Bids and Estimating
For Bid Writers, Processors and Coordinators who review bids. After this page you will be able to measure debris in cubic yards, measure openings in united inches, calculate lawn and roof areas, and write a clean, honest bid that a reviewer can approve without asking a single question.
Track: Property Preservation · Role: Bid Writer, Work Order Processor, Vendor Network Coordinator · Time to complete: 45 min
What a bid is and why it matters
A bid is a priced request to do work that is not on the order, or that costs more than the price limit for that task. Vendors earn a large share of their income from approved bids. A clear bid gets approved. A vague bid gets denied, delayed, or cut to a lower price.
Reviewers are protecting the investor's money. They approve bids that are necessary, measured, proven and fairly priced. Your job is to give them all four on every line.
Coach's note: write every bid for a reviewer who is tired, busy, and has never seen the house. If they must open a photo to understand the line, the line is not finished.
Allowables and limits: the general idea
- The investor sets the maximum it will reimburse for each task. This is the allowable.
- The preservation company pays the vendor its own price, usually lower than the allowable, because it keeps a margin.
- Some investors also set a total limit per property across all preservation work, and quantity limits (for example a maximum number of cubic yards of debris over the life of the loan).
- Anything above the allowable or the limit is over-allowable and needs approval before (or, for small overages, sometimes after) the work.
- Some items commonly need two independent bids (for example tree removal, roof replacement, extermination, large debris jobs). Check your client's list.
Never do this: never quote an allowable or price from memory, from an old document, or from another client. Limits vary by investor, by client, by state and by year, and they change. Always check the client's current price list and guideline before you price a line. If you cannot find it, ask your Team Lead.
Complete then bid, or bid first?
Many clients use two thresholds for overages like extra debris or very tall grass:
| Situation | Typical rule (check your client) |
|---|---|
| Small overage | Crew completes the work, desk bids after with before and after photos |
| Large overage | Crew stops, photographs and measures; desk bids first; work only after approval |
| Emergency (active leak, open door, safety hazard) | Secure first to prevent damage, document heavily, bid immediately, explain the emergency |
Write your client's exact numbers on your desk cheat sheet.
Measurement skills
Cubic yards (CYD): debris and personal property
One cubic yard is a cube 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet, which is 27 cubic feet. Debris is measured by volume, never by weight.
Formula: length (ft) times width (ft) times height (ft), then divide by 27.
| Example | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Pile in yard: 6 ft long, 4 ft wide, 3 ft high | 6 x 4 x 3 = 72 cubic ft, 72 ÷ 27 | 2.67 CYD |
| Trailer bed 10 ft by 6 ft, loaded 4 ft high | 10 x 6 x 4 = 240, 240 ÷ 27 | 8.89 CYD |
| Bedroom floor 12 ft by 10 ft, debris averages 18 in (1.5 ft) deep | 12 x 10 x 1.5 = 180, 180 ÷ 27 | 6.67 CYD |
| Two trailer loads of 8.89 CYD each | 8.89 x 2 | 17.78 CYD |
Inches to feet: divide by 12. 18 in = 1.5 ft. 30 in = 2.5 ft. 9 in = 0.75 ft.
Proof photos the crew must take: tape measure along the length, the width and the height of the pile or the loaded trailer; each load numbered; empty trailer; disposal receipt.
Coach's note: round to two decimals and never round up "to be safe". Reviewers recalculate. If your 8.89 becomes 10 on the bid, your next ten bids will be checked line by line.
United inches (UI): boarding
United inches = width plus height of the opening, in inches.
| Opening | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Window 36 in wide, 60 in high | 36 + 60 | 96 UI |
| Window 30 in wide, 48 in high | 30 + 48 | 78 UI |
| Door 36 in wide, 80 in high | 36 + 80 | 116 UI |
| Three openings above | 96 + 78 + 116 | 290 UI |
Proof photos: tape measure across the width and across the height, both readable.
Lawn area
Square feet = length times width. One acre = 43,560 square feet.
| Lot | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 60 ft by 120 ft | 60 x 120 | 7,200 sq ft (about 0.17 acre) |
| 100 ft by 150 ft | 100 x 150 | 15,000 sq ft (about 0.34 acre) |
Many price lists use lot size tiers, and some treat very large lots differently (for example a perimeter cut only). Check the client's tiers.
Roof and surface area
Square feet = length times width. For full roof work, contractors use squares: one square = 100 square feet.
| Area | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Damaged section 10 ft by 12 ft | 10 x 12 | 120 sq ft = 1.2 squares |
| Ceiling stain 4 ft by 5 ft | 4 x 5 | 20 sq ft |
Linear feet (LF)
Used for fencing, gutters, handrails and trim. Measure the length only.
