How to Compare Building Assessment Proposals Beyond the Headline Price

Two proposals can describe a building assessment and still offer very different pieces of work. A lower total may reflect a narrower scope, different assumptions or items that will be priced later. Before deciding, make the differences visible in a comparison table.

This is a purchasing guide, not a recommendation to choose the largest scope or the highest price. The aim is to understand what each provider is offering for your building and why.

Use the same starting information

If one provider receives drawings and another receives only a building name, the proposals may be based on different assumptions. Give each provider an equivalent description of the property, available records, purpose of the enquiry and known access constraints.

Keep a record of clarifications issued during the process. When a clarification changes the work being requested, ask for the change to be reflected in the proposal. Otherwise, the final comparison may mix different versions of the brief.

Check the deliverables, not just the activity list

An activity tells you what someone plans to do. A deliverable tells you what you expect to receive. Ask how the findings will be documented, who will review the report and what information will be available for your internal decisions.

A list of equipment names is not a substitute for a defined assessment purpose. If tests are proposed, ask what question they are intended to answer and how the scope may change after the initial review. Avoid assuming that a longer list automatically makes an offer more appropriate.

Make exclusions easy to see

Create separate comparison rows for site access, specialist input, laboratory work, additional visits, authority-related charges and any follow-up design. Record included, excluded, allowance or clarification required. An empty cell should remain a question, not become an assumption of inclusion.

If a quoted amount is an allowance, ask what would cause it to change and how the final amount would be approved. The objective is to avoid surprises while allowing the provider to explain genuine uncertainty at the enquiry stage.

Ask who is accountable

Identify the contracting entity, the people responsible for the work and the proposed communication route. Request relevant credentials and ask how their scope applies to the proposed appointment. Do not rely on a logo or a vague statement of approval.

For work connected with Law No. 3, refer to the source-based guide and ask the responsible professionals to confirm the applicable requirements. Keep the evidence with the appointment records rather than relying on an informal sales conversation.

Understand the programme assumptions

A proposed programme can depend on access, documents, testing, review and decisions by other parties. Ask which dates are commitments and which are estimates. Record the information that must be provided before the programme can be confirmed.

Avoid comparing an optimistic headline duration with a detailed programme that openly states its dependencies. Ask both providers to explain the same milestones, including the delivery of the agreed report and the handling of follow-up questions.

Agree how changes will be authorised

Building information may be incomplete when the first proposal is prepared. Ask what happens if the required work changes after a records review or site assessment. A clear change process should identify the reason, revised scope, fee implications and person authorised to approve it.

Keep an approval trail. A manager should be able to explain why an additional item was commissioned and how it relates to the original objective. This is particularly useful when decisions involve several owners or a management committee.

Use a final clarification round

Before appointing a provider, send a short list of unresolved points. Ask for a consolidated proposal version so the final agreement does not depend on scattered messages. Store the accepted scope and its date alongside the building brief.

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