Home / Trades / Kitchen Equipment (Food Service)
Kitchen Equipment (Food Service): what bids leave out
A food service equipment bid usually means furnish, deliver and set in place, and the connections are left to other trades. One bidder carries the hood, fire suppression, walk-in box, refrigeration lines and start-up. Another prices the equipment list only and leaves hookups, the walk-in floor and the health department review to someone else. Check every line on the equipment schedule before you compare.
Level your kitchen equipment bids with this checklist →
Your company here: become a founding sponsor →
Standard scope checklist
Send this to every bidder and ask them to mark each line Included, Excluded or give an Add $. Silence is not inclusion.
Sending it out? Use the free scope letter template to ask every bidder for line-item scope, inclusions, exclusions and alternates. Terms to know: exclusion.
| # | Scope item |
|---|---|
| 1 | Equipment schedule: every item counted, and whether it's new, owner-furnished or existing |
| 2 | Furnish only, or furnish, deliver, uncrate and set in place |
| 3 | Exhaust hoods: type, size and controls |
| 4 | Hood fire suppression system (food service, sprinkler or specialty sub) |
| 5 | Exhaust duct from hood collar to fan, and grease duct enclosure (mechanical sub) |
| 6 | Make-up air unit and its tie-in to hood controls (mechanical sub) |
| 7 | Walk-in cooler and freezer: box, doors, lights and floor |
| 8 | Walk-in floor: insulated floor panels or recessed slab (food service or concrete sub) |
| 9 | Refrigeration: condensing units, evaporators, line sets and start-up |
| 10 | Custom stainless fabrication: tables, sinks and counters |
| 11 | Final plumbing connections: water, waste, indirect waste and floor sinks (plumbing sub) |
| 12 | Final electrical connections and equipment disconnects (electrical sub) |
| 13 | Gas connections, quick-disconnect hoses and restraints (plumbing sub) |
| 14 | Grease interceptor or trap (plumbing or site sub) |
| 15 | Water filtration for ice machines, coffee and steamers |
| 16 | Wall backing for shelving, hoods and wall-hung equipment |
| 17 | Stainless wall panels and corner guards in the kitchen |
| 18 | Shop drawings and rough-in drawings for the other trades |
| 19 | Health department plan review and approval (confirm with your AHJ) |
| 20 | Smallwares, utensils and loose items (usually owner) |
| 21 | Start-up, testing and staff demonstration |
| 22 | Debris and packaging removal |
| 23 | Warranty, delivery dates and storage |
| 24 | Sales tax, freight and bond |
Common exclusions and how they are worded
| Exclusion | Typical wording | Why it matters | Typical cost to cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final utility connections |
| Most food service bids stop at setting the equipment. Plumbing, electrical and gas hookups for every piece have to be in the trade bids, and those trades need rough-in drawings to price them. | TBD |
| Hood fire suppression |
| The hood usually needs a fire suppression system and a tie-in to gas and electrical shutoff. Confirm with your design team/AHJ what's required, then make sure one bid carries it. | TBD |
| Exhaust duct & make-up air |
| The hood is one bid. The duct, fan, enclosure and make-up air are usually another. Check that the hood and mechanical bids meet at the collar with nothing missing. | TBD |
| Walk-in floor & refrigeration |
| Walk-ins need an insulated floor or a recessed slab, plus line sets, condensing units and start-up. Those pieces get split between food service, concrete and mechanical bids. | TBD |
| Owner-furnished & existing equipment |
| Owner-furnished or relocated equipment still needs to be received, set and connected. Decide who handles it and who's responsible if it doesn't fit or doesn't work. | TBD |
| Health department review |
| Many jurisdictions review commercial kitchens before construction and inspect before opening. Ask who prepares the submittal and who pays the fees. | TBD |
| Grease interceptor & floor sinks |
| Grease interceptors and floor sinks are usually plumbing scope, but they're driven by the equipment layout. Confirm the plumbing bid carries what the equipment needs. | TBD |
| Backing & wall panels |
| Wall-hung shelves, hoods and equipment need backing before drywall. Stainless panels behind cook lines are easy to drop from every bid. | TBD |
| Start-up & demonstration |
| Equipment that isn't started up and demonstrated may not be covered by warranty. Ask who does start-up and when. | TBD |
“Typical cost to cover” is TBD. We will publish ranges only once we have real, sourced data. Until then, use your own estimate or a confirmed add price from a bidder.
Questions to ask bidders
- Does your price cover every item on the equipment schedule, delivered, uncrated and set in place?
- Is the hood fire suppression system included, including tie-in to gas and electrical shutoff?
- Where does your scope end on the exhaust: at the hood collar, or does it include duct and fan?
- For walk-ins, are the floor, refrigeration lines, condensing units and start-up included?
- Will you provide rough-in drawings to the plumbing, electrical and mechanical bidders before they price?
- Who receives, sets and connects owner-furnished or existing equipment?
- Who prepares the health department submittal, and who pays plan review fees?
- Is start-up, testing and staff demonstration included for every piece?
Bid-ready kitchen equipment contractors
Contractors who agree to price against the standard checklist above, with exclusions spelled out line by line. Listings are not live yet.
Featured listing
Your company · City, ST
Bids on the BidGaps checklist
Featured listing
Your company · City, ST
Bids on the BidGaps checklist