The anatomy of a clean bid line
Every line item answers nine questions.
| # | Part | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item (use the client's line item name if it has a price list) | Clear-board window |
| 2 | Location | Rear elevation, kitchen window |
| 3 | Measurement and quantity | 36 in x 60 in = 96 UI, quantity 1 |
| 4 | Cause | Broken glass, vandalism (pane shattered inward, glass on kitchen floor) |
| 5 | Scope and method | Remove broken glass, install clear polycarbonate panel secured from interior per client spec |
| 6 | Materials | Clear polycarbonate panel, fasteners per client spec |
| 7 | Unit price x quantity = total, with price source | (UNIT PRICE) per UI x 96 UI = (LINE TOTAL), client price list |
| 8 | Why it is needed | Opening allows entry and weather; securing prevents further damage and trespass |
| 9 | Photos (captioned) | Before with tape across width, before with tape across height, interior glass on floor, exterior wide shot |
Focus every bid on protecting the property, keeping it safe, preventing more damage, or meeting code. Reviewers rarely approve cosmetic upgrades. "Replace dated kitchen cabinets" will be denied. "Secure loose upper cabinet hanging from one hinge, fall hazard" may be approved.
Weak bid versus strong bid
Weak (will be denied)
Remove trash from house. 15 yards. Price (TOTAL).
Problems:
- No location
- No measurement proof
- No cause
- No reason it is needed
- No split between debris and personal property
- No photos named
Strong (ready to approve)
Debris removal, interior. Living room 14 x 12 ft, debris averages 1.5 ft deep = 9.33 CYD. Basement 10 x 8 ft, 2 ft deep = 5.93 CYD. Total 15.26 CYD. Household trash, broken furniture, food waste. No personal property of apparent value (inventory photos attached). Health hazard, pest activity visible in kitchen. Remove, haul and dispose at licensed facility; receipt to follow. (UNIT PRICE) per CYD x 15.26 = (LINE TOTAL), client price list. Photos 1 to 8: each room wide, tape on length, width and depth.
The bid writing process
- Read the order and guideline. Know what was ordered and which items need prior approval.
- Collect crew data. Measurements, notes, cause, and all damage photos.
- Check the photos. Is the full area visible? Is the measurement readable? Are photos inside the client's age limit?
- Build the lines. One problem per line. Never bundle "misc repairs".
- Price each line from the client's current price list. If the client accepts an estimating tool for items without a price, use it and say so.
- Flag over-allowable items and items that need a second bid.
- Caption and attach photos to each line (many systems limit the number per line, often around five; pick the clearest).
- Self-check with the checklist below.
- Submit and log it in the bid tracker with date, total and follow-up date.
- Follow up until approved, denied or changed. Then make sure approved bids turn into orders.
Bid self-check
- One problem per line, nothing bundled
- Location on every line
- Measurement and quantity on every line, with math correct
- Cause on every line
- Scope, method and materials on every line
- Price from the current client price list, source noted
- Reason the work is needed (safety, security, prevent damage, code)
- Photos attached to each line, captioned, measurement visible, inside the age limit
- Over-allowable items flagged
- Second bid attached where required
- Debris and personal property separated
- No cosmetic upgrades presented as repairs
- Spelling and numbers checked once more
Common reasons bids get denied
| Denial reason | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Missing or unreadable measurements | Tape in the photo, numbers in the line |
| No cause of damage | Ask the crew "what caused it" every time |
| Damage existed at an earlier visit but was never reported | Document everything on initial secure |
| Price above the client's list | Always price from the current list |
| Not necessary, cosmetic | Write the safety or protection reason |
| Photos too old | Check dates before writing |
| Work already done without approval | Train crews on the bid-first threshold |
| Duplicate of an earlier bid | Search the bid tracker before submitting |
Never do this: never inflate a measurement, invent damage, describe old damage as new, or split one job into several small lines to stay under a limit. Reviewers compare photos and history. Inflated bids damage the vendor's trust score, and they are dishonest. Narqix does not write them.
Check yourself
1. A debris pile is 9 ft long, 6 ft wide and 2 ft high. How many cubic yards?
9 x 6 x 2 = 108 cubic feet. 108 ÷ 27 = 4.00 CYD.
2. A window is 24 in wide and 36 in high. How many united inches?
24 + 36 = 60 UI.
3. Your client's guideline says debris over a certain amount must be bid first. The crew already removed it without approval. What do you do?
Tell your Team Lead. Write an honest bid with full before, during and after photos and an explanation. Do not hide that the work was done. Then coach the crew on the threshold.
4. Name four things every bid line must contain.
Any four of: item, location, measurement and quantity, cause, scope and method, materials, unit price and total with source, reason it is needed, captioned photos.
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