A commercial door installer bid checklist is the short list you use to make two quotes describe the same work. Property owners around Cherry Hill, Philadelphia, and the rest of South Jersey often get numbers that look comparable and are not. One bid may include the frame, closer, and threshold. Another may price the door leaf only and leave hardware, glass, and patching as extras.
Call (856) 317-1770 to request a commercial door bid.
Use the checklist below before you accept a low number. Ask every bidder to mark each line as included, excluded, or an allowance. Then compare the answers, not just the totals. Cosello Construction installs commercial doors for property managers across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. A written scope is the starting point for a useful quote.
This guide covers how to level bids. It does not replace a door-type or code review. For those, start with the commercial door installation guide for New Jersey, then come back here to score the proposals. Andersen product questions belong on the Andersen windows and doors page, not in the bid sheet.
What makes two commercial door bids the same job?
Two bids are the same job only when they name the same openings, the same products, and the same labor. A lump-sum total hides those choices. Ask for a written list of openings before you compare price.
Count every door on the schedule. A retail storefront, a back-of-house hollow metal door, and a rated stair door are three scopes, not one. Note the nominal size, swing, and whether the existing frame stays. A 3070 door is the common 3-foot by 7-foot leaf. If one bidder assumed that size and another measured a wider opening, the prices will not match.
Say whether the bid is furnish-only or furnish-and-install. Supply quotes often look complete until installation, anchors, and hardware adjustment show up on another invoice. For an occupied South Jersey property, also say who protects the opening during the work and who hauls away the old door.
Write the opening list before you request numbers
Send the same sheet to every installer. Include a photo of each opening, the wall type if you know it, and the hardware you want to keep. Wall type matters because a masonry opening and a stud opening use different frame anchors. If the wall does not match the ordered frame, the installer should stop and reprice rather than force a fit.
If you are still deciding whether the opening should be repaired or replaced, settle that first with the commercial door replacement planning guide. Bid comparison starts after the scope is real.
Commercial door installer bid checklist
Send this commercial door installer bid checklist with the request. Ask each company to mark every line Included, Excluded, or Allowance, and to name the dollar amount of any allowance. Silence is not the same as inclusion.
| Checklist line | What a complete bid states | Question if the line is blank | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | Openings | Count, size, swing, and location of every door | Which openings are in this price? | | Furnish or install | Materials only, or materials plus labor | Who sets the frame and hangs the door? | | Frame | New frame or existing frame, and the wall it fits | Is the frame included or only the leaf? | | Door leaf | Hollow metal, aluminum storefront, wood, or other | What product and finish are priced? | | Hardware set | Hinges, lock or exit device, closer, stop, threshold | Which pieces are in the set, and which are extra? | | Glass and lites | Who supplies glass, and whether it is rated | Is glass in the door price or by others? | | Fire label | Whether a labeled assembly is required at that opening | Are the door, frame, and hardware all labeled as specified? | | Access control | Electric strike, power transfer, reader, or none | Who furnishes power and low-voltage wiring? | | Finish and patch | Primer only, field paint, and drywall or masonry patch | Who paints and who patches the opening? | | Permits and access | Who pulls the permit and how the entry stays usable | Is permit time in the schedule? | | Warranty and closeout | Labor term, manufacturer warranty, and adjustment visit | What does labor cover, and for how long? | | Exclusions | A written list of work not in the price | What would change this number after the visit? |
Level the bids only after every line has an answer. A lower total that leaves hardware, glass, or patching off the page is not the lower project.
Which scope lines change the price?
Four lines move commercial door prices more than the others: the frame, the hardware set, glass, and who finishes the opening. Read those before you read the total.
Frame scope is the first split. A bid that reuses a square, solid frame can be far below a bid that replaces the frame and anchors it to the real wall. Hollow metal frames are not interchangeable between masonry and stud walls. Need the product detail before you score that line? Read the hollow metal commercial doors guide. Then ask which frame type is in the price.
