Treat quote validity as a scope fact
Validity is not a footnote. It determines whether the quoted price can be used, whether a re-quote is needed, and whether the bid must carry an escalation allowance. A quote that expired yesterday may still be usable if the supplier confirms it in writing, but the estimate should record that confirmation rather than assume it.
Start with the quote register. List the supplier, the quote number, the issue date, the expiry date, the scope, the unit prices, the delivery terms, and the named contact. If any of those fields is missing, the quote is not ready to support a released price.
Confirm the quote is the current revision
Suppliers often issue a revised quote after a scope question or a quantity change. Compare the revision number and the date against the version in the estimate file. A lower quote that covers less scope is not a better quote.
Check the line items, not only the total. Record the revision history for quotes that changed materially.
If a supplier replaced a product or changed a delivery term, the change may affect the estimate beyond the price. The escalation clause review should then test whether the new basis changes the risk treatment.
Verify inclusions, exclusions, and delivery terms
Read the quote's inclusion and exclusion language. Confirm freight, tax, unloading, storage, and warranty are treated the way the estimate assumes. A quote that excludes freight can look competitive until the delivered cost is calculated.
A quote that includes a limited warranty may not satisfy the specification. Check the delivery point and the lead time.
A price based on a full truckload delivered to a distribution center is not the same as a price delivered to the site on a specific date. Record the terms in plain language so the project team can see what the number depends on.
| Quote field | What to verify | Release status |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Supplier, quote number, revision | Current or superseded |
| Date | Issue date and expiry date | Current, extended, or stale |
| Scope | Inclusions, exclusions, and quantity | Matches takeoff or flagged |
| Delivery | Freight, point, and lead time | Matches estimate basis |
| Price | Unit, extension, and tax treatment | Recalculated and approved |
| Evidence | Written confirmation or new quote | Linked in the estimate record |
Test the quantity and unit basis
Confirm that the quoted quantity matches the takeoff and that the unit is the same one used in the estimate. Suppliers may quote by the piece, the bundle, the square, or the thousand, and a mismatch can survive a visual review. Recalculate the extended price independently.
Check minimum order quantities, break points, and waste. A quote for a small quantity may carry a higher unit rate that disappears at volume, while a large quantity may trigger a storage problem. The unit conversion review provides a structured way to catch the arithmetic and unit errors that survive a quick read.
Decide what to do when a quote is stale
If the quote has expired, request a written extension or a new quote. Record the date of the request and the response. If the supplier cannot confirm before the bid, the estimator must decide whether to use the old price with an allowance or replace it with a current market basis.
Do not silently increase the unit rate without a source. A market adjustment needs a reference, a date, and an owner. The commercial lead should approve any change that affects the bid position, especially when the change moves the bid above a known competitor or a budget threshold.
Record the release decision
At release, mark each material quote as current, extended, replaced, or carried with allowance. The status should be visible in the estimate record and linked to the evidence. A reviewer should be able to see which quotes support the released number and which are still open.
Summarize the exceptions for the commercial lead. Include the value at risk, the scope affected, and the action needed. The evidence index is the right place to keep that summary so it travels with the estimate after award.
Recheck before any post-bid commitment
A bid clarification or a negotiated scope change can reopen a quote that was current at release. Recheck the quote date and the scope before making a commitment. If the supplier has changed the price or the lead time, update the estimate and the clarification together.
Keep the final quote set with the bid file. When a project manager asks why a material was priced at a certain rate, the answer should be a dated quote with a scope, not a memory of a phone call. That record is also the basis for any later claim or change order.
Treat verbal confirmation as a lead, not evidence
A supplier may confirm by phone that the price still holds. That conversation is useful, but it is not a record. Send a short written note that restates the quote number, the scope, the price, and the new expiry date.
Ask the supplier to reply in writing. If they will not, record the conversation and treat the quote as unconfirmed for release purposes. The same rule applies to a revised price.
A verbal increase is not a basis for changing the bid. The estimator needs a written revision or a documented market reference. The Producer Price Index program can support a market adjustment when the contract or the bid basis allows one, but it does not replace the supplier's scope.
Keep the written confirmation with the quote in the estimate file. When a project manager later asks why a material was priced at a certain rate, the answer should be a dated document with a scope, not a recollection.
That record is also the first exhibit if the price becomes a change order. A short index of confirmations by supplier makes that search fast during a post-bid question.
