States have varying laws and rules for dealing with construction bid mistakes. Even your locality or construction agency, municipality, or country can have unique rules covering construction bid mistakes. Fact mistakes on a bid allow you to withdraw an offer without forfeiting the bond. Factual errors can be mathematical or clerical, including number transposition, typographic, and decimal points misplacement.
Clerical Errors
To withdraw a bid based on clerical errors, you must meet other criteria. For instance, its submission must have been in good faith with credible evidence proving errors with the different aspects of the paperwork. Also, you must prove that you notified the contractor about the mistake’s owner promptly.
Also, prove that it’s impossible for the contract’s enforcement by the owner because of the error, and relying on the bid can be detrimental.
Judgment Mistakes
Judgment mistakes include an inaccurate estimate of the materials and labor that a task requires. Misinterpreting a project’s specifications is also a judgment mistake. Unfortunately, a judgment error has little recourse if it is after bid opening.
That’s because you can’t withdraw the bid because of a judgment error at this time without a penalty. In this case, the lower bidder has no option but to forfeit their bid bond. And they can even have to pay the difference between the erroneous bid and the lowest bid. Whether it’s private or public work, you’re allowed to modify or withdraw your bid before the bid date.
Final Thoughts
Estimating construction work and submitting bids is stressful. Nobody wants to deal with bid withdrawal because of silly mistakes. Therefore, take your time to read bidding documents and understand their content. Also, seek clarification from the project owner or the architect before bidding. Also, attend the pre-bid meetings and double-check your calculations and figures. That way, you can avoid dealing with mistakes in construction bids.…