The bid leveling system built by NYC owner's reps — now available as an AI-powered kit for homeowners, renovators, and PMs at every scale.
| Trade | Bidder A | Bidder B | Bidder C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition | $42,000 | $38,500 | Excl. |
| Framing | $185,000 | $192,000 | $178,000 |
| MEP Rough | $310,000 | Allowance | $295,000 |
| Finishes | $220,000 | $198,000 | $215,000 |
| GC Markup | 12% | 15% | 10% |
No two bids are structured the same way. What looks cheapest rarely is — once you know what's missing.
Every contractor scopes the job differently. One includes demo. Another assumes owner-supplied fixtures. A third excludes permits entirely. The numbers aren't comparable until you normalize the scope.
The gaps are buried in exclusion lists most owners never read. Miss one and you're facing a $20,000 change order three weeks into the job — for something the low bidder never planned to do.
Overhead, profit, contingency, bond, insurance — each contractor bundles these differently. A contractor $30K cheaper on trade costs might be $15K more once markups are normalized.
Professional bid leveling on a $2M project takes an experienced PM a full day. Most homeowners don't have that expertise — so they pick the low number and hope for the best.
LevelSet AI gives you the same structured approach NYC owner's reps use on multi-million dollar projects — in an afternoon, with the AI you already have.
| Bidder | Raw Bid | Adjustment | Leveled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bidder A | $934,000 | +$0 | $934,000 |
| Bidder B | $862,000 | +$56K scope | $918,000 ★ |
| Bidder C | $901,000 | +$40K excl. | $941,000 |
Whether you're renovating a kitchen or managing a ground-up development, the bid leveling problem is the same. So is the solution.
You've done the hard work of getting bids. Now you need to understand what you're actually paying for — and which contractor is the right choice.
Speed up your bid leveling workflow. Produce owner-grade memos. Run a tighter, more defensible procurement process — on every project.
Everything you need to run a professional bid leveling process — from first bid intake to signed LOI.
A structured Excel workbook built to handle 2–7 bidders across any project type. Trades, markups, exclusions, and GMP terms — all in one place.
A professional Word template for the owner-facing deliverable. Present your recommendation in the format lenders, equity partners, and sophisticated owners expect.
14 sequential prompts that walk you through the entire process — from bid intake to award recommendation. Works in Claude, ChatGPT, and Copilot.
The LevelSet workflow mirrors the process professional owner's reps follow on every project — now guided step-by-step by AI.
Enter each contractor's bid. AI organizes the data and flags anything unusual against NYC market norms.
3 promptsNormalize every line item to the same baseline. Missing items get priced in. Allowances get flagged.
4 promptsCombine leveled cost, qualitative factors, and risk profile into a clear, defensible recommendation.
3 promptsGenerate the transmittal email and prep for the owner review meeting with built-in Q&A coaching.
2 promptsDraft the LOI to the awarded contractor and document lessons learned for the next bid package.
2 promptsThe Full Kit includes an installable Claude skill — one click and LevelSet AI becomes a permanent tool in your Claude workspace.
Stage 1 — Bid Setup. Share the project address, scope, and paste or upload each bid. I'll flag gaps before we touch any numbers.$83–85K — not $74K. Want me to draft the clarification RFI to send them before you decide?Distilled from real bid leveling exercises across ground-up residential, commercial TI, luxury condo, and renovation projects in New York City.
WBE-certified owner's representative and construction PM firm based in New York City. Ground-up residential and commercial TI projects for private owners, developers, and equity partners.
The community making construction and real estate accessible to everyone — from first-time renovators to seasoned developers.
The free sample shows you the system. The Full Kit gives you everything to run it on any project.
Get the first three prompts + a bid scope checklist. Enough to run a quick completeness check on your bids today.
Everything to run a professional bid leveling process — from first bid intake to signed LOI.
One-time purchase. Instant download. No subscription. · Running a firm or development team? Ask about team licensing →