What an office fit-out quotation may leave out.
Two contractors can quote for the same floor and describe very different amounts of work. Before treating the lower number as better value, make sure both proposals are based on comparable requirements.
Start with the same floor and the same drawings.
Check the area measurement, drawing revision, number and types of rooms, seating capacity and the expected specification. If one proposal is based on earlier drawings or different quantities, the prices are not directly comparable.
Check the systems, not just the furniture.
Workstations, partitions and finishes are often the most visible elements of the proposal. Power and lighting, cooling, structured cabling, meeting-room technology, safety systems and signage may be included, excluded or provisionally allowed. Ask each bidder to state what it is responsible for.
Make every exclusion visible.
Building approvals, existing-services modifications, client-supplied equipment, night work, debris removal and specialist testing can affect both the final cost and the programme. A clear exclusion is manageable; an assumption nobody has identified can become a dispute.
Understand how changes will be handled.
Agree the procedure for additional work before work starts. Who raises a change? Who approves the cost? How will the effect on the schedule be recorded? A variation should not become a surprise after installation.
Ask what handover includes.
Check the deliverables for testing, snag closure, manuals, warranties and any specialist-system documentation. These items should match the scope actually contracted.
Use a common comparison sheet.
A simple row-by-row comparison of scope, specification, exclusions, payment stages, schedule assumptions and handover responsibilities will do more for decision quality than comparing totals alone.