Your GC handed you a bid. We'll tell you what's wrong with it.
Upload one commercial general contractor bid. In 48 hours, Terrapin Construction Group returns a one-page review flagging unit-rate red flags, scope omissions, contingency structure, and pricing reasonableness. No fee. One bid. One project. Bounded scope below.
A commercial bid is the most expensive document you'll never fully understand.
Most owners receive a 20-50 page bid from their general contractor, glance at the bottom-line number, and either sign or push back on price. That's the wrong move. The dangerous numbers in a commercial bid aren't the ones at the bottom, they're buried in the unit rates, the allowances, and the scope you assumed was included but isn't. TCG's guide to reading a commercial GC bid walks the methodology; this service applies it to your bid at no cost.
of commercial projects exceed budget
Most overruns are traceable to scope gaps and allowance underfunding that were visible in the original bid, if anyone had looked. The five forces reshaping 2026 construction costs (tariffs, labor, lead times, interest rates, materials) make pre-signing review more valuable than ever.
average change-order exposure
On a $10M commercial build, change orders typically run 8-18% of contract value. A well-reviewed bid surfaces 60-80% of that risk before signing. See TCG's apples-to-apples bid comparison methodology for the framework.
average GC review window
Owners are pressured to sign quickly while financing is committed. TCG's 48-hour review gives negotiating leverage without slowing the deal. For full owner-side support, see owner's representation services.
What TCG flags in every bid review.
Every commercial GC bid fails along four predictable axes. TCG's review is a structured audit against those four, using market unit rates, regional cost data, and 100+ years of combined commercial general contracting experience across all 50 states. Methodology is informed by our work as a nationwide commercial general contractor, design-build firm, and IMP installation specialist.
Unit-Rate Red Flags
Every line item in a commercial bid has a defensible market range. TCG benchmarks the bid's unit rates against current regional data and flags anything sitting outside it, high or low.
- Concrete, structural steel, framing $/SF deltas vs 2026 regional benchmark data
- MEP rough-in unit costs against ENR / RSMeans pricing, see our MEP engineering reference
- IMP supply-and-install $/SF vs 2026 IMP install benchmarks and IMP manufacturer comparison
- Roofing rates vs 2026 commercial roofing cost data
- Flooring rates vs 2026 commercial flooring cost data
- PEMB rates vs 2026 PEMB cost data
- GC fee, general conditions, and overhead as percent of hard cost
Scope Omissions
The most expensive bid problems are not the inflated line items, they're the missing ones. TCG cross-references the bid against the plan set, the specs, and standard scope for the building type, applying the same checklist we use as a preconstruction services provider.
- Missing trades that always show up in your asset class (cold storage, healthcare, cannabis, etc.)
- Site work assumptions: utilities, grading, retention, dewatering
- Excluded equipment, FF&E, and owner-furnished items, see equipment procurement coordination
- Permitting, inspections, testing not in the contract value, review state-by-state permitting timelines
- Material lead times not accounted for, see 2026 material lead-time data
- Bonding, insurance, builder's risk allocation
Contingency Structure
Contingency is where bids hide weakness. TCG reviews how contingency is sized, where it sits in the contract, who controls it, and whether it matches the risk profile of your project type and delivery method.
- Owner contingency vs GC contingency vs design contingency, three different reserves, three different rules
- Sized against project type: TI 5-8%, ground-up 8-11%, cold storage 10-15%, data center 12-18%
- Release language: who authorizes draws, what triggers refund
- Allowances treated as contingency in disguise (a common tactic)
- Escalation reserve for tariff and material exposure in 2026
- Architectural and engineering soft-cost allocation, see soft cost benchmarks
Pricing Reasonableness
A bottom-line number isn't right or wrong in isolation. TCG validates the total against project-type benchmarks, regional adjustments, and the actual scope being delivered.
