KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A tender works when every contractor prices exactly the same scope.
- The package needs a clear scope, a bid form, unit prices for repairs and the documents you require.
- Answer every question in writing, and send the answer to every bidder.
- Compare bids on scope, schedule, references and documents, not only on price.
For a small job, a few quotes from walk-throughs are enough. For a large complex, a mid-rise or a multi-year program, many councils and property managers prefer a tender: one package, sent to a short list of contractors, priced on identical terms. Done well, it saves money and arguments. Done badly, it produces bids that cannot be compared.
When a tender makes sense
- The project is large, or spread over several years.
- An envelope consultant or engineer has written a specification.
- Owners want to see a formal, documented process.
- Earlier quotes were too different to compare.
What goes in the package
- Scope. Buildings, elevations and surfaces, and what is excluded.
- Preparation and products. Washing, scraping, caulking, primers and the number of coats, or a written specification. See what prep means on a quote.
- Unit prices. Per board or per linear foot for wood replacement, so repairs found on site are priced fairly. See setting a contingency for wood repair.
- Schedule and access. Start window, working hours, parking and notice to residents.
- Documents required. WorkSafeBC clearance, insurance and references. See which documents to ask for.
- A bid form. The same line items for every bidder, so the numbers line up.
Running the process
- Send the package to three to five contractors you would actually hire.
- Hold one site meeting, so everyone sees the same building.
- Answer questions in writing and send the answers to every bidder.
- Set a firm closing date.
- Open the bids together and check each one for exclusions.
Comparing the bids
The lowest number is not always the cheapest job. Check that each bid covers the full scope, look at the unit prices, phone the references, and ask who will actually be on site. See how to compare painting quotes and 12 questions to ask a painting contractor.
The contract and the holdback
Attach the scope, the specification and the accepted bid to the contract, so everyone works from the same documents. In BC, the Builders Lien Act requires the owner to hold back 10% of the value of the work for a set period after it is complete. Your property manager or lawyer can confirm how your strata handles it. When your consultant has written the specification, we price it as written: see specification and tender pricing.
This guide is general information for strata councils and property managers in British Columbia, not legal advice. Check your registered bylaws and the current Strata Property Act, or ask your property manager or a lawyer, before relying on it for a decision.
