In brief
- A low specialist bid is often priced from a different scope or method than the one your drawings describe, so compare what each bidder actually offers to do.
- Ask for the method statement, the equipment list and the last three jobs with the same scope, then check those records yourself.
- Before signing, ask the relevant municipal office to confirm which submittals and inspections it holds or applies to your project, and write the same list into every bid.
Contents
A specialist selection underbidding risk in Qardho starts with a price built on a different scope. When the tender documents leave a specialist item vague, one bidder prices the full method and another prices the visible part, and the second number looks better. That gap is where mismatched technical capability hides, and it is cheapest to find before award.
What makes a specialist bid come in low in Qardho?
The bid looks low when the bidder has priced a simpler method than the one the drawings and specification describe. Waterproofing is priced as a coating rather than a full membrane system. A pump or a control panel is priced as supply only, with no fixing, wiring or commissioning. Cutting, drilling and making good are left to the main contractor. Ask each bidder to price and list the method, the materials, the equipment, the labour and the testing, then compare those lists line by line before you compare totals. If the specification does not name a method, the specification is the problem. Ask the design engineer to fix one method in writing and reissue the tender.
How do you detect mismatched technical capability?
You detect it by testing the bidder's own method statement against the scope, the equipment and the job history. Ask for a method statement for this exact scope, an equipment list with ownership or hire confirmation, and the last three jobs of the same type with the client's name and a phone number. Call those clients and ask what was left unfinished, who fixed it and how long the work took. Then walk one of those sites with the bidder and point at the detail you are buying. Can the crew show the tools on site, or do they name equipment they do not own? A method statement copied from another project, or one that skips surface preparation, curing, testing and reinstatement, tells you the bid may be priced for the visible part only. Verify any claim with a test record, not a verbal assurance.
What should you fix before you award the work?
Fix the scope, the submittals and the payment terms in the tender before you invite prices, and the underbidding gap becomes visible. List every item in one bill of quantities so no bidder can drop a line. Name the submittals you will require, such as a method statement, material certificates, and test results, and state that the bill prices them. Without that list, each bidder decides what to include and the totals stop being comparable. Ask the relevant municipal office to confirm which submittals and inspections it holds or applies to your project, and ask a laboratory what tests it can run and how it reports them. Then put that same list in every bid package. Check whether the contract allows you to hold a retention or require a test before handover, and if it does not, ask a lawyer to review the wording before award.
What to do next
Take your tender documents and write one numbered list of every specialist item, the method, the submittals and the tests you expect. Send that list to every bidder and ask them to price against it. Then call two previous clients of the lowest bidder and walk one of their sites before you sign anything.
Frequently asked questions
Can a low specialist bid still be a good bid?
It can. A bidder with a yard, owned equipment and a crew already working nearby has lower setup costs than one mobilising from another town. The test is whether the bid prices the same method and the same submittals as the others. Compare the scope line by line, not the totals.
What records should I ask a Qardho specialist bidder for?
Ask for a method statement for this scope, a current equipment list, material certificates, and the names and phone numbers of the last three clients with the same type of work. Then call those clients and ask what was left unfinished and who fixed it.
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Qardho and Puntland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.