A pavement assessment before requesting bids helps property managers compare scopes before comparing prices. Without it, the property is comparing contractor assumptions.
One bid may include dig-outs and base repair. Another may assume sealcoat is enough. One includes striping and ADA work. Another excludes them. One corrects drainage. Another covers the damage and leaves the water problem in place.
A Bid Is Not an Assessment
A bid answers what one contractor proposes to do and what it will cost. An assessment asks what is happening on the property and what needs attention. Skipping the condition review allows each bidder to define a different problem.
What Should Be Assessed Before Bids Go Out?
- Cracking and alligator areas
- Potholes and failed patches
- Drainage and low spots
- Surface wear and raveling
- Concrete trip hazards
- ADA stalls and routes
- Striping and signage
- Heavy traffic and prior repairs
Line Up the Scope Side by Side
Quantity
Are contractors using the same square footage and repair limits?
Thickness and Repair Type
A two-inch overlay is not a three-inch overlay. Crack seal, patching, mill-and-fill, and replacement solve different conditions.
Base Repair and Drainage
A lower proposal may exclude the work that addresses why the pavement failed. Ask for allowances, unit prices, and assumptions in writing.
ADA, Striping, and Exclusions
Clarify whether accessible parking, routes, signs, layout correction, traffic control, and cleanup are included. Exclusions often explain the price spread.
Questions Every Contractor Should Answer
- What condition are you solving?
- What measured area and thickness are you pricing?
- Which areas need structural repair rather than maintenance?
- Are base repair, drainage, ADA, and striping included?
- What could trigger a change order?
- What problem will remain after this work?
How to Explain the Difference to a Board
Do not frame the decision as defending one contractor. Explain the risk: Bid A is lower but excludes base repair; Bid B patches the surface but leaves drainage; Bid C includes a complete scope but may contain work that can be phased. The board first decides what problem it wants solved, then compares price.