What an ADU bid should include

Bid contents at a glance

This is a content checklist, not a legal determination that a bid has become a complete home improvement contract. CSLB publishes separate requirements and consumer guidance for the written agreement.

Five things commonly left unclear

1. Which plans were priced. “Per plans” is incomplete if the proposal does not identify the plan set and revision.
2. Where utility work stops. Interior plumbing and electrical do not necessarily include trenching, main-house work, meters or provider charges.
3. What an allowance buys. A dollar amount alone does not identify the assumed quantity, quality, labor or adjustment method.
4. Which work remains with the Owner. “Owner supplied” may refer only to purchasing the item or may also exclude delivery, installation and connections.
5. Which unknowns can change the price. Existing foundations, concealed conditions, service capacity and access may need investigation before a firm scope is possible.

Identify the project and drawing basis

The proposal should be traceable to one version of the project. Record the property, ADU type, approximate floor area and the date of the bid. List the architectural, structural, energy and other documents used, including revision dates where available.

If drawings are incomplete, the bid should state which assumptions fill the gaps. For a garage conversion, that may include assumptions about the existing slab, framing, roof and legal condition. For a detached ADU, it may include foundation type, building location, access and utility routes.

Separate site work and utility work

ADU construction affects more than the building footprint. The bid should describe access, temporary protection, demolition, hauling, excavation, grading, drainage and restoration of disturbed areas. If landscaping, fences, driveways or hardscape will be removed, state who restores them.

For each utility, identify the starting point, route, connection and known capacity assumption. Separate work performed by the Contractor from fees or work controlled by an agency or utility provider.

Do not treat “utilities included” as a complete answer. Ask the bidder to mark included, excluded or unresolved for each row.

Describe the building systems and finish basis

The proposal should identify the major work used to produce a complete ADU: foundation, framing, roofing, exterior finish, windows and doors, insulation, drywall, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, ventilation, cabinets, counters, flooring, paint, fixtures and equipment.

Not every bid needs a price beside every trade. For a lump-sum proposal, the important question is whether the work and material basis are sufficiently defined. CSLB’s contract guidance emphasizes describing how the work will be performed and which products and materials will be used. The bid is where those details should begin becoming visible before contract review.

Make allowances and Owner items explicit

An allowance is an amount inside the price for a defined item that will be selected or finally priced later. Identify the covered item, amount, assumed quantity or product level, whether tax, delivery, labor and markup are included, and how overages or unused amounts will be handled.

An Owner-purchased item needs more than a shopping assignment. Record who verifies the model, who orders it, when it must arrive, who receives and stores it, who installs it, who makes the connections and who handles damage or returns.

List exclusions, unknowns and schedule conditions

An exclusion should be specific enough to assign responsibility or add a separate budget. An unresolved condition should identify what information is missing, who obtains it and how the result may affect scope, price or time.

The schedule should explain what starts the duration. “Four months” may mean four months after permits, after site mobilization or after all Owner selections arrive. Identify required decisions, long-lead items, agency work and other dependencies instead of treating the duration as an unconditional completion promise.

Common warning signs

• No property, proposal date or drawing revision is identified.
• Large parts of the project are covered by one phrase such as “complete ADU.”
• Required-looking work is neither included nor excluded.
• Allowances have no quantity, quality or adjustment basis.
• Owner-supplied items do not assign installation and connection responsibilities.
• Utility and site work stop at an undefined point.
• Clarifications exist only in calls or text messages.
• The proposal expires before the Owner can reasonably investigate important open items.

These are clarity problems, not automatic findings of misconduct. Ask the bidder to revise or clarify the proposal in writing.

When a bid is not ready to rely on

Treat the bid as an early budget rather than a comparable proposal if it lacks a common drawing basis, leaves major site or utility work undefined, or cannot distinguish included scope from assumptions. The project may genuinely need more design or investigation before those answers are possible.

A detailed bid also is not automatically a complete or compliant construction contract. The final agreement needs separate review for required notices, payment terms, dates, changes, responsibilities and other applicable terms. CSLB’s home improvement contract materials are the official consumer starting point.

What to do next

1. Mark every section as included, allowance, excluded or unresolved.
2. Ask the bidder to identify the exact drawing revision.
3. Resolve the site, utility and Owner-purchase questions with the largest budget effect.
4. Request one dated revision that incorporates accepted clarifications.
5. Use the same scope questions with the other bidders.
6. Compare the bids, then carry the selected scope into contract review.

Open the ADU quote-basis checklist or continue to How to compare ADU Contractor bids in Los Angeles.

Questions, answered

Related ADU reading

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