is one of the most critical and time-consuming tasks in preconstruction. Each subcontractor interprets the scope differently, includes or excludes different items, and formats their bid in their own way. The estimator must normalize all of these variations to make a fair comparison.
AI bid leveling automates the normalization by reading each bid, identifying the included and excluded scope items, mapping them to the specification divisions, and producing a comparison matrix. The estimator reviews a structured comparison rather than manually extracting scope items from each bid proposal — a process that can take days on a large project with dozens of bid packages.
Scope gap identification is the highest-value output. When none of the bidders include a particular scope item, it falls through the cracks and becomes an unbudgeted cost during construction. AI identifies these gaps by comparing the combined scope of all bids against the specification requirements, flagging items that no bidder has included. Catching a scope gap during bidding costs nothing; discovering it during construction costs a change order.
Examples
Comparing subcontractor bids
Identifying scope gaps
Normalizing bid qualifications
Nomic Use Cases
See how Nomic applies this in production AEC workflows:
Frequently Asked Questions
Bid Leveling Automation AI standardizes and compares subcontractor bids to ensure apples-to-apples comparisons. It identifies scope gaps, exclusions, and qualifications while normalizing bid formats to help general contractors and construction managers make informed award decisions.
Comparing subcontractor bids. Identifying scope gaps. Normalizing bid qualifications.
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