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SCOPE NORMALIZATION / FREE TOOL
A lower total is not automatically a better proposal. This tool makes missing scope and allowances visible before price is compared. It does not decide which Pool Builder to hire.
“Clear” means labor, products, quantities, interfaces, and responsibility are defined—not merely mentioned.
Both proposals should address the same design, approvals, access, excavation, structure, plumbing, equipment, electrical or gas work, finishes, coping, deck, drainage, barriers, restoration, startup, and records.
An allowance transfers selection and price risk. Record its quantity, product assumptions, tax, delivery, labor, adjustment method, and decision deadline. A proposal with more allowances cannot be compared fairly by headline total alone.
Review payment evidence, substitutions, written changes, supervision, schedule dependencies, inspection responsibility, commissioning, punch work, closeout documents, and separate product and workmanship warranty routes.
PRACTICAL ANSWERS
No. It highlights price and completeness differences so you can ask better questions.
Count it only when the proposal defines the relevant labor, products, quantities, interfaces, and responsibility well enough to compare.
Record it separately. The work may be contemplated, but the final product or amount remains uncertain.
It may include work, specifications, controls, or risk that the other proposal excludes or leaves unclear. Verification is still required.
Return both candidates to the same written project brief before using totals as a comparison.