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Why Pre-Qualifying Bidders Matter
If you fail to pre-qualify bidders before receiving bids and just go with the lowest bid, you should not be surprised when your project is riddled with problems–from the beginning, while the job is in progress, at close out and inspection, and more commonly and more seriously, 5 or so years after the job is “complete.” At Standard, we know first-hand that this is the case because we are one of the firms that is often called to “fix” a roof installed by an unqualified contractor.
Pre-qualifying bidders seems like the simple thing to mitigate this sort of (often very expensive) repair. The pre-qualification form should encompass all aspects of a project—safety, quality, 24/7 service—as well as a potential bidder’s financials, bonding ability, and insurance program. And ask for 3 to 5 references from the potential bidder—preferably on previous projects of similar scope. The American Institute of Architects can provide a thorough pre-qualification format for potential bidders to execute and return to the owner or architect well before the bid date. Or, you can access this blog for our example pre-qualification form.
Reroofing and other building envelope projects are sensitive, they require experience as well as a commitment to excellence and a contractor’s track record of standing behind their work on behalf of all stakeholders. If an owner is dedicated to high standards, then that owner should expect the same from its construction service providers.