BRIEF
CONCEPT DESIGN
A hand drawn mark in black that looks like a door or window

Tendering

Finding the right builder for you is one of the most important decisions in your entire project. Tendering is how we help you make that decision with confidence.

With a full set of technical drawings in place, tendering is the stage where design meets reality in cost terms. Our role is to help you identify contractors who are genuinely suited to your project, gather accurate costs from them on a like-for-like basis, and guide you through choosing the right builder for you, not just the cheapest one.

We take budget management seriously at this stage, because this is where the numbers stop being estimates and start being real. A detailed and thorough analysis of the pricing we receive helps protect you from the kind of cost overruns that can derail a project further down the line.

Identifying the right contractors starts with due diligence. We consider:

  • Capability and quality of previous work

  • Suitable skillset for the specific demands of your project, whether that's a listed building, a complex structural alteration or a straightforward extension

  • Examples of similar projects the contractor has completed

  • Financial standing and appropriate insurances

  • Availability and fit with your project timeline

Once we have a shortlist of contractors suited to your project, we issue a full tender package built around a robust drawing set and supporting documentation. We go into more detail here than many architects, deliberately so. The more thoroughly a project is drawn and specified, the more accurate the prices that come back, the more easily those prices can be compared like-for-like, and the less scope there is for hidden costs to appear once work is underway. A thin drawing set may look like it saves time at tender stage, but it simply pushes ambiguity, and cost, further down the line.

Every contractor pricing your project is working from exactly the same detailed information, covering not just the drawings but specifications, finishes and construction methods. This is essential for a fair cost comparison; without it, seemingly lower quotes can hide gaps, assumptions or exclusions that surface expensively later on.

When quotes come back, we don't simply compare bottom-line figures. We carry out a detailed and thorough analysis of each return, checking for consistency, identifying any qualifications or exclusions, and querying anything that looks unclear or out of step with the others. Where helpful, we support you through negotiation with your preferred contractor to refine the price or scope before you commit.

We also make sure you go into the build with appropriate contractual protection in place, and with a sensible contingency built into your budget to absorb the unexpected without derailing the project.

Our tendering process typically takes the following path:

  • We prepare a shortlist of contractors we believe are suited to your project, drawing on our own experience of who does good work and, where relevant, your own preferences.

  • We issue the full tender package, including drawings, specifications and any other detailed information contractors need to price accurately.

  • We field contractor queries during the tender period, ensuring everyone is pricing the same scope.

  • We review returned quotes, carrying out a detailed cost comparison and flagging any inconsistencies or concerns.

  • We support you through negotiation and contractor selection, advising on capability and fit as well as price.

  • We help set up the appropriate building contract, giving you contractual protection before work begins on site.

TENDERING
CONSTRUCTION PHASE

FAQ’s: Tendering

  • We typically recommend tendering to three to four contractors. This gives a meaningful cost comparison without overburdening contractors with pricing work that, realistically, only one of them will win.

  • Of course. If you have a builder in mind, we're happy to bring them into the process, and can still carry out due diligence and cost comparison to make sure you're confident in that choice.

  • This is exactly why thorough tendering matters. Where costs exceed expectations, we work with you to identify options, whether that's value engineering elements of the design, negotiating with contractors, or reconsidering scope.

  • This depends on the nature of the project; works involving an existing structure, particularly older or listed buildings, typically warrant a higher contingency than a straightforward new build. We'll advise on an appropriate figure for your specific project.

  • As much as possible. It's what protects you once the build starts. A tender pack that's light on detail leaves gaps for contractors to fill with their own assumptions, and those assumptions have a habit of turning into costly variations later. We produce a robust drawing set and full supporting documentation so that every contractor is pricing the same, clearly defined scope, giving you accurate costs, an easy comparison between quotes, and far fewer surprises once work is on site.