Bidding guides
Finding work, pricing it and winning it: bid packages, invitations, leveling and award.
Bidding
How Do You Answer Bidder Questions During a Bid?
How a GC handles pre-bid questions from subs: one written channel, a question log, answers to every bidder, and when an answer must become an addendum.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Calculate Concrete for a Slab?
How to calculate cubic yards of concrete for a slab, footings and piers: the formulas, a worked example, and how much extra to order and why.
· 6 min read
Bidding
How Do You Calculate Labor Burden for a Crew?
Calculate labor burden for a crew: payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance and benefits over wages, then the cost per productive hour to bid with.
· 6 min read
Bidding
How Do You Decide Whether to Bid a Job?
A go/no-go method for general contractors: the factors to score before estimating, how to weight them, and a worked score for a fictional clinic.
· 8 min read
Bidding
How Do You Do a Quantity Takeoff?
How a subcontractor does a quantity takeoff: scope from the specs, written dimensions, units, waste, a sheet reference on every line and a check.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Estimate a Bathroom Remodel?
How a remodeler estimates a bathroom: measure wet areas, take off tile and waterproofing, price each line, carry allowances, add contingency and markup.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Estimate a Home Addition?
How a builder estimates a home addition line by line: design, permits, foundation, shell, systems, finishes and the tie-in, with a worked example.
· 6 min read
Bidding
How Do You Prequalify a Subcontractor?
How a GC prequalifies a subcontractor before inviting it to bid: the questionnaire, the checks, a dollar limit per job, and a worked example.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Price a Bid Alternate?
Price add and deduct bid alternates: each trade's alternate price, your own work, the base bid's markups, and what each one includes.
· 6 min read
Bidding
How Do You Price General Conditions?
Price general conditions from the schedule: staff by the weeks on site, facilities by the month, fixed items as lump sums, and a weekly delay rate.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Read Construction Drawings Before You Bid?
How a subcontractor reads a drawing set before bidding: the index and notes, your sheets and everyone else's, details, schedules, specs and gaps.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Spot a Sub Bid That Is Too Low?
How a GC tells a sub bid that is too low from a good price: the checks after leveling, a worked plumbing example, and how to ask the bidder to verify.
· 8 min read
Bidding
How Do You Write a Bid Addendum?
How a GC writes a bid addendum to trade bidders: what goes in it, how to word each change, when to send it, and how to collect acknowledgments.
· 8 min read
Bidding
How Does a Subcontractor Get on a GC's Bid List?
How a subcontractor gets onto a general contractor's bid list: who to contact, the capability sheet and prequal packet to send, and how to stay invited.
· 6 min read
Bidding
How Door and Hardware Subs Bid Commercial Work
How door, frame and hardware subs bid commercial work: counting openings, the hardware schedule submittal, keying, frames by whom, and fire-rated labels.
· 10 min read
Bidding
How Earthwork Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How an earthwork and site utility sub bids and bills commercial work: scope splits, unit prices for rock and bad soil, haul math, trench costs, a pay app.
· 8 min read
Bidding
How Elevator Contractors Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How elevator contractors bid commercial work and bill it: work by others, the order-by date from approved drawings, a milestone SOV and acceptance.
· 9 min read
Bidding
How Fire Sprinkler Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How fire sprinkler subs bid design-build work and bill it: the basis of design, hydraulic calcs, the fire marshal's review, tests and a pay period.
· 10 min read
Bidding
How Flooring Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How commercial flooring subs take off and order carpet, LVT and base, settle slab moisture testing and prep with the GC, and bill material and labor.
· 11 min read
Bidding
How Glazing Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How glazing subs bid curtain wall and storefront: takeoff units, the clarifications that protect you, the engineering and mockup submittals, and billing.
· 10 min read
Bidding
How Insulation Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How insulation subs bid commercial work: the thermal, firestopping and mechanical insulation splits, takeoff units, submittals and an SOV by floor.
· 10 min read
Bidding
How Low-Voltage Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How low-voltage subs bid data, security and AV work: the split with the electrical sub, a takeoff by drops, testing and labeling, and an SOV to bill.
