The biggest risk in a multifamily siding project isn’t the price — it’s that three bids quote three different projects, so the “low bid” balloons once tear-off, rot repair, or flashing turn out to be missing. A bid and scope review fixes that by defining one scope — the Replacement Scope Map — that every vendor prices identically.
Why bids aren’t comparable
Why do three siding bids look nothing alike?
Because without a defined scope, each contractor includes what they assume and leaves out what they didn’t price. One bid includes full tear-off and a rot allowance; another quotes siding-over and no allowance; a third omits flashing detail entirely. The numbers aren’t comparable because the projects aren’t the same — and the lowest number is usually the least complete, not the best value.
For a board fiduciary, an apples-to-oranges comparison is also indefensible at the annual meeting. The fix is to make the comparison apples-to-apples before bids go out.
Reviewed against public source material from Ben Juncker and Craftsmans Choice, without presenting their contractor credentials as this sites own.
The Replacement Scope Map
What is the Replacement Scope Map?
The Replacement Scope Map is a bid-prep framework that organizes the four things that actually drive a multifamily siding outcome: moisture and wall protection, resident disruption and occupied-building access, board-ready bid scope, and reserve and capital planning. It’s the checklist a board takes into the bid process so every vendor prices the same defined project.
The four areas:
- Moisture and wall protection — WRB, flashing at every opening, kick-out flashing, trim transitions, penetrations.
- Resident disruption and access — parking, balconies, entrances, noise windows, notices, building-by-building sequencing.
- Board-ready bid scope — line-item pricing with separated alternates for phased work.
- Reserve and capital planning — how the scope fits reserves, a special assessment, or a loan.
What a real bid must include
What must a multifamily siding bid include?
At minimum: material and profile, full tear-off, sheathing and rot-repair allowances, the water-resistive barrier, flashing (including kick-out flashing), trim, disposal, access equipment, a resident-disruption plan, warranty terms, and clearly separated alternates for phasing. A bid missing these isn’t cheaper — it’s just less complete, and the gaps reappear as change orders.
| Line item | Why it must be in the bid |
|---|---|
| Material and profile | The base of any comparison |
| Full tear-off | Siding-over hides wall problems |
| Sheathing / rot-repair allowance | Hidden rot is near-certain on older buildings |
| Water-resistive barrier | Code-required; the leak-prevention layer |
| Flashing incl. kick-out | Code-required; the #1 historical failure point |
| Trim and penetrations | Where water gets in if omitted |
| Disposal and access | Often the “surprise” line on a low bid |
| Resident-disruption plan | Protects occupied-building relations |
| Warranty terms | Material vs. labor, length, transferability |
| Separated alternates | Lets the board phase without re-bidding |
This is also the basis for a multifamily RFP — see /guides/hiring-and-bidding/how-to-write-a-multifamily-siding-rfp/.
How a scope review works
How does the bid and scope review work? (HowTo)
A scope review turns a vague project into a comparable bid package in a few steps: define the building and concern, map the moisture and access risks, write the line-item scope, and use it to evaluate every vendor on the same basis. The output is a document a fiduciary can defend, not just a price.
- Define the building and concern — property type, building count, current siding, the specific failure.
- Map the risk and access — priority elevations, water-risk areas, sheathing unknowns, resident logistics.
- Write the line-item scope — the full Replacement Scope Map as a comparable package.
- Evaluate the bids — score each vendor against the same scope, with alternates separated.
Why this protects the board
How does a defined scope protect a board or owner?
It converts a contractor decision into a defensible one. Minnesota requires common-interest communities to fund reserves and reevaluate them at least every three years (Minn. Stat. § 515B.3-1141), and a fiduciary has to justify a major capital outlay to owners. A comparable scope is the document that lets a board show it chose value, not just the cheapest signature.
It also blunts the low-documentation “storm chaser” bids common after Minnesota hail events — see /services/storm-hail-insurance-siding-claims/.
FAQ
Siding bid and scope review — common questions
Q: What should a multifamily siding bid include at minimum? Material and profile, full tear-off, sheathing/rot-repair allowances, the water-resistive barrier, flashing including kick-out flashing, trim, disposal, access equipment, a resident-disruption plan, warranty terms, and separated alternates for phasing. A bid missing these is incomplete, and the gaps come back as change orders.
Q: Why is the lowest bid usually not the best value? Because the lowest number often reflects the least-complete scope — siding-over instead of tear-off, no rot allowance, no flashing detail. Once those reappear as change orders, the “low bid” frequently ends up highest. A defined scope is what exposes the difference.
Q: Can you review bids we already have? The most useful approach is to define the scope first, then evaluate every bid against it. If you already have bids, a scope review maps them to a common checklist so you can see exactly what each one included and omitted.
Q: Are you a licensed contractor bidding the job? No. We don’t bid the work or compete with the vendors you’re comparing — that’s what keeps the scope review neutral. We’re a Twin Cities multifamily siding planning resource that helps boards, managers, and owners build a comparable bid scope before requesting pricing, then helps them enter contractor conversations with a comparable, defensible scope.
Make your bids comparable before you choose.
Tell us about the building and the bids you have (or need), and we’ll help you build a Replacement Scope Map so every vendor prices the same project — and you can see exactly what each bid included and skipped.