- Total $/SF against TCG's 2026 commercial construction cost benchmarks
- Regional multiplier sanity check vs City Cost Indexes, see Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix data
- Soft cost percentage of hard cost (typically 15-25%)
- Schedule pricing: is the GC pricing the duration realistically?
- Cross-check against TCG's free AI construction cost estimator for asset-class baseline
- Apples-to-apples comparison per our bid comparison methodology
What this service is, and isn't.
The free, 48-hour turnaround only works because the scope is locked. Confirm your project fits the green column before submitting. If anything in the amber column applies, contact us first, and we will scope it. Red column projects aren't a fit for this service at all, they route to owner's rep, preconstruction services, or our free AI cost estimator.
In Scope · Free
- One GC bid from one general contractor
- One commercial project, one asset class
- Contract value $1M - $30M
- Bid PDF up to 75 pages (incl. SOV, allowances, exhibits)
- Plan set up to 200 sheets
- US-based commercial construction only
- Standard asset classes: warehouse, cold storage, cannabis, food processing, data center, healthcare, MOB, hotel, QSR, self-storage, TI, retail, industrial
- Standard contract types: lump-sum, GMP, or cost-plus
- Submitted M-F, reviewed within 48 hours of receipt
Talk To Us First
- Comparing 2+ competing bids against each other
- Projects under $1M or over $30M
- Bids over 75 pages or plan sets over 200 sheets
- Rush turnaround under 48 hours (subject to availability)
- Re-review after GC responds to TCG's findings
- Non-standard asset classes (correctional, defense, etc.)
- Cost-plus with complex shared-savings provisions
- Public/government bids with extensive supplemental documents
- Add-on 30-minute review call (on request)
Not a Fit
- Residential construction (single-family or multi-family wood-frame under 4 units)
- International projects (outside the 50 US states)
- Legal review of contract clauses or risk allocation language
- CPM / schedule forensic analysis as a standalone deliverable
- Bid solicitation or RFP issuance support
- Owner's representative engagements (separate service)
- Construction loan underwriting or financing review
- Concept-stage pricing where no bid exists yet
- Disputes already in litigation or mediation
One page. No fluff.
Owners don't need a 30-page consulting report. They need a one-page document they can take into a meeting with their GC and use to negotiate. Every TCG bid review is structured identically, color-coded findings, dollar-quantified risk, and a clear recommendation. Below is a representative sample from a $9.4M cold storage build (project name and identifying details changed).
Bid Review, Project Cedar (Example)
Bid carries structural steel at $4,200/ton erected. Regional 2026 benchmark for this scope and location is $3,150-$3,650/ton. Delta: approximately $108,000 over fair market on the 90-ton package. Recommend pushing back with current ENR data.
Plans show a 6" domestic water tap and 8" sanitary connection at the property line. Bid Section 33 references only "stub to building." Tap fees and the run from main are excluded but required. Estimated $42K-$78K exposure depending on municipal fees.
Bid carries six "allowances" totaling $385K (4.1% of contract) in addition to a 5% owner contingency. Three allowances are for trades that should be hard-bid at this design stage. Recommend converting two to fixed-price line items before signing.
GC fee at 8.5% of $9.4M hard cost. Market for this project size and complexity is typically 6-8%. Not unreasonable, but negotiable, particularly if you can offer a longer schedule cushion or larger draw amounts.
Total contract value of $9.4M reflects $268/SF on a 35,000 SF building. TCG's regional benchmark for this asset class and location is $245-$295/SF. The bid sits in the middle of the band; pricing is defensible with the corrections above.
Approximately $235K-$280K of identifiable exposure or recoverable value across the four red/amber findings. Bid is workable with corrections; recommend a structured negotiation letter addressing the three highest-impact items before signing. TCG can provide a competing bid against the same scope on request.
From upload to one-pager in 48 hours.
The process is built around how owners actually work, fast, between meetings, with limited time. No discovery calls, no kickoff sessions, no scope creep. You confirm scope, upload, and get the report.
