Most of the mortgage companies require a second bid for any property preservation or REO job over a specified dollar amount. So, if you are the first to bid on a job, your client will most likely send your bid (minus the dollar amounts) to another property preservation specialist for another bid. Whoever has the lower bid will then get the job.
At other times you will be the second contractor who is asked to provide an estimate. The work order you receive will already have the items, quantities, and measurements of the jobs for which they want you to provide a bid. What they want is two "apples to apples" bids to present to the bank. They want you to provide a bid using the same description.
What should you do if you believe the description for your 2nd bid should be altered from the one you received from your client? Suppose you measure the length of the grass differently, or the cubic yards of debris differently, or the square feet of mold differently?
As long as you are bidding to do the same work, you can change your measurements, if you need to. Just make sure that your 2nd bid encompasses the the same work that was described in the first bid. One time we received a request for a second bid to remove all of the debris in a house, measured at 110 cubic yards. We bid to remove all of the debris in the house, but measured it at 80 cubic yards. We got the bid approval.
Remember that every time you get a work order to go do any work at a property, you have an opportunity make bids on any work you believe the mortgage company needs to have performed.
Yes, it takes time and costs money to go to the property and make bids, but getting bid approvals is how you make money; don't miss any opportunity.