Hardware is the second split. A complete set can include hinges, a lock or exit device, a closer, a stop, silencers, a threshold, and weatherstripping. A thin bid may list "hardware" and mean a lockset only. Electrified hardware, power supplies, and card readers are often by the access-control vendor. Say so in writing so that work is not assumed.
Glass, finish, and the work around the opening
Glass in a storefront or vision lite is its own line. Rated glass and a listed lite kit are not the same as a standard pane. Field paint, kick plates, and patching of drywall or masonry also change both price and schedule. Ask who owns each one. Suppliers such as CDF Distributors tell crews to confirm opening size, wall type, and fire labels before the frame goes in. A bid that skips those checks is pricing a guess.
Storefront doors add glass size, stile width, and panic or pivot hardware. Bidding that opening? Pair this checklist with the Philadelphia storefront door replacement guide. Settle the product choice before the numbers come back.
How do you compare commercial door installer bids?
Compare bids in a fixed order. Do not start with the lowest total. Start with scope, then qualifications, then price, then schedule.
- Put the bids in one sheet and line up the checklist answers.
- Mark every Included, Excluded, and Allowance in the same column.
- Add a dollar note anywhere one bid is silent and the other is explicit.
- Confirm the installer is licensed for the state where the building sits and can show insurance.
- Read the labor warranty term and what it does not cover.
- Compare schedule only after the scope columns match.
- Ask for a revised bid wherever a line is missing, instead of guessing.
Cosello Construction is licensed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware and carries insurance. Installation labor includes a 2-year labor warranty on top of the product warranty. Those facts belong in the qualifications column for any Cosello proposal. Ask every other bidder for the same items in writing. New Jersey home-improvement registration is the right check for residential work. A commercial opening still needs proof of license and insurance for that job site.
What a useful schedule line includes
A useful schedule names lead time for the door and frame. It also names the day the opening is out of service and the day hardware is adjusted. Many Cosello commercial door projects finish within two weeks once materials are ready. A common pattern is four to six weeks. A special frame or rated assembly can take longer. Compare the assumption, not a slogan.
Labor warranty language should say what is covered, for how long, and what is excluded, such as damage after turnover or hardware the owner supplied. Read that next to the window and door labor warranty guide so a two-year term is not confused with the manufacturer's product warranty.
How should allowances and exclusions be read?
An allowance is a placeholder dollar amount for work the bidder could not price yet. An exclusion is work the bidder has left out. Both are normal. Both can make a low bid expensive later.
Treat a round hardware allowance as unfinished scope. Ask what grade of lock, closer, and hinge it is meant to buy. One bid may carry a $400 hardware allowance. Another may list a specific closer and exit device. Those are not two prices for the same set. Ask the first bidder to replace the allowance with named products.
Read exclusions with the same care. Common exclusions include power to a strike, painting, and patching. They also include night or weekend hours and a hidden frame that is out of square. A bid that lists those exclusions is easier to trust than a bid that lists none. The blank list often means the extras appear after demolition.
Ask for the condition that would change the number
Ask each installer: what site condition would change this price after the visit? Good answers name a rotten sill, a frame that is not square, or a wall type that does not match the drawing. You can then decide whether to open the wall before award or to carry a shared contingency.
Keep the existing-opening diagnosis on the repair side of the project. The commercial door repair guide covers when repair is still the right conversation. This checklist assumes you are pricing installation or replacement and need the bids leveled.
What should a bid say about rated openings and access?
A fire-rated opening is an assembly, not a single door. The bid should say whether the leaf, the frame, the closer, the latch, and any glass are the labeled products the opening requires. NFPA 80 is the standard that ties those pieces together for swinging fire doors. If one bid prices a labeled door on an unlabeled frame, it is not the same assembly as a bid that prices the full set.
Do not treat this section as a code design. Cosello does not decide the rating for you. The authority having jurisdiction and the building's design documents do. Your bid checklist only checks that each proposal followed the same requirement. For the requirement itself, use the commercial fire door requirements guide for NJ and PA and the certified fire door installer checklist.
Accessibility is a scope line, not a slogan
If the opening serves the public, the bid should say how clear width and threshold are handled. It should also name the hardware and the opening force. An automatic operator is a separate scope item, with its own power and safety devices. One bidder may include it and another may exclude it.
