Bid Day Checklist for General Contractors
Bid day is when missing coverage turns into lost money. Use this checklist to make sure every scope has a number you trust before you submit.
A week out
- Confirm every trade in the bid package has at least two invited bidders, and call to confirm they are actually pricing it.
- Send addenda to every bidder and ask them to acknowledge receipt.
- Resolve open RFIs, or decide how you will carry the risk.
- Confirm bid bond, insurance and license requirements for your own submission.
The day before
- Call any bidder who has not confirmed
- Agree on how and when quotes will arrive (phone, email, portal) and who records them
- Prepare a bid form so every sub quote is captured the same way
On the day
- Record each quote with time received, scope included, exclusions, alternates and addenda acknowledged.
- Ask each bidder what they excluded. A low number with long exclusions is not a low number.
- Watch for late changes and keep a running log of who called with what.
- Leave time to review before the owner's deadline. Plan to finish pricing well before the submission cutoff.
Level the bids
Compare subs on the same scope. Add back what each one excluded, price the gaps, and note the unit prices and alternates. Choose the number you can actually build for, not just the lowest one.
After the bid
- Thank the subs who priced it and tell them the outcome
- Keep notes on who responded well, for next time
- If you win, issue subcontracts quickly so prices and availability hold
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Find a Sub →General information for contractors, not legal or insurance advice. Licensing, insurance and lien rules change; confirm current South Carolina requirements with the state or an attorney.