Allowance normalizer
Normalize inclusions, site conditions, permits, protection, allowances, owner items, schedule, payments, changes and closeout.
Decision file
Provide the same measured plan, keep-or-move matrix, wet-area detail, finish schedule and approval assumptions to each proposer. State the drawing revision and require each bidder to list deviations so a missing fixture move or incomplete wall scope is visible before totals are compared.
Separate fixed selections, measured quantities, unit rates, allowances, taxes, delivery and the markup or credit method. An allowance should identify what it buys, whether labour is included, the selection deadline and how unused money or an overage is reconciled.
Assign ordering, field measurements, compatibility, storage, damage, delay and warranty responsibility for every owner-supplied item. Confirm lead time and rough-in requirements for the exact model before walls, drains, valves or electrical feeds are fixed.
Include access, dust and water control, occupied-home or strata rules, disposal, elevator bookings, shutdown notices and daily cleanup. Ask how adjacent flooring, smoke alarms and building common areas are protected, inspected and restored after material movement.
Record permit fees, applications, drawings, inspections, concealed-condition notices, written owner approval and the pricing method for changes. Require supporting photographs or trade findings before an unknown condition becomes extra work, and identify who can authorize cost or schedule changes.
Compare milestones, ordering dependencies, payment basis, inspection records, wet-area evidence, fan commissioning, deficiencies, manuals, care and warranty documents. Hold a defined final portion until the agreed closeout file and correction list are complete rather than tying payment only to visible finishes.
Keep a cosmetic refresh, a shower replacement and a fixture relocation separate when requesting prices. A lower total may describe a different job rather than better value. For each proposal, identify the retained surfaces and services, the assemblies being rebuilt and any work outside the room; ask for a written explanation of deviations from your plan.
Make one copy of the following record for each quote and each unresolved item. Write included, excluded, allowance or not stated beside the same question in every proposal. Do not enter zero for missing information. Obtain the proposer's written answer and carry it into the accepted scope before treating the prices as comparable. This is a blank worksheet, not a sample contractor quote.
List the unanswered items that could change cost or feasibility, such as uncertain below-floor access, an unselected drain, an unpriced allowance overage or a missing shutdown arrangement. Ask each proposer to resolve those items on the same basis. Keep optional upgrades separate from required work, and distinguish a fixed inclusion from a provisional amount that still depends on investigation.
Save the chosen proposal with its dated plan revision, written clarifications, allowance and credit rules, owner-supply responsibilities and agreed exclusions. Record who approves concealed-condition work and changes to cost or timing. At handover, reconcile the promised inspections, wet-area evidence, deficiencies and care documents against what was supplied. A comparison record organizes the decision; it does not establish contractor credentials or certify the completed bathroom.
Primary references
Links checked in the approved research packet on August 26, 2026. Applicability still depends on the property and proposed scope.