The single most useful idea in comparing bids: don't compare the prices on the page — compare what each bid would cost once it covers the same complete job. That adjusted number is the true cost, or the normalized bid.
How it's calculated
Start with a complete scope of the work. For each bid, take its sticker total and add back the value of every required item it left out (priced from what the other bids charge for that work). Sticker price plus priced gaps equals true cost.
Why it changes the answer
A $48,000 bid covering 70% of the job can carry a higher true cost than a $61,000 bid covering all of it — which flips the ranking. Comparing true cost is how you stop a bid from looking cheap simply by doing less. It's the core of how BidsScores ranks every project.