Point the product questions at the ADA commercial door upgrade guide. Then bring the answer back to the bid sheet: included, excluded, or an allowance. That is the only way the prices stay comparable.
When should you send the bid back?
Send the bid back when a checklist line is blank. Do the same when two bidders described different products, or when an allowance is too vague to price. Awarding the gap is how projects pick up change orders in the first week.
Ask for a same-scope resubmit, not a discount. Give every installer the corrected opening list, the hardware you want named, and the exclusions you will accept. A one-page addendum is enough. Set a short reply date so the numbers come back together.
Walk the opening with the installer when photos cannot show the frame, the sill, or the wall. Concealed conditions are the usual source of a revised price. A site visit before award costs less than a change order after the old door is off.
What to keep in the job file
Keep the opening list, the marked checklist, the revised bid, proof of license and insurance, and the warranty statement. After installation, keep the labels, the hardware schedule, and any adjustment note. That file is what you will need if a closer needs service or a later buyer asks what was installed.
Property teams who already run a window project the same way can mirror the record-keeping in the commercial window replacement checklist. The door file should be just as specific about what was priced.
What should a South Jersey bid request include?
A South Jersey or Philadelphia bid request should name the building, the hours the entry must stay open, and the state license that applies. Cosello serves about a 40-mile radius around Cherry Hill. That includes Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties, the Philadelphia metro, and nearby Delaware. Name the town in the request so travel, permit office, and access hours are priced on purpose.
State the work window. A restaurant door that can close on a Monday is a different job from a clinic door that must pass traffic at 7 a.m. Say whether after-hours labor is required. If you do not, one bidder may assume a weekday and another may assume nights.
Attach photos, a sketch of each opening, and any hardware you must match, such as an existing key system. Windows or a residential-style entry on the same site should be a separate scope. Do not bury that work in the commercial door number. Use the residential windows and doors service page for the separate work. Use the commercial doors page for the opening you are bidding now.
Qualifications worth asking for locally
Ask for recent commercial projects of a similar type, such as retail, multifamily, or a training facility. Cosello has installed commercial doors for clients including Crumbl Cookie, RPM Development properties, and UTI training facilities. References matter less as logos and more as proof the installer has worked in an occupied building.
Also ask who will be on site and how changes are approved. A family-owned installer that can name the lead technician is easier to hold to the checklist than a bid that names only a company.
Frequently asked questions
What should a commercial door installer bid include?
It should list every opening and say whether the frame is included. It should name the door and hardware, and state who handles glass, paint, patching, permits, and haul-away. It should also list exclusions and the labor warranty term. A total with none of those lines is not ready to compare.
Why do commercial door bids vary so much?
They vary because the scopes differ. One installer may replace the frame and price a closer, threshold, and labeled glass. Another may price a door leaf only and leave hardware as an allowance. Level the checklist before you treat the totals as rivals.
What is a 3070 door?
A 3070 door is a nominal 3-foot by 7-foot door. It is a common commercial size, not a promise that your opening is that size. Measure the opening and put the real width and height on the bid request.
How do I check a commercial door installer's license and insurance?
Ask for the license that applies in the state where the building sits, plus a current insurance certificate. Cosello is licensed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. For residential work in New Jersey, owners often also confirm home-improvement contractor registration. Match the proof to the job, and do not accept a verbal assurance.
Does the cheapest commercial door bid win?
Only after the scope matches. Add back any excluded hardware, glass, patching, or after-hours labor before you rank the prices. Then compare schedule and the written labor warranty. The cheapest line that omits the frame is rarely the cheapest finished opening.
Request a commercial door bid you can compare
Send the opening list, photos, and this checklist when you ask for a price. Cosello Construction will mark what is included, name the hardware and frame assumptions, and flag anything that should be an allowance instead of a guess.
Request the bid through the contact form, or call (856) 317-1770. Say how many openings you have, whether any are fire-rated or public entries, and when the building must stay open. You will get a written scope you can set next to any other proposal.