How to Write a Construction Bid

When submitting a bid proposal for a construction project, you are competing against other businesses in trying to convince a client to hire you. It is important that your bid looks professional and that it includes all of the information your client needs. Looking at templates of construction proposals can be helpful in learning the technique, and the instructions below will guide you through the basic steps to take when writing a construction bid.

Steps

1. Put the name of your business at the top of the bid.
   
   • You may wish to include the company logo.
   • Add the year in which your business was established.
2. List the name of the project and any other relevant information for identifying it, such as an address of the construction site.
3. Use a polite, professional tone when writing a bid. Proofread it for proper spelling and grammar.
4. Determine the cost of the project. Underestimating the cost of the work will result in loss of profit by the end of the project, because you will have to cover the unanticipated costs yourself and accept the payment you originally agreed upon.
   
   • Factor in the costs of all the materials needed to complete the project.
   • Calculate the full cost of labor. If you are hiring sub-contractors to work on the project, it helps to research their costs, reliability, reputation, etc.
   • If the project is not going to start for a year or more, be sure to anticipate possible inflation and rising prices of materials.
   • Be sure to factor in the cost of liability insurance, which will be higher for work done with a large corporation than it will be for smaller businesses.
5. Summarize your intentions for the construction project. In a clear, straightforward manner, explain what work will be done.
   
   • Include information about the number of workers who will be needed to complete the project.
   • Don't use construction jargon and details that are not relevant to the client's understanding of the project. Do, however, mention any possible nuisances that might surface during the construction. Examples of this would be loud saws and drills or large equipment that needs to gain access to the construction site.
6. Add any other stipulations for the project that might be particular to your business.
7. List the expected date for starting the project, as well as the deadline. The deadline for a project should be the very last day, when the construction area has been cleaned and the equipment has been moved out.
8. Include your proposed price for completing the construction as described.
   
   • You may wish to break up the costs for the client. For example, you can have a line of text explaining how much the equipment and parts cost and another line below that explaining the cost of hiring workers, and so on.
9. Dedicate a section of the bid to listing the major equipment you intend to use in the process, such as forklifts or jackhammers. The client will likely want to have some idea of what the whole process will involve.
10. Consider including information about a major project your business has completed recently. This can add credibility to your business and your bid.
11. Put the date at the bottom of the bid, with any necessary names and contact information.

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