It’s common practice when sourcing fire-rated glazing to request tenders from two or more suppliers. However, multiple fire-rated glazing tenders can appear comparable while actually being based on different assumptions about performance, tested evidence, installation responsibility and approval risk. For a QS team, a comparison needs to establish whether each bidder has priced the same fire performance requirement and the same project conditions. Without that discipline, the lowest figure may simply move unresolved compliance or coordination work into the construction phase. So, what is the best way to compare fire-rated external glazing and fire-rated internal glazing tenders from multiple contractors?
1. Identify the proposed fire-rated glazing assembly
A comparable tender identifies the full fire-rated glazing assembly being offered for the project, incorporating the glass, frame, seal arrangement, fixing method and supporting construction. If that assembly is not defined, the tender cannot be compared cleanly with a bid that has included a tested system with stated installation limits.
For a full tender comparison, the assembly needs to be described in enough detail for the QS team to understand what is actually being priced. A bid that names a rating but does not define the glass, frame, seal arrangement, fixing method and supporting construction is not carrying the same comparison value as a bid tied to a defined tested system with stated installation limits.
2. Compare E-Rated and EI-Rated glazing correctly
A significant cost difference between tenders can sit inside the classification used by each supplier, especially where one tender has allowed for E-rated glazing, and another has priced EI-rated glazing. E-rated glazing is tested for integrity, meaning it is intended to resist flames and hot gases for the stated period. EI-rated glazing includes insulation performance as well, so it also limits heat transfer through the glazed system.
The distinction should be checked against the tender fire strategy, drawings and performance schedules before the bids are ranked. If the tenders are carrying different classifications, the price difference is not a commercial saving. It means the bidders have priced different performance obligations, so the comparison needs to be normalised before any recommendation is made.
3. Normalise the bids before ranking them
Before ranking the tenders, we recommend bringing each bid back to a common comparison point by aligning the fire performance class, evidence route, access assumption, design responsibility, programme allowance and handover obligations before judging value. This exercise shows whether the lower tender remains lower once any missing items are added back into the package. It also helps identify whether a bidder has priced a genuine delivery advantage or has left part of the requirement outside the submitted figure.
4. Resolve tender qualifications before scoring
Tender qualifications also need to be closed before the bids are ranked, because a fire-rated glazing price may be conditional on supplier confirmation, final opening dimensions, a particular substrate, assumed access arrangements or a named framing system. Those qualifications could affect whether the tender is a fixed offer or a price built around unresolved inputs.
The QS review should therefore separate confirmed scope from qualified scope before making a recommendation. If a bidder has protected its price with conditions that another bidder has already resolved, that difference should be visible in the comparison note, not discovered after appointment.
5. Record the basis of your preferred bid
Once the preferred tender is selected, your comparison basis should be carried into appointment. The agreed assembly, fire classification, included responsibilities, accepted qualifications and outstanding design inputs need to be recorded so the package does not drift after award. This gives your project team a clearer commercial reference point if later changes arise in the project, and also protects the tender review from being reduced to a price ranking once procurement moves into design coordination and installation planning.
Next steps
If you’re interested in comparing fire-rated glazing tenders, we can help you interrogate different classifications, qualified assumptions and proposed assemblies before appointment, giving your QS team a clear comparison basis. Please contact one of our specialists to find out more by clicking here.
