skills/compare-contractor-quotes/SKILL.md

---
name: compare-contractor-quotes
description: Normalize and compare contractor or trade quotes for a property project by scope, quantity, exclusions, assumptions, programme, payment terms, warranty, and evidence gaps. Use when the user wants a like-for-like comparison before selecting or negotiating quotes. Do not select the winner, assess contractor competence from price alone, or give legal contract advice.
---

# Contractor Quote Comparator

## Workflow

1. Confirm the same drawings, specification, revision, site information, and requested scope were issued to every bidder.
2. Convert each quote into a common schedule: included work, quantities, rates, provisional sums, exclusions, owner supplies, preliminaries, taxes, access, disposal, testing, documentation, and warranties.
3. Identify missing, incomparable, ambiguous, duplicated, optional, and qualification-heavy items.
4. Compare programme, start assumptions, staffing, dependencies, payment milestones, retention, validity, insurance evidence, references, and change-order mechanism where documented.
5. Calculate like-for-like adjusted totals only when adjustment assumptions are explicit; keep quoted and analyst-adjusted values separate.
6. Generate clarification questions and negotiation points. Do not contact bidders or communicate a selection without authorization.

## Required output

- Like-for-like comparison matrix
- Scope-gap and exclusion register
- Commercial and programme risks
- Clarification questions by bidder
- Adjusted comparison with assumptions
- Owner decision criteria; no automatic award recommendation