Can I Get Quotes for a Commercial Door Job that Already Has a Bid?

There are a number of reasons why you might be installing new commercial doors from CDF Distributors on your property. You might be updating your doors for a sleeker, more modern look. Your doors may have been damaged due to an accident or vandalism and you may be in need of a replacement. Perhaps you’re engaged in a much larger renovation and your commercial doors are just a small part of the project.

As part of any professional installation, you likely gathered estimates from different companies and then chose the one that offered the best price for their services. However, it’s not uncommon for property owners to have second thoughts, wondering whether they made the right decision.

So can you change your mind? It depends.

Estimates, Quotes, and Bids

When you or your general contractor are pricing a job, you may receive an estimate, a quote, or a bid for the project. Each term means something a little different.

Estimates

An estimate is just that:  A projection about how much a given job is going to cost you. For the most part, estimates are based on how much the materials will cost and how long the project will take. 

While estimates can give you a general idea of how much the job will cost, they aren’t meant to be binding.

Quotes

When you get a quote from a contractor, they’re offering you a fixed price that is only good for a certain amount of time—usually 30 days. Quotes are much more detailed than estimates. They are considered to be guaranteed prices, although any changes to the scope of the work performed may result in additional costs.

The reason why quotes have a limited time frame is that costs often change over time. Materials may cost more next month. Perhaps the contractor will need to take on other jobs that would limit their availability. Maybe demand tends to ramp up in certain seasons, creating the need to pay for overtime hours to get the job done.

In any case, a quote is a short-term guaranteed price for work to be done.

Bids

Bids are much like quotes, except they are usually given during a competitive process. When you have a firm sense of your project, you can have contractors submit detailed bids for the job. In most cases, the lowest bid will win. 

When you communicate with contractors, it’s important to be as clear as possible about the terms of their offer. Sometimes, what may be called an estimate is actually a bid, and that can cause complications. Being as clear as possible throughout the process can save you time and aggravation.

Can I Get Out of a Bid?

Understanding how contracts work is a key part of hiring the right contractor. Legally, when a company submits a bid for a construction project, they’ve made what’s called an “offer,” and if you choose to accept that bid, it constitutes a contract. 

In other words, whether the agreement is labeled as a contract or not, by agreeing to the terms the contractor offered, you’ve entered into a contract with them.

If you’ve agreed to a bid, your legal options are limited. You could seek out quotes from other companies, but you would not likely be able to cancel your existing contract, so additional quotes may be useless. In fact, the only way to get out of your agreement without penalty is if the contractor is in breach of their contract.

If you decide to try to terminate your contract for cause, you may be in for a long, difficult process. 

Typically, this kind of termination is reserved only for major breaches. If you’re simply not satisfied with the work, your termination case is unlikely to succeed. You’re much better off trying to work out your issues with the contractor by communicating with them early and often.

However, some cases require this kind of legal action. If you feel your contractor isn’t holding up their end of the bargain for installing your commercial wood or steel doors, then taking them to court might be the best solution.

Your Commercial Door Headquarters

If you’re looking to install commercial doors in your property, turn to the experts at CDF Distributors. With our large inventory and lightning-fast shipping, you can count on us for efficient, cost-effective service!