· 9 min read
Bidding
How Masonry Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How masonry subs bid commercial work in units and bill it: block and brick counts, grout and rebar, the mock-up panel, weather, and the lintel line.
· 10 min read
Bidding
How Much Overhead and Profit Should a GC Carry?
Work out a GC's overhead and profit from its own books: home-office overhead over annual volume, plus target profit, turned into the markup a bid needs.
· 6 min read
Bidding
How Painting Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How commercial painting subs take off by surface and coating system, price from production rates, clarify damage by others and bill prime and finish coats.
· 12 min read
Bidding
How Should an Owner Build a Conceptual Estimate?
Build a conceptual estimate as GSA does: cost per square foot by system, then design contingency, markups, escalation and construction contingency.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Should an Owner Write an RFP for a GC?
What an owner's RFP to general contractors contains: the sections, a fee form that compares, stated evaluation weights, the schedule, and a worked example.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Steel Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How structural steel subs bid commercial work by the ton and bill it: shop drawings as the release to fabricate, mill material and a spend-based SOV.
· 11 min read
Bidding
How Should an Owner Choose a General Contractor?
How a commercial owner chooses a general contractor: pick the delivery method, shortlist on qualifications, check bonding and references, then price.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How to Write a Scope of Work for a Subcontractor
Write a subcontractor scope of work from the drawings and specs: a summary, numbered inclusions, named exclusions, alternates and the documents behind it.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Estimate a Kitchen Remodel?
How a remodeler estimates a kitchen: line items by trade, allowances for the client's picks, contingency and markup, with a worked $63,000 example.
· 6 min read
Bidding
How HVAC Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How HVAC subs bid commercial mechanical work and bill it: equipment lead times, clarifications, a schedule of values and stored-equipment billing.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Roofing Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How a commercial roofing sub bids and bills: the manufacturer warranty the spec requires, approved-applicator status, stored materials and closeout.
· 6 min read
Bidding
Markup vs Margin: How Should a Contractor Price Work?
Markup is a percentage of cost; margin is a percentage of price. A 20% markup is a 16.7% margin. Conversion table and a worked remodel example.
· 5 min read
Bidding
How Drywall and Framing Subs Bid Commercial Work
How drywall and metal framing subs bid commercial work: the scope gaps at blocking, firestopping and finish levels, priced in a worked example.
· 6 min read
Bidding
How Plumbing Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How plumbing subs bid commercial work and bill it in phases (underground, rough-in, finish), with clarifications, a schedule of values and an example.
· 6 min read
Bidding
How to Write a Sub Proposal a GC Can Level
Write a subcontractor bid proposal the GC can level: match its scope items, break out prices, price exclusions, and see what the GC does with each line.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Concrete Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How a concrete subcontractor bids and bills commercial work: lump sum vs unit prices, the testing before and after each pour, and a worked pay app.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Bid a GC's Job as a Subcontractor?
How a subcontractor bids commercial work for a GC: choosing jobs, reading the invitation, pricing, writing a bid the GC can level, and what comes after.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Electrical Subs Bid and Bill Commercial Work
How electrical subs bid commercial work and bill it: clarifications, a schedule of values with rough-in, gear and trim, and stored switchgear.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Build an Estimate From Sub Bids?
Build a GC estimate from sub bids: plug each division, carry the leveled bid in place of the plug, add your own work and general conditions, then markups.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Level Subcontractor Bids?
Level subcontractor bids by pricing every scope gap, exclusion and missing addendum so each bid covers the same work, then compare the leveled totals.
· 9 min read
Bidding
How Do You Send an Invitation to Bid to Subs?
What an invitation to bid to subs includes, how to send it, and how to run questions and addenda so every bid prices the same scope, with an example.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Do You Break a Job Into Bid Packages?
Split a job into bid packages by trade: start from the CSI divisions, group what one kind of sub performs, and give every boundary item one home.
· 7 min read
Bidding
How Should an Owner Compare Contractor Proposals?
How an owner compares general contractor proposals: put them on one sheet, price every exclusion and allowance, check schedule and terms, then decide.
· 6 min read