The lowest scope you can defend

Anyone who's priced a lump sum knows it. Most of the work is plainly in or out. The margin sits where spec and drawings don't agree, and finding it means reading every volume against every sheet while pricing the job.

One case on our Try page: a school renovation, lump sum. Yesper sorted every item as in the Contract, the Owner's or unclear, with a clarification and pre-bid question per exclusion. Biggest was door hardware and access control: only the rough-in is in the Contract, and $454,000 has a strong change order basis.

You carry or exclude on a graded basis, before bid day. The gap turns up as a pre-bid question instead of a change order after award. Same for any bid set and the rest of the Try page: a scope matrix for a bid invitation, subcontractor tenders row by row, quantities from an IFC model.

Try it yourself →