Before you sign a GC proposal or a fixed-price contract, have someone read it who has no stake in the build. We check what’s in the scope, what’s quietly excluded, and what the schedule and payment terms will actually cost you. An independent contractor proposal review is the last step before your signature — in writing, for owners across Texas and the United States.
Upload Your Proposal for Review
Two construction bids can describe different scopes even when they appear to cover the same project. An allowance may leave selections unresolved, an exclusion may transfer work to the owner, and a proposed completion date may depend on decisions that have not been made. Reviewing those assumptions before signing helps owners ask specific questions and compare proposals on a consistent basis.
Commercial tenants signing a build-out. Franchise operators comparing two or three GC bids. Property owners handing a shell to a contractor for the first time. Investors and developers who want an independent read before an equity commitment — often alongside a multifamily feasibility study on the same deal. Anyone holding a proposal who suspects the number is too good, or can’t tell why two bids are so far apart.
Missing scope and unresolved allowances can increase the amount an owner ultimately spends. A lower proposal may require additional owner-funded work, while a higher proposal may include items its competitor has excluded. A review helps identify those differences before selection; it does not guarantee a particular saving or eliminate every construction risk.
The review turns the proposal into a written list of issues to discuss with the contractor. It connects unclear scope, allowances, exclusions, schedule assumptions, and payment milestones to the owner’s decisions. Where the documents support a cost assessment, the review explains the budget exposure; unresolved amounts remain questions to clarify rather than assumed savings.
Start with the same drawings, specifications, and project requirements for each bidder. Then compare what each price includes:
For commercial tenants, combine the bid review with commercial buildout advisory so the proposal can be considered alongside lease and landlord responsibilities. Franchise operators can explore franchise build-out advisory for coordination with brand requirements.
A contractor proposal review is not a formality and it is not a negotiation tactic. It is a structured read of every document the contractor has put in front of you, done by someone who does not profit from the outcome. Here is how an Epex contractor proposal review runs for a Houston owner, start to finish.
The whole contractor proposal review typically takes three to four business days for a single-bid commercial build-out and about a week for a multi-bid comparison. The cost is fixed and quoted up front, so the review itself never becomes the kind of open-ended expense it is meant to protect you from.
Send the contractor’s complete proposal, exclusions, allowance schedule, available drawings, and proposed schedule. Include competing bids if you want to compare them, plus relevant landlord or franchise requirements. Tell us your signing deadline and which decisions are still open. The available documents determine the review scope and the questions that need follow-up.
A proposal is only part of the total project cost. Our development budget review considers the wider budget, while construction draw administration supports payment documentation after construction starts.
How fast can you turn it around?
Most proposal reviews are back in 3–5 business days. If you’re against a signing deadline, tell us and we’ll work to it.
Do you negotiate with the contractor for me?
The review gives you a written list of exactly what to raise and why, with the dollar impact attached. You keep the relationship with your contractor; we hand you the leverage to use in it.
Will you build the project too?
No — and that’s the point. Epex Consulting is owner-side only. We take no builder margin, so nothing in the recommendation is protecting a construction contract.
Bring the proposal, drawings, and your decision deadline. We will help you identify the scope questions to resolve before you sign.
Book a Project Review