What's the biggest barrier to running a competitive bid process?

What's the biggest barrier to running a competitive bid process?

Specialist · Member since 2026 · 20 posts · 10 votes

How often are you actually checking the market?

If you have a vendor you trust, do you ever test whether their pricing is still competitive? Once a year? Once every few years? Only when something feels off?

And what stops you from running a competitive bid more often?

  • Time?
  • The hassle of managing multiple site visits?
  • The parade of salesmen that follows?
  • Difficulty finding qualified contractors?
  • Something else?

I'm not asking because I think there is a right or wrong answer. I'm genuinely trying to understand where the friction is. For those who have a system for benchmarking vendor costs; what does it look like? 

And if you don't, what would make it easier?

Would love to hear how others are handling this.

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  • Member since 2026 · 58 posts · 14 votes
    6d

    The hassle is getting bids on the same scope. If one contractor includes cleanup and another doesn't, the numbers aren't comparable. I would write down the exact work, materials, and timing before calling anyone, then only ask for a fresh price when the job is large enough to justify the extra visits.

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