Tender Documentation & Analysis
We prepare the schedule of quantities and tender documentation for competitive tendering across New Zealand. We also give an independent analysis of the prices that come back.
Overview
When you need tender documentation
Tender documentation gives every builder the same scope to price, and tender analysis helps you weigh up the prices they send back. We prepare the tender package and schedule of quantities, and we analyse the tenders when they arrive. Property owners, developers and main contractors use it. Tender work is part of our pre-contract quantity surveying service.
When several builders price a job, the numbers will differ. How useful the numbers are depends on what each builder thought they were pricing.
You might need this when you want documents that builders can price without guessing. It also helps if you sent drawings to a few builders and the prices came back far apart for no clear reason. If the tenders are already in, you may want them checked before you sign.
What we handle
From tender package to tender analysis
Schedule of quantities
A schedule of quantities is a measured list of the work, with space for each builder to fill in their prices.
Tender package
The tender package is what builders price from, so every builder works from the same set of information.
Tender analysis
We check each tender for qualifications and exclusions. A qualification is a condition a builder attaches to the price. An exclusion is an item left out of it. Either can change what the price covers.
Tender comparison
Once the tenders are back, you can compare them like with like.
In New Zealand
NZS 3910 and your tender documents
If your project will use the NZS 3910 standard form of contract, the tender documents can name it as the proposed contract. ANZSMM is a trans-Tasman industry guideline on how building work is measured, and a schedule of quantities can follow it.
MBIE's construction procurement guidance sets out good practice for government agencies, and it covers tendering.
What you get
A tender package or a tender analysis report
If you're going out to tender, you get a tender package for builders to price from. If you already have tenders back, you get a tender analysis report.
Not just the lowest number
The lowest tender isn't always the best value. A low price might reflect sharp pricing, or it might mean work is missing from the scope.
Who this is for
This suits property owners and developers going out to tender for the first time.
It also suits architects and designers who want a design priced. Main contractors can use it for an outside check on subcontractor tenders before they award work.
If you need a cost estimate before tenders go out, that's covered by our cost estimation service.
How it works
How tender documentation runs
- 01
Send what you have
Send us your drawings and specifications, or the tenders you've already received.
- 02
Work out what you need
We look at where your project is up to and what it needs at tender stage.
- 03
Documentation or analysis
We then prepare the tender documents, or analyse the tenders that have come in.
- 04
Choose a tender
You decide which tender to accept.
Why AMS
Why clients use us for tender documentation
Comparable tenders
You can choose between builders knowing they all priced the same work.
Qualifications spotted early
You can pick up qualifications and exclusions in a covering letter before you sign. If they're missed, they can come back later as variations. A variation is a change to the agreed work and price after signing.
Advice based on the detail
Our advice on the tenders comes from what each one includes, as well as its total price.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need tender documentation if I already have a builder in mind?
A clear scope is still worth having with one builder, because it shows you both what the price covers. Tender documents help most when several builders are pricing.
What is in a tender document set?
It can include the drawings and specification, the proposed contract terms, and instructions on how and when to respond. A schedule of quantities or a trade breakdown can go in too. A trade breakdown splits the price by trade rather than by measured item. The contents vary from job to job.
What does tender analysis involve?
Tender analysis means going through each tender in detail and looking at where they differ. One common check is the rates, meaning the prices a builder puts against each item.
What is the difference between a schedule of quantities and a bill of quantities?
They're two names for much the same thing. Both are used in New Zealand, so you may see either name in tender documents.
How many builders should I invite to tender?
Government guidance for homeowners on building.govt.nz recommends getting at least three detailed quotes. On larger or more complex work, the right number depends on the job.
Need a quantity surveyor for your next project?
Send through your plans or a short description of the project and we will come back to you.