Confirm Scope & Submit
Confirm your project fits the green-column scope above, fill out the form, and upload your bid. Out-of-scope submissions are routed to the right service at no charge.
Structured Review
TCG's estimating team runs the bid against our four-axis review: unit rates, scope omissions, contingency structure, and pricing reasonableness. We pull current regional cost data and benchmark every line that matters against our 2026 commercial construction cost database.
Internal QC
Every report is reviewed by a second senior estimator before delivery. We don't release findings until two people have independently validated the unit-rate calls and the dollar exposure estimates.
One-Page Delivery
You receive a one-page PDF report by email, color-coded by severity, with dollar exposure quantified on each finding and a clear recommendation. Total elapsed time from submission to delivery: 48 hours or less.
This isn't a generic review. It's our last 10 years of bids, applied to yours.
Terrapin Construction Group has bid, won, and delivered commercial projects across all 50 states for the last decade. Our team has signed more GMP contracts, negotiated more allowances, and absorbed more change orders than the firms whose bids you're reviewing. That's the database we run your bid against.
Our reviewers have run estimating for cold storage, food processing, cannabis cultivation, QSR, healthcare, data center, warehouse, and self-storage projects. We've also built the public-facing tools that make our process transparent: the TCG.ai construction estimator, the IMP install estimator, and the 2026 commercial construction cost reference. We don't review bids in the abstract, we review them against the same models we use to bid our own work as a nationwide commercial general contractor.
Free. Scope locked.
One deliverable, one 48-hour window, within a tightly bounded scope. The review is free because the hours our estimators spend on your bid are how we earn a shot at the work, not a line item we charge you for. If anything about your project sits outside the green column on the scope grid above, contact us first rather than submitting here.
What's Included
- Four-axis structured review
- One-page PDF report, color-coded, dollar-quantified
- Senior estimator QC pass
- Email delivery within 48 hours of submission
- If out of scope, we point you to the right service, no charge
Separate Engagement (On Request)
- 30-minute follow-up call (on request)
- 24-hour rush review (subject to availability)
- Multi-bid comparison
- Re-review after GC response
- Legal contract review (engage attorney)
- CPM / schedule analysis
- TCG providing a competing bid (separate engagement)
Questions owners ask before submitting.
How do I know if my project fits the scope?
Use the three-column scope grid above. If every item in the green column applies to your project, fill out the form. If anything in the amber column applies (multi-bid comparison, project under $1M or over $30M, oversized documents, rush turnaround), contact us first and we will scope it. If anything in the red column applies, this service is not the right fit. For full-scope owner representation, see owner's rep services.
What happens if I submit an out-of-scope project anyway?
We will let you know within one business day and point you to the right service, at no charge. No review work begins until the project is confirmed in scope. We would rather route you correctly than start work on a project that does not fit the model.
Is this just a sales pitch for TCG to take over my project?
The one-page report is the deliverable, and it is free. We name our recommendations, quantify dollar exposure, and stop there. If you want a competing bid against the reviewed scope, you can request one, but that is a separate, optional commercial general contractor engagement. Many owners use the report to renegotiate with their existing GC and never engage TCG further. That is a normal outcome, and it is the point: the review is how we earn a shot at the next project.
What documents do I need to upload?
Two documents minimum: the full GC bid or proposal PDF including the schedule of values and any allowances, and the current plan set the bid was based on. If a spec book is available, send that too. Use the secure upload folder in the form, or email the files to will@terrapincg.com. A bid PDF up to 75 pages and a plan set up to 200 sheets stay within the free review scope; if your documents are larger, contact us first.
How is this different from hiring an owner's representative?
An owner's rep engagement is a multi-month retainer covering preconstruction, bid solicitation, GC negotiation, and construction oversight, with fees typically $25,000 to $150,000 depending on project size. A bid review is a single, free, focused intervention on one bid. If your project needs full owner-side representation, contact us and we will scope an owner's rep engagement.
