Project Bid Checklist

Capture owner, architect, delivery method (lump sum, GMP, CM at risk), bid due date, and addenda channel. Mismatched delivery methods are a common reason bids are disqualified at opening.

Verify the firm's contractor license is active in the project state, the classification covers the scope, and any owner-required prequal (ISNetworld, Avetta, owner PQ form) is current. On public work, confirm DBE / MWBE certifications if goals apply.

Pre-con director reviews fit: project type, geography, backlog, owner history, designer history, schedule risk. A no-go here is cheaper than a no-bid two days before submission.

Chief estimator names the lead estimator, MEP estimator, and bid coordinator. Block calendars through bid day and reserve internal review slots now.

Pull the full set from the bid portal: A, S, M, P, E, C, L, F series plus Division 0 and 1 specs. Set an addenda watch — bidding off a superseded set is the single most common disqualification.

Sign the attendance sheet — most public bids reject non-attendees. Photograph existing conditions, note logistics constraints (laydown, hoisting, access), and verify utility tie-in points against the civil drawings.

Submit clarifications on conflicts, missing details, and scope ambiguities through the bid portal. Track the RFI cutoff date — questions after the cutoff get no answer and become qualifications in your proposal.

Capture what the bid does and does not include — hazmat abatement, rock excavation, builder's risk, permits, off-hours work. Owners often strip qualifications at award; if the exclusion isn't on the bid form, assume it's in scope.

Run the takeoff in Bluebeam Revu or On-Screen Takeoff against the latest addenda set. Reconcile self-perform divisions against historical unit costs from prior projects of similar type and size.

Use crew rates burdened with current workers' comp, fringes, and payroll taxes. On Davis-Bacon or state prevailing-wage projects, price labor at the published wage determination, not standard shop rates.

Site staff (PM, super, PE, safety), trailer, dumpsters, temporary power and water, hoisting, layout, final clean. Tie GC duration to the schedule — a 14-month GC with a 10-month schedule is a common leveling-day giveback.

Project executive sets fee based on competitive landscape and risk profile. Add escalation against the schedule midpoint for steel, copper, and switchgear; add contingency for design completeness (DD vs. CD set).

Send through BuildingConnected or Procore Bid Management. Target three priced bids per scope minimum. Confirm each invitee is on the firm's approved sub list and carries required insurance limits.

On public projects with participation goals, document outreach: who was contacted, when, what scope. Good-faith-effort logs are routinely audited; missing documentation gets bids rejected even when the goal was met.

Build a leveling sheet per CSI division. Normalize inclusions, exclusions, alternates, and unit prices. The low number is rarely the apples-to-apples low number — back-charge risk lives in the gaps.

Get written quote validity dates from suppliers on long-lead items: switchgear, generators, AHUs, structural steel. Verify lead times against the construction schedule before committing.

Read the instructions to bidders for bid bond percentage (typically 5-10%) and acceptable surety rating (A.M. Best A- or better, Treasury Listed). Cashier's checks and letters of credit are sometimes accepted in lieu — confirm.

Send the bond request to the surety with project name, owner, bid amount range, and bid date. Original bond and power of attorney must be wet-signed and delivered with the hard-copy bid for most public agencies.

Pull the wage determination (Davis-Bacon for federal, state determinations for state-funded work). Confirm the project's certified-payroll cycle and WH-347 obligations before pricing labor — the rates affect both self-perform and sub pricing.

If the project is wrap-up enrolled, deduct GL and workers' comp from sub bids per the wrap manual; missing this deduct on a $40M project is a six-figure pricing error. Otherwise confirm the firm's GL, auto, umbrella, and builder's risk meet the spec.

Project executive, pre-con director, and chief estimator review the full estimate: scope coverage, sub leveling, GCs, fee, and schedule alignment. Document the final number and any last-minute scope adjustments.

Fill the owner's bid form verbatim — modifications to the form are routinely grounds for disqualification. Verify alternates, unit prices, allowance acknowledgements, and addenda acknowledgements line up with the priced estimate.

Public bid openings are absolute — one minute late is rejected. Send a runner with the hard-copy package and bond, confirm receipt at the desk, and capture the time stamp. Electronic submissions: upload at least 30 minutes early to allow for portal failures.

Save the takeoff, leveling sheets, sub quotes, RFIs, and final estimate to the bid archive. After the bid opening, log the apparent low and the spread — the historical bid-results database is the firm's best estimating tool over time.