Compare Commercial Painting Proposals Line by Line

Give every bidder the same building description, zone map, condition survey, substrate schedule, access notes, operating constraints and available records. Identify mandatory base work and separate alternates. Use a written clarification process so material information reaches all bidders consistently. Record the package version attached to each proposal; otherwise a revised surface quantity or phasing assumption can be mistaken for the original scope during evaluation.

• List unavailable areas and known information gaps.
• Require bidders to identify departures, assumptions and substitutions.

Create rows for every zone, substrate and condition class. Ask bidders to state the quantity basis and preparation method for each rather than using one building-wide preparation phrase. Separate cleaning, coating removal, filling, repairs and hazardous-material assumptions. When quantities remain uncertain, define an allowance or unit price with a clear measurement and approval process. A blank or vague response should remain a question until clarified in writing.

• Keep repair allowances distinct from the base painting quantity.
• Compare the same preparation acceptance point across bids.

For each substrate, record the proposed primer, intermediate and finish products, sheen, colour basis and current data sheets. Note coat counts, coverage assumptions and optional upgrades without treating them as universal performance claims. Require written approval for substitutions. If two bidders propose different systems, identify the technical question that must be resolved rather than scoring only the product name or total number of coats.

• Keep product documents with their matching substrate and exposure.
• Read warranty and maintenance terms actually supplied with the proposal.

Specify the sample size, location, substrate, preparation and finish required before full production. Record who approves colour, sheen, texture and visible repairs, plus how accepted samples are protected. For multiple buildings or substrate families, one sample may not represent every condition. Treat mockups as appearance and process checkpoints, not proof of concealed condition or future lifespan. Include the sample and approval records in closeout.

• Price additional colour or sample cycles separately when relevant.
• State the viewing conditions used for final appearance review.

Compare working hours, zone sequence, equipment assumptions, setup, protection, notices, ventilation coordination, daily cleanup and reopening. Ask how public routes, vehicles, secure areas and deliveries are handled. WorkSafeBC requirements and current product information inform the safety plan, but the bidder remains responsible for compliant means and methods. A low price based on unrestricted daytime access is not comparable to a proposal built around occupied-site constraints. Illustrative blank office bid row, not a local project or an approved specification: zone and surface [ ]; preparation and acceptance [ ]; coating specification author and document/version [ ]; setup, application and reopening windows [ ]; furniture mover and return [ ]; change approver [ ]. Give every bidder the same row and compare the completed entries, exclusions and costs of repeated setup before selection.

• List owner-provided access or shutdowns explicitly.
• Identify after-hours premiums and return visits separately.

Require a written change process showing location, evidence, scope, price or unit calculation, schedule effect and approval. Compare proposed duration, sequencing assumptions, weather treatment and communication responsibilities. Review deposit, progress payment, holdback, insurance or other commercial terms with appropriate advice for the actual contract. Do not invent or infer qualifications; record only documents and references that have been genuinely supplied and verified.

• Keep verbal assurances out of the score until they are written.
• Record unresolved risks accepted when the proposal is selected.

List preparation inspections, daily records, product tracking, deficiency review, cleaning and final documents expected from every bidder. Resolve material gaps and request revised written proposals before scoring. Then compare completeness, operating fit, evidence process, exclusions, schedule, commercial terms and price using criteria chosen in advance. The selection record should explain why the proposal fits the defined Surrey commercial painting scope rather than relying on the lowest headline total.

• Retain the final matrix, clarifications and selected proposal together.
• Require a closeout index by building zone and substrate.