bid-evaluator

name bid-evaluator description Evaluate tabulated subcontractor bids against specs and drawings — scope gap analysis, exclusion risk scoring, award recommendation. Triggers: 'evaluate bids', 'bid evaluation', 'lowest responsible bidder'. argument-hint <tabulated_bids_dir> [scope_description] disable-model-invocation true Bid Evaluator Evaluate tabulated subcontractor bids against construction documents. This skill does NOT make the award decision — it builds the analytical foundation so the PE/PM can decide quickly and confidently. Pipeline & Disambiguation /bid-tabulator → THIS SKILL → user confirms → /subcontract-writer This skill requires tabulated bids as input. If the user has raw bid PDFs that haven't been tabulated yet, run /bid-tabulator first to produce the per-bidder JSON files and comparison Excel. This skill consumes that output. User has bid PDFs → /bid-tabulator (data capture) → then offer this skill User has tabulated bids and wants analysis → this skill directly User says "compare bids" or "buyout" → check if bids are already tabulated; if not, start with /bid-tabulator Tier System RIGID : Output schema, scoring tables, file naming GUIDED : Dialogue sequencing, scope assembly, scoring thresholds FLEXIBLE : Bid interpretation, scope coverage, risk assessment Required Inputs Tabulated bids (from /bid-tabulator or equivalent) Relevant specification sections Relevant drawing sheets (Claude reviews via vision) Scope context (from user dialogue) Optional: bid form/ITB, schedule, owner requirements, budget estimate, past experience with bidders. Step 1: Scope Assembly Complete before analyzing any bids. Mode Detection Check for .construction/ directory at the project root. AgentCM mode : Read specs from .construction/spec_text/{section}.txt . Use sheet index from .construction/index/sheet_index.yaml for drawing identification. Flat File mode : Discover spec PDFs via CLAUDE.md paths or directory search ( Specifications/ , Specification Sections/ ). Read drawing sheets directly from PDF. 1a. Spec Review Extract from each spec section: work included (Parts 1-3), work by others (GC/NIC/Owner), related section cross-references, performance requirements, coordination and temporary requirements. 1b. Drawing Review Load references/drawing-review.md for guidance on what to look for per drawing type. Vision-read key sheets to identify scope items, conditions, and quantities not apparent from specs. Track drawing- derived items separately — they differentiate thorough bidders. Offload reference after completing drawing review. 1c. User Dialogue Ask targeted questions to fill gaps documents can't answer. Do not dump a questionnaire — ask conversationally, skip what you already know. Always ask: package definition (which specs/drawings), GC-provided items, bid count and format, drawing confirmation if provided. Ask when relevant: multi-trade splits, alternates/allowances, qualification requirements, budget reference, schedule constraints. Confirm assembled scope with user before proceeding. 1d. Build Scope Baseline Produce internal baseline document: items in sub scope (with source), drawing-identified scope, GC/owner exclusions, allowances, alternates, qualifications, schedule constraints. Step 2: Bid Analysis Load references/buyout-domain.md for domain knowledge on bid language interpretation, common scope splits, red flags, trade- specific evaluation notes, and non-price factors. Keep loaded through Steps 2a-2d, then offload. 2a. Normalize Pricing Adjusted Base = Submitted Base + Excluded spec-required items - Included GC-provided items + Accepted alternates ± Allowance adjustments Valuation order: other bidder's line item → budget estimate → professional judgment (flagged) → qualitative risk if unknown. Document every adjustment. No silent price changes. Flag unit price outliers (>2x median). Calculate exposure ranges. 2b. Scope Coverage Mapping Map each bidder against every scope baseline item using five statuses: Status Meaning INCLUDED Explicitly includes EXCLUDED Explicitly excludes SILENT Not addressed — most dangerous PARTIAL Includes with limitations DIFFERENT Offers substitution Flag all SILENT items on spec-required scope. Drawing-derived SILENT items suggest incomplete document review by that bidder. 2c. Exclusion Risk Scoring Level Criteria CRITICAL Spec-required, uncarried, >1% bid or >$5K SIGNIFICANT Implied by spec/practice, $2K-$5K MINOR Common GC-provided, <$2K INFO Clarification only, no cost impact 2d. Qualification & Responsibility Assess per bidder: bonding, insurance, licensing, experience, capacity, DBE/MBE, bid completeness. Bust detection: >20-30% below field + scope gaps + incomplete submission. Flag for verification, never call it a bust. Step 3: Output Build JSON per schema in scripts/sample_input.json , then run: ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR} /../../bin/construction-python ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR} /scripts/export_bid_evaluation.py input.json output.xlsx The script produces 5 sheets: Bid Comparison, Price Summary, Exclusion Detail, Qualification Summary, Recommendation. Step 4: Handoff Lead with the recommendation — don't make them hunt for it Highlight items needing PE attention Ask for explicit confirmation: selected bidder, scope adjustments, alternates, special conditions Do NOT proceed to /subcontract-writer without user confirmation. Step 5: Write Graph Entry If .construction/ directory exists (AgentCM mode), record the evaluation: ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR} /../../bin/construction-python ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR} /../../scripts/graph/write_finding.py \ -- type "bid_evaluation_complete" \ --title "Bid evaluation: {scope} — {N} bidders, recommended {company}" \ --output-file "{output.xlsx}" \ --data '{"scope": "...", "bidder_count": N, "recommended": "...", "adjusted_amount": ..., "pe_attention_items": [...]}' If no .construction/ directory exists, skip — the Excel workbook is the deliverable. Context Needs Chart Step Resource Load Trigger Offload After 1b references/drawing-review.md Drawing sheets provided Step 1b complete 2 references/buyout-domain.md Entering bid analysis Step 2d complete 3 scripts/sample_input.json Building output JSON Step 3 complete 5 ../../scripts/graph/write_finding.py AgentCM mode detected Step 5 complete Error Handling Uneven formats: note difficulty, don't penalize lump-sum bids <3 bids: note limited field, suggest re-bid if appropriate Budget mixed with hard bids: segregate with caveat Math errors: flag discrepancy, don't correct Scope too complex: focus on highest cost-impact items What This Skill Does NOT Do Contact subs, execute awards, or negotiate pricing Replace PE judgment on responsibility Produce subcontracts (use /subcontract-writer) Perform quantity takeoffs from drawings File Safety Never overwrite an existing bid evaluation. The export script uses safe_output_path() which appends _v2 , _v3 , etc. automatically. Allowed Scripts ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../bin/construction-python ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/export_bid_evaluation.py ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../scripts/graph/write_finding.py