Product
Bid Defense Memo for Contractor Bid Review
A licensed GC reviews your contractor bid and delivers a one-page forwardable memo. With the verdict, dollar exposure, and the questions to send your contractor. In 12 hours.
TL;DR
- Upload your contractor bid PDF through the intake form.
- A licensed GC checks the math, scope, allowances, license, and market pricing.
- You get a Bid Defense Memo in 12 hours: red / yellow / green verdict, dollar exposure, top flags, missing scope, and a negotiation script you can forward to the contractor.
Get My Bid Defense Memo. $249
Apply for a Free First Memo
What is a Bid Defense Memo?
A Bid Defense Memo is a concise, forwardable review of a contractor bid. It tells you whether the bid has math problems, scope gaps, padded allowances, license issues, or pricing concerns. And it gives you a negotiation script you can send directly to your contractor.
It is not a redesign of your project. It is a document that answers: is this bid as submitted something you should sign? If the answer is no, it tells you exactly why and by how much. For a full explanation of what the memo covers, see what is a contractor Bid Defense Memo.
Every memo returns one of three verdicts:
- 🚩Red. Significant issues found with documented dollar exposure. Do not sign before discussing flagged items with your contractor.
- ⚠Yellow. Review items found. Items to clarify before signing, but not necessarily a reason to walk away.
- ✓Green. Bid appears clean on all checked dimensions. Sign with more confidence.
What does the memo check?
Every Bid Defense Memo runs seven checks against your contractor's bid:
- 1Line-item math. Every line item is summed and compared against the stated contract total. Unexplained gaps are flagged with dollar exposure.
- 2Scope normalization. Included work, excluded work, allowances, and duplicated items are separated so the bid can be evaluated as-built cost. See what scope normalization means.
- 3Allowance review. Padded, underfunded, or vague "general allowance" language is flagged with a realistic range for the market.
- 4License verification. The contractor's license number is checked for active status and open complaints where publicly verifiable.
- 5Market calibration. Labor and material rates are compared against ZIP-level data for the project location.
- 6Missing scope. Permit, demo, disposal, and trade-scope assumptions are reviewed for gaps that typically generate change orders after signing.
- 7Negotiation script. Every flagged item comes with specific language you can forward to the contractor. Not just a list of complaints, but a framed question or request for clarification.
For a list of the most common issues a review uncovers, see contractor bid red flags.
When should you order a Bid Defense Memo?
Order before you sign. A review after you have committed to a contractor is a conversation, not leverage. The memo is most useful when:
- 1You have a bid in hand and the contract total is over $50,000.
- 2You are comparing multiple contractor bids and want them normalized to the same scope before deciding.
- 3You have a hard-money lender or capital partner who wants a third-party review of the contractor budget before funding.
- 4The contractor is new to you and you have no prior working relationship to rely on.
- 5The bid includes broad allowance language you do not fully understand.
If you are an active flipper closing three or more deals per year, Investor Pro gives you five memos per month at priority 6-hour turnaround for $499/month. For a step-by-step checklist to run before you submit, see the contractor bid review checklist.
What do you receive?
One PDF-ready document with the following sections:
- 1Verdict (red, yellow, or green) with the total dollar exposure attached to flagged issues.
- 2Math check results. Line-item sum versus stated total with any unexplained gap identified.
- 3Top flags list. The five most material findings, ranked by dollar exposure.
- 4Missing scope list. Items not in the bid that are likely required for the project as described.
- 5Negotiation script. Forwardable language for each flagged item.
The memo is written to be forwarded to your contractor as-is. It is not full of internal jargon or caveats. It reads as a professional review from a licensed GC.
How much does a Bid Defense Memo cost?
$249
One-time, per bid.
- 1-page Bid Defense Memo
- Verdict with dollar exposure
- Top 5 flags identified
- Missing scope list
- Negotiation script
- 12-hour delivery
Active flippers may qualify for a free first memo. Apply here.
Need five memos per month? See Investor Pro at $499/month.
Can you send it to your contractor?
Yes. That is the purpose. Every memo is written so you can forward it to the contractor and ask for a revised bid, a line-item breakdown, or clarification on flagged items. Without having to translate or explain the review yourself.
Most contractors respond within 24 hours of receiving one. Some revise their bid the same day. The memo does not accuse anyone of fraud. It identifies specific items by page and line number and asks a professional question about each one.
If the contractor is legitimate, they will answer. If they resist all discussion of specific flagged items, that is information about the contractor as much as the bid.