In brief

  1. A low bid can carry an equipment schedule that may not produce the rate assumed in the programme, so the client pays later in delays or variations.
  2. Ask each bidder for an owned and hired equipment schedule with output figures, fuel and water plans, and the source of every input, then verify the figures against a site you can walk.
  3. Tie the equipment and production claims into the contract with records, so the review standard is written down before work starts.
Contents
  1. What does equipment capacity in Borama hide in a low bid?
  2. How do unsupported production plans and omitted costs show up?
  3. How do you check equipment capacity before award?
  4. What to do next

A low bid in Borama can hinge on equipment capacity that may not build the programme the client signed. When reviewing bids, compare the equipment list against the production plan, then check whether the plan can survive the local supply chain. Unrealistic tender allowances and omitted costs are easier to find before award than after mobilisation. Ask each bidder for the equipment schedule in writing and test it against the work sequence.

What does equipment capacity in Borama hide in a low bid?

The risk is that the bidder prices the works using plant that is not available, not owned, or not matched to the production rate in the programme. A bidder may list an excavator without stating its output, or show a concrete mixer that cannot keep pace with the pour sequence. When the equipment does not arrive, the client sees slow progress, a stretched programme and claims for extra time. Check the schedule against the method statement: for each activity, ask how many units are needed, what output each unit is assumed to achieve, and where the units will come from. If the answer is "we will hire locally", ask for the hire source and a letter of intent. Ask the municipal engineer's office what plant or borehole records it keeps, and if none exist, ask the bidder to show hire agreements from previous jobs.

How do unsupported production plans and omitted costs show up?

The plan is unsupported when the bidder quotes a rate without showing the equipment hours, labour and materials behind it. A low bid may omit the cost of moving plant to site, fuel and water for compaction, or standby time when a machine breaks down. Ask every bidder to state the water source, the storage and the transport, and confirm the requirement against the project specification. Do not accept "we will manage". Ask for a simple production calculation: volume of work divided by daily output, then compare that to the programme duration. A bid without a production calculation cannot be verified and should be clarified with the bidder. Ask whether the bidder has priced fuel, water, operator wages and maintenance, and confirm against the tender documents and project specification whether any missing item makes the bid incomplete under the client's procurement rules. Confirm the project specification and the engineer's requirements before you decide what is acceptable.

How do you check equipment capacity before award?

Set a written review before award. Ask every bidder for an equipment schedule that lists owned and hired plant, age, condition, and output figures. Ask for evidence of ownership or hire, such as logbooks or hire letters. Walk a recent site the bidder has worked on and look at the plant on the ground: is it working, is it maintained, and does it match the list? Ask the site supervisor how many units were available on the busiest day. Compare the production rates on that site with the rates in the bid. If the bidder cannot show a recent site, ask for a mobilisation plan with dates. Where you need local ground or water information, ask the municipal engineer's office. Where you need technical limits, ask the project engineer and confirm against the specification. As a general tender-review practice, check whether the bidder's equipment schedule states the output figures the production plan relies on. Record every answer in the bid review file.

What to do next

Take the lowest bid and its equipment schedule, and ask the bidder to put the production calculation, fuel and water plan, and hire evidence in writing within a fixed number of days. If the answers do not match the programme, ask the bidder to revise the bid or move to the next bidder. Record the review in the tender file so the decision is traceable.

Frequently asked questions

Can a bidder hire equipment after award instead of owning it?

Yes. Hiring is normal, but the bid should name the hire source and the equipment type. Ask for a hire letter or a written confirmation before award, and check that the hire rate is included in the price.

What if the bidder refuses to provide output figures?

Treat the missing figures as a point to raise with the bidder and the client before award. Ask for them in writing, note the refusal in the review file, and compare the bid with others that do provide them.

Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Borama and Somaliland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.