What commercial asset classes are in scope?
Warehouse and cold storage, cannabis cultivation, food processing, data centers, healthcare and MOB, hotel and QSR, self-storage, tenant improvement, grocery-anchored retail, industrial and manufacturing, life sciences, veterinary clinics, urgent care, CEA facilities, and adaptive reuse. Residential, public/government, correctional, and defense are out of scope.
Is my bid information confidential?
Yes. We do not share the bid or the GC's identity outside our internal review team. We do not contact your GC. We do not publish findings. The report is delivered only to the email address you submit, and we retain the documents only as long as needed to complete the review and respond to any post-delivery questions.
What if 48 hours isn't fast enough?
For a 24-hour rush review, contact us before submitting; we accommodate rush requests when team availability that week allows. Standard 48-hour delivery is calculated from when we receive your submission, not from form entry. Submit during business hours Monday to Thursday for the fastest turnaround.
What happens after I get the report?
The report is yours. Most owners take it directly into their next GC meeting and use specific findings to renegotiate. Some forward it to their lender to support a contingency conversation. A subset come back to TCG for a competing bid. There is no obligation either way. If you have questions about the findings, a 30-minute follow-up call is available on request.
Can TCG review a design-build proposal, not just a hard-bid GC contract?
Yes. The same four-axis review applies (unit rates, scope, contingency, reasonableness), calibrated to cost-plus and GMP delivery methods where applicable. For pure design-build proposals, see also our design-build services overview for context on how these contracts are typically structured.
What if I haven't received bids yet, can TCG help me get a budget first?
This service requires a bid in hand. If you are at the budget stage, use the free TCG.ai AI construction cost estimator for a preliminary budget. For more detailed preconstruction support, see TCG preconstruction services.
Does TCG review bids on IMP-only or specialty trade work, or only full GC bids?
Both. For IMP-specific bids, our reviewers have installed over 1 million SF of insulated metal panels across 38 states, see the IMP installation service overview. For IMP cost benchmarking, see the 2026 IMP install cost guide. We also review commercial roofing, commercial flooring, and PEMB bids under the same free review.
How do tariffs and 2026 material escalation factor into the review?
Heavily. Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs at 50 percent are now embedded in every commercial bid. TCG reviews whether the bid carries appropriate escalation reserves and whether locked-in material pricing is reflected. See our 2026 industry challenges analysis and material lead-time data for context.
What regions does TCG benchmark against?
All 50 US states. TCG's regional cost database covers all major commercial markets including Denver, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Seattle, Boston, and many more. See the full project portfolio for delivery experience by region.
Who at TCG performs the review?
Senior estimators from TCG's commercial general contracting team, with a mandatory second-pair-of-eyes QC review by a different senior estimator before delivery. Reviewers have led estimating for projects ranging from $1M tenant improvements through $30M ground-up cold storage and data center builds. Background context: see about TCG.
Confirm scope. Start the 48-hour clock.
Confirm the scope checks, fill in the details, and upload your bid and plan set to our secure folder. We confirm receipt within 30 minutes during business hours (M-F, 8a to 6p MT) and deliver the one-page review within 48 hours. No fee, no obligation.
By submitting, you authorize TCG to review your uploaded documents and deliver a one-page report by email within 48 hours of receipt. Bid documents are held confidentially and not shared outside our internal review team. For rush turnaround, multi-bid comparison, or custom-scoped reviews, contact us before submitting.
Tools, guides, and data behind every TCG bid review.
Every finding in a TCG bid review is benchmarked against the public-facing cost data, AI tools, and service references below. Browse them yourself, or have us apply them to your bid for free in 48 hours.
2026 Cost Data
Asset-Class Cost Guides
Bid & Contract Methodology
TCG Services
Design & Engineering
AI Estimating Tools
Sector Expertise
One bid. One project. One page in 48 hours.
Free, scope locked. The highest-leverage 48 hours in your preconstruction process, and it costs you nothing.
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