THE 845: CONTRACTOR TOOLKIT — PRE-BID CHECKLIST
Free customer resource · October 20, 2026

Project: __________________  Prepared by: __________________
Site/town: ________________  Review date: __________________

1. DEFINE THE WORK
[ ] List included tasks, areas, quantities and finishes.
[ ] Write exclusions in plain language.
[ ] Record what has been measured and what still needs a site check.
[ ] Separate a firm scope from optional work and unresolved selections.

2. BUILD THE COST
[ ] Materials: quantity, waste, delivery, handling and applicable purchase costs.
[ ] Labor: people, realistic hours and the full labor cost you intend to recover.
[ ] Subcontractors: written scope, quote validity and excluded work.
[ ] Equipment, access, protection, disposal and known permit costs.
[ ] Owner-supplied items: buyer, delivery date, storage and damage responsibilities.

3. EXPLAIN UNCERTAINTY
[ ] Name each allowance and exactly what it covers.
[ ] Record unavailable prices or incomplete measurements.
[ ] Show overhead and contingency deliberately; avoid counting a cost twice.
[ ] State what could require a revised price and how changes will be reviewed.

4. CHECK THE PRICE
Allowed cost: __________  Target margin: ________%
Price before sales tax = allowed cost / (1 - margin / 100).
Example only: $5,000 allowed cost / 0.80 = $6,250 at a 20% margin.
A 20% margin is a 25% markup on cost. These are not interchangeable.
[ ] Check arithmetic and units against the scope.
[ ] Address sales tax treatment separately for the actual project.
[ ] Confirm timing, access, quote expiry and open decisions before acceptance.

Open item / person responsible / needed by:
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

This checklist is an estimating aid, not a contract or a substitute for
project-specific professional, tax or permit review. Use your own verified inputs.
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