Bidding Commercial Flooring

Modules

1. 0

   Module 0: How commercial bidding works

   Who's who on a commercial job, what arrives with an invitation, the kinds of bids, and the path from bid day to a signed subcontract.

   1. How commercial construction bidding works for a flooring subcontractor5 min
   2. Bid packages, plan rooms and addenda: what arrives with an invitation4 min
   3. Hard bid, negotiated and design-assist: the kinds of commercial bids4 min
   4. Bid day and after: from your proposal to a signed subcontract4 min
   5. Module 0 quiz5 questions
2. 1

   Module 1: The money: what you're getting into

   How commercial jobs pay, retainage, pay-if-paid clauses, bonds and insurance — and the tactics that get you paid faster.

   1. How money moves on a commercial job5 min
   2. How retainage works, and what it does to your profit4 min
   3. Pay-if-paid vs. pay-when-paid: the clause that decides who carries the risk4 min
   4. Bonds, insurance and prequalification: the cost of getting in the door5 min
   5. Getting paid faster: deposits, early-pay discounts and stored materials5 min
   6. Supplier lien rights: turning collection into two against one5 min
   7. Module 1 quiz5 questions
3. 2

   Module 2: Finding and qualifying bids

   Where commercial work comes from, bid-or-no-bid decisions, due dates and estimating workload, and reading an invitation to bid.

   1. Where commercial flooring bids come from4 min
   2. Bid or no bid: deciding which jobs are worth pricing5 min
   3. Bid due dates and estimating workload: planning the week4 min
   4. Reading an invitation to bid: the ten-minute checklist3 min
   5. Module 2 quiz5 questions
4. 3

   Module 3: Reading the documents

   Division 09 specs, the finish schedule against the legend, alternates, unit prices and submittals.

   1. Reading the finish schedule, legend and finish plans4 min
   2. Reading flooring specifications: what to pull from Parts 1, 2 and 34 min
   3. Alternates, unit prices and allowances4 min
   4. Submittals and substitutions: pricing what happens after award3 min
   5. Module 3 quiz5 questions
5. 4

   Module 4: Takeoff

   Area by product and zone, linear feet of base and transitions, counts, waste and attic stock.

   1. Measuring flooring area by product and zone4 min
   2. Wall base, transitions, stairs and counts3 min
   3. From takeoff to order: waste, attic stock and full cartons3 min
   4. Taking off floor prep, moisture testing and demolition4 min
   5. Module 4 quiz5 questions
6. 5

   Module 5: Pricing labor and material

   Install rates from your own history, burdened labor, prevailing wage, freight, prep and mobilizations.

   1. Pricing labor from your own production rates4 min
   2. Burdened labor rates: what an hour of labor really costs3 min
   3. Pricing material: quotes, setting materials, freight and tax4 min
   4. Mobilization, access and site conditions3 min
   5. Module 5 quiz5 questions
7. 6

   Module 6: Overhead, markup and margin

   Overhead as a share of revenue, why doubling direct cost is a 50% margin, contingency and bond cost.

   1. Overhead: calculating the rate that keeps the lights on3 min
   2. Markup vs. margin: the mistake that quietly cuts your profit3 min
   3. Building the bid price: contingency, bond cost and profit4 min
   4. Checking your bid price and setting a walk-away number4 min
   5. Module 6 quiz5 questions
8. 7

   Module 7: Scope, qualifications and exclusions

   Moisture, flatness, abatement and furniture — writing exclusions that hold up.

   1. Writing inclusions, exclusions and qualifications that hold up3 min
   2. Qualifying concrete moisture: the exclusion that saves flooring jobs3 min
   3. Floor flatness and prep: qualifying the substrate you'll accept3 min
   4. Existing conditions, hazardous materials and work by others3 min
   5. Module 7 quiz5 questions
9. 8

   Module 8: Building the proposal

   What a GC scans for, pricing per GC, alternates, versions and sending on time.

   1. What a flooring proposal needs: the sections GCs scan for4 min
   2. Pricing one project for several GCs3 min
   3. Proposal versions and revisions: changing a price without confusion3 min
   4. Sending the proposal: format, timing and confirmation3 min
   5. Module 8 quiz5 questions
10. 9

    Module 9: Bid day, follow-up and win rate

    A bid-day playbook, reading GC replies and bid results, following up with every GC, and learning from wins and losses.

    1. Bid day: a playbook for the last 24 hours3 min
    2. Reading GC replies and bid results3 min
    3. Following up with every GC