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Bid terms glossary
Qualification
A condition or assumption the bidder's price depends on.
Also called or written as: clarification, assumption
What it means
A qualification (often listed with "clarifications" or "assumptions") is a condition the bidder attaches to their price. If the condition turns out not to be true, the bidder may ask for more money or time.
Qualifications can be as simple as which drawing set the bid is based on, or as big as assuming the site has no rock or the work happens in one phase.
Why it matters when leveling bids
Qualifications are quieter than exclusions but can cost just as much. Read each one and ask: is this true for my project? If not, get the bidder to price the real condition.
When leveling, a bid with fewer, clearer qualifications is often worth more than a slightly lower bid full of assumptions.
Example wording
Example only
- “Pricing based on drawings dated [date] and addenda 1 through [n].”
- “Pricing assumes work is performed in one continuous phase during normal working hours.”
- “Pricing valid for 30 days.”
Made-up wording to show the pattern. Not taken from any real bid. Bracketed items are placeholders.
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Related terms: Exclusion · Scope of work · Bid leveling · All terms
General guidance, not legal advice. How a term works on your project depends on your contract documents.