Two framing or siding bids can be accurate and still cover different work. 

One may include the lift. The other may expect the GC to provide it.

We’ve delivered clear, competitive commercial framing and siding bids for GCs throughout the Portland Metro and Central Oregon.

This guide gives estimators, preconstruction teams, and PMs six scope checks to work through before award. If you have a project you’d like a bid on, get in touch here and start the conversation.

What does it mean to level framing and siding bids?

Bid leveling means adjusting your comparison to account for differences between proposals. The goal is to compare the cost of the same required work.

Keep each subcontractor’s original price intact. Record clarifications and comparison adjustments separately, with the reason and pricing source for each one.

An internal leveling adjustment isn’t an agreement with the subcontractor. If you add an excluded item to the proposed subcontract scope, get the bidder’s written price and confirmation before award.

Start with the same bid documents and schedule

Check which drawing set and specifications each bidder used. Record revision dates and confirm that the price includes the relevant addenda and answered RFIs.

Then review these assumptions:

• Base bid, alternates, and allowances are identified separately.
• Product selections and proposed substitutions are clear.
• Areas, elevations, or phases included in the price match the bid package.
• The proposed start, duration, and work sequence reflect the current schedule.
• Bid validity and any material-price qualifications are documented.

If a required detail is unresolved, issue a common pricing assumption to all bidders. Get revised pricing where needed. Don’t treat a placeholder allowance as a settled cost.

Six scope checks before you compare the totals

Use these checks to identify responsibilities. The project documents and agreed subcontract scope determine who carries each item.

1. Materials, procurement, and handling

Confirm whether each proposal includes labor only or material supply and installation. For wood framing, identify who provides lumber, sheathing, engineered components, and connectors. For siding, check the specified cladding and accessory materials.

Follow the materials through delivery. Who orders them, unloads them, moves them to the work area, and protects stored stock? If the GC supplies materials, confirm the quantities and delivery sequence the subcontractor has assumed.

Separate any material allowance from a firm price. Record what still needs selection or approval.

2. Framing details and adjacent work

Check the structural notes and details against the proposal. Review connectors, anchors, blocking, backing, and openings. Confirm temporary bracing responsibilities, including any required design or engineering coordination.

Identify boundaries at concrete, steel, existing construction, and other trades. Who verifies field dimensions? Who provides backing required for later installations? Who handles work that must wait for rough-in?

“Framing per plans” may need clarification where drawings and trade packages leave a boundary unclear. Resolve those questions with the appropriate project team members before assigning the work.

3. Siding assemblies, trim, and finishes

Match the proposal to the specified siding system. Review profiles, trim, fasteners, attachment components, and required accessories. Confirm whether furring or rainscreen components are included where the assembly requires them.

Check finish responsibilities, too. Factory-finished material, field painting, cut-edge treatment, and touch-up work can fall under different scopes.

Identify required samples or mockups and whether they’re priced. If a bidder proposes a substitution, keep that option separate until it’s accepted through the project’s approval process.

4. Weather barriers, flashing, and sealants

Don’t assume the siding price includes every layer behind it. Make responsibility for the weather-resistive barrier, air barrier, flashing, sealants, and transitions explicit.

Review the details at windows, doors, roofs, and penetrations. Check both the assigned scope and the installation sequence. A flashing component may belong to one trade while the adjoining seal or membrane belongs to another.

An exclusion can be reasonable. It still needs a named trade and a place in the project budget. If the detail itself is unresolved, request clarification rather than guessing at the assembly.

5. Lifts, scaffolding, access, and protection

Identify who supplies lifts, scaffolding, hoisting, and operators where needed. Check delivery charges, rental duration, and any assumptions about shared equipment.

If the GC provides a lift, confirm it’ll be available when and where the crew needs it. Shared equipment may require a different production plan than dedicated equipment.

Review access restrictions, staging space, and required protection of adjacent or completed work. Occupied areas or limited delivery hours can affect the price. Make sure bidders received those conditions.

6. Mobilizations, cleanup, and closeout

Confirm how many mobilizations the proposal includes. A price for continuous work may need adjustment if the schedule calls for separate buildings, elevations, or return visits.

Clarify debris handling and disposal. Does the crew move waste to a GC-provided container, or supply its own disposal?

Review required inspections, documentation, punch work, and closeout deliverables. Confirm who coordinates each item and what’s included. Resolve unclear return-visit assumptions before they reach the field.

A simple example: one siding bid includes the lift

Here’s a hypothetical comparison: 

Bid A includes siding installation and a dedicated lift. Bid B has a lower submitted price but excludes the lift.

For Bid B, record the cost of providing a suitable lift for the expected duration, including delivery and pickup. If the GC already has suitable equipment, confirm capacity and availability before assuming there’s no added cost.

The comparison is Bid A’s submitted price against Bid B’s submitted price plus the documented cost of its excluded equipment. Either could still be the better choice. You need the full scope to decide.

Does the price support the schedule?

Once the scopes align, review the execution plan. Ask who’ll lead the work, what crew can be committed, and what duration the price assumes.

Check that plan against material availability and the release of work areas. Discuss what happens if the project needs phased access, added shifts, or out-of-sequence work. Record the current assumptions and how a change would be evaluated.

For broader questions about field leadership, capacity, and jobsite performance, use our guide to hiring a commercial framing and siding subcontractor.

Close the gaps before award

Keep a discrepancy list for each proposal. For every open item, record the drawing or specification reference, the bidder’s current assumption, and the clarification needed.

Then work through five steps:

• Send the scope questions to the affected bidders.
• Get written clarifications and any revised pricing.
• Assign excluded work to the GC or another trade and confirm its cost.
• Update the comparison, keeping original prices and adjustments visible.
• Carry the agreed scope and qualifications into the subcontract documents.

Leave unresolved items visible. An estimated adjustment is useful for budgeting, but it doesn’t settle a missing detail or confirm another trade’s commitment.

After award, use our commercial framing and siding pre-mobilization checklist to carry those decisions into field planning.

Commercial framing and siding bid FAQs

Should a GC choose the lowest framing or siding bid?

The lowest bid may be the right choice if it covers the required scope and the subcontractor can execute the schedule. Compare exclusions and qualifications first. Then review capacity, field leadership, and relevant experience.

Who supplies materials for a commercial framing subcontract?

It depends on the bid package and agreed scope. A proposal may cover labor only or supply and installation. Confirm procurement, delivery, handling, and storage responsibilities before comparing totals.

Does a siding bid include weather barriers and flashing?

Only if those items are included in the agreed scope. Confirm responsibility for each barrier, flashing detail, sealant, and transition. Don’t use the word “siding” as a substitute for defining the assembly.

How do you compare bids when the plans are incomplete?

Give bidders the same written assumptions. Identify allowances and unresolved details, then update the comparison as information becomes available. Clarify scope that affects the award before treating the price as final.

Have a framing or siding scope coming up?

Brothers Building provides commercial framing and siding subcontracting, including structural and engineered-wood framing and siding and trim installations.

Start a conversation with our team. Share the project location, current plans, bid deadline, and target schedule so we can review the scope with you.

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