Compare what the number includes
Two proposals are not comparable until scope, quantities, allowances, exclusions, assumptions, alternates, schedule basis, insurance, bonding where required, supervision, logistics, closeout, and owner-supplied items are understood.
A lower number may reflect a better solution—or simply a different interpretation. Ask the contractor to explain the cost narrative and the information needed to improve it.
Meet the team that will run the work
Company credentials matter, but the project will be shaped by the assigned project manager, superintendent, preconstruction support, safety and quality process, and the authority available to solve field issues.
Ask how decisions are documented, how design questions are managed, how subcontractors are coordinated, and how the owner will see schedule and cost exposure.
Test the contractor’s approach to uncertainty
Complex work contains unknowns. A credible contractor identifies them, proposes investigations, records assumptions, carries appropriate contingencies, and defines a decision path instead of promising that risk does not exist.
The best interview question is often practical: show us how you would organize the first thirty days before mobilization and the first thirty days in the field.