Level every tender against your own scope.
Import your scope of works or bill of quantities as the baseline, upload the tenders, and see each line marked covered, partially covered, missing, excluded, alternative or different quantity, grouped by trade, with every adjustment shown.
Electrical package against the scope
Omissions to price| Scope line | Sub A | Sub B | Sub C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 × Power points | Covered | Partial | Covered |
| 20 × LED light fittings | Covered | Alternative | Covered |
| 1 × Distribution board | Covered | Covered | Covered |
| Testing and certification | Covered | Excluded | Missing |
| Coverage | 100% | 25% | 75% |
Evaluated costs can't be ranked until every omission is priced by the supplier or given a documented adjustment.
Why level against a baseline
Comparing tenders with each other only tells you how they differ from one another. If all three leave out the same item, a tender-to-tender comparison won’t show it. Levelling against your own scope or bill of quantities answers the more useful question: what will this tenderer actually deliver for the price, and what is left for you to buy separately?
The traditional way to do that is a levelling spreadsheet: baseline lines down the side, one column per tenderer, and manual notes for every exclusion, quantity difference and lump sum. It works, but every number is retyped, every assumption lives in a comment, and a missed line can swing the result. QuantDoc builds the same matrix from the documents, keeps a source reference for each figure, and records every adjustment it makes.
How each tender is matched to the baseline
Every baseline line receives one status per tender. The statuses are shown in the levelling matrix, grouped by the trade or cost code in your baseline when you provide one.
- Covered
- The quote prices the baseline line, or explicitly includes it, at the baseline quantity and unit (after exact unit conversion).
- Partially covered
- The quote covers part of the line, such as supply without installation, or one of several components the line describes.
- Missing
- The quote doesn’t mention the line. Its cost for that tenderer is unknown, not zero.
- Excluded
- The quote explicitly excludes the line or the component it depends on, for example “pump by builder”.
- Alternative
- The quote offers something different from the baseline, such as another grade or product. It is shown, but not levelled as equivalent.
- Different quantity
- The quote prices the line at a different quantity than the baseline. The difference is shown and can be levelled at the tendered rate.
A levelling calculation, step by step
A small concrete package with four baseline lines and two tenders. Tender B prices less concrete than the baseline, includes edge formwork in its concrete rate and excludes the pump.
Baseline: N32 concrete 24 m³ · SL82 mesh 160 m² · concrete pump 1 item · edge formwork 64 m Tender A (all lines priced, ex GST) Concrete 24 m³ × $255.00 = $6,120.00 Mesh 160 m² × $9.50 = $1,520.00 Pump = $900.00 Formwork 64 m × $22.00 = $1,408.00 Levelled total = $9,948.00 Tender B (ex GST) Concrete 22 m³ × $250.00 = $5,500.00 different quantity Quantity levelling: (24 − 22) m³ × $250.00 = $500.00 → $6,000.00 Mesh 160 m² × $9.00 = $1,440.00 Formwork included in concrete rate (covered, no separate price) Pump “by builder” excluded → unknown Levelled known total = $7,440.00 Break-even for B’s pump = $9,948.00 − $7,440.00 = $2,508.00
Two judgements sit in that calculation, and QuantDoc keeps both visible. Levelling B’s concrete to 24 m³ at B’s own rate assumes the rate holds for the extra volume, which is worth confirming. Treating formwork as covered relies on B’s statement that it is included in the concrete rate. Both are recorded as adjustments and both feed the clarification questions drafted for Tender B.
Engine example: bundled vs separately priced scope
Tenders don’t always break scope down the same way. Here one supplier quotes supply-and-install as one rate and the other prices tiles and labour separately. The figures below are produced by the QuantDoc comparison engine.
Example data · calculated by the QuantDoc engine
One bundled price vs separately priced supply and labour
What was quoted
- Supplier A: Supply and install 50 m² carpet tiles at $80/m² ex GST ($4,000).
- Supplier B: 50 m² carpet tiles at $45/m² ($2,250) plus installation labour at $30/m² ($1,500), ex GST.
Provisional — check before relying on this: Supplier A: no quoted total to check the lines against; Supplier B: no quoted total to check the lines against. Supplier B has the lowest complete-scope cost at $3,750.00 ($250.00 below the next quote).
Line-by-line matching (2 items)
| Item | Supplier | Match | Normalised rate (ex GST) | Amount (ex GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supply and install carpet tiles | Supplier A | Exact equivalent | $80.00 / m² | $4,000.00 |
| Supplier B | Conditional match | $45.00 / m² | $2,250.00 | |
| Installation labour | Supplier A | Missing item | — | Unknown |
| Supplier B | Exact equivalent | $30.00 / m² | $1,500.00 |
| Supplier | As quoted (ex GST) | Like-for-like | Complete scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supplier A | $4,000.00 | — | $4,000.00 |
| Supplier B | $3,750.00 | — | $3,750.00 |
2 flags raised · 6 clarification questions drafted
- Supplier B: match needs confirmation
- Supplier A: no matching item for "Installation labour"
Because Supplier A’s rate bundles installation, its installation component is recorded as included rather than missing, and both tenders reach a complete-scope price. The bundled row is still flagged as a conditional match, so you confirm that “supply and install” covers the same installation work as Supplier B’s labour line before relying on the $250.00 difference.
What you take away
- A levelling matrix grouped by trade, with a status for every baseline line in every tender.
- As-quoted, levelled and complete-scope totals, with the comparison labelled INCOMPLETE while any required line is unknown.
- Break-even thresholds for each gap, so you know which clarifications matter most.
- A clarification schedule and draft emails per tenderer, which you send yourself.
- Exports to PDF, Excel and CSV, with source references for every figure.
Baseline levelling is part of the Professional and Business plans. Supported documents are PDFs with a text layer, Excel and CSV; scanned PDFs have limited support.
Frequently asked questions
What format does the scope or BOQ need to be in?
A CSV or Excel (.xlsx) file with a description, quantity and unit for each line. A trade or cost code column is optional and, when present, is used to group the levelling matrix by trade.
Which plans include tender levelling against a baseline?
Scope and BOQ baselines are included in the Professional and Business plans (Professional: up to 300 baseline lines per comparison; Business: up to 1,000 baseline lines per comparison).
Does QuantDoc fill a gap with its own estimate?
No. A missing or excluded line stays unknown unless you enter your own allowance in a labelled scenario. QuantDoc shows the break-even amount at which the ranking would change, and it doesn’t consult external pricing sources.
How are quantity differences levelled?
A different quantity is levelled at the tenderer’s own rate: the difference between the baseline quantity and the tendered quantity, multiplied by that tenderer’s unit rate. The adjustment is recorded so you can see it.
Is the levelling result a recommendation to award?
No. It is a structured comparison with every adjustment and gap visible. Exclusions, qualifications and alternatives are listed as issues for professional review; award decisions remain yours.
Related
- BOQ comparisonCompare priced BOQs and quotes against your quantities.
- How to level construction quotationsThe method, with worked arithmetic.
- Scope gap analysisFind and price what each tender leaves out.
- QuantDoc for estimatorsBuilt around how trade packages are levelled.
- Tender comparison softwareHow QuantDoc compares tender submissions.
- PricingPlans in US dollars, billed monthly.
Make the next quote comparison clearer.
Upload competing quotes, check the evidence and see what each option really costs.
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