Here is some advice ON HOW TO LEVERAGE THOSE BID
OPPORTUNITIES TO increase your jobs and grow your
company…
The bidding phase of a project
is an important time for subcontractors. On average, subs have
about 7-10 days to prepare and submit a quality bid to a General
Contractor. They can also use this time to develop a relationship
with the GC, which will help them win the job they’re bidding
and position their company for future bid opportunities with that
GC. Most projects are still competitively bid.
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In most cases, GCs look for subs to bid their projects
by attending builders’ exchanges, associations, and
construction networks.
It’s important to make sure
you have a notable presence in one or all of these networks and
promoting the qualifications of your company. Doing this increases
your chances of bidding new projects
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Always open and respond to any invitation to bid as
soon as possible.
If there’s a job you’re
interested in, inform the GC know that you’re bidding. If a
GC doesn’t get a prompt response to their bid invitations,
they usually message more subs. This increases your competition.
Suppose you realize you aren’t interested in this job; tell
the GC you’ve decided not to bid. Even if you decline
bidding, responsiveness will often lead to additional bid
opportunities from that GC.
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Carefully examine the GC’s bid invitation and any
documents they include.
You’ll want to be sure the 1)
project is geographically located in an area that you service, 2)
that you have sufficient time to organize a quality bid, and 3)
that this is a job where you are qualified to install the specified
products. Sometimes the architect doesn’t specify a
particular manufacturer or will allow an approved equivalent. This
will help you to bid your product only if it meets the technical
specifications the architect has for the project. You should also
evaluate the additional trades the project will require. It’s
possible there will be more bidding opportunities than you were
initially invited to by the GC.
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Attend any pre-bid meeding the GC
conducts.
This meeting will provide a chance
to ask questions or express any concerns about the upcoming
project. It also demonstrates commitment to the bid; the GC will
likely appreciate this. Additionally, GCs tend to favor subs that
they know personally, so a competitive edge can be gained by
establishing an early relationship.
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Call the project owner to request a complete list of GC
bidders.
If only one GC invited you to bid
on a project, the contact information of other bidders can usually
be found on the plan cover sheet. Take the time to prepare your bid
and make sure all the other bidders have your bid. This increases
your chances of winning the job.
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Include any information the GC needs to evaluate your
bid when preparing your proposal.
This includes factors like
alternates, unit prices, addendums, scope of work, and product
literature. Your proposal should clearly identify the categories
and divisions that you are bidding and emphasize any omissions or
additions with an explanation. Be sure to include the “issue
date” of any plans and specifications that you added to your
bid as a protection in the event of any discrepancies. Don’t
forget to identify your bid’s expiration date in case
there’s a delay in a decision on the project award. A delay
like this could affect the pricing stated in your bid. Finally,
make sure your company’s updated qualification form is
included. Information like this could encourage a GC to add you to
their private database, which might mean future bid
opportunities.
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Your bid should be submitted no later than the
specified day and time on the GCs invitation.
Normally, GC’s submit their
bids to the project’s owner or architect as soon as the day
after they receive their subs’ bids. Most GCs need to take a
day to review sub plans to help them prepare their “General
Contract” bid.
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Many GCs still accept subs’ bid proposals by
email, courier, or fax.
However, many GCs are now only
allowing their subs to submit bids into a cloud-based portal
that’s internet-based and private, created just for them.
This use of technology streamlines bid submittals and eliminates
the frustration of failed faxes and missed emails, especially
emails with large file attachments.
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Call the GC to get an update on the project about 2-3
weeks after your bid is submitted.
This is the time to find out if a
bid was awarded, and if so, when they will be awarding the
subcontractors. Suppose the GC was not awarded the project, ask
what GC did receive it. This could give you an additional
opportunity to win the job. Don’t hesitate to ask about
upcoming bids while you’re on the phone.
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Consider your specialties and bid on projects that
target them.
Doing this will make your bid more
competitive. Provide GCs with your company’s prior
experiences, certifications, and qualifications to increase bid
opportunities. Promoting your company’s profile in warriors
networks, such as The Blue Book Building
& Construction Network®, is the best way to go about this.
There’s nothing easy about competitive bidding.
Most of the time, subs have to bid an average of 5-10 jobs just to
win one. The tips above should help improve your Bid-Hit
ratio.
Charter Estimating is a professional electrical and
pre-construction estimating company that offers long term and
short-term estimating solutions for contractors around the nation.
Whether you are looking for part-time, full-time, or more than one
estimator, we are always here to help you further your
company’s goals. Get in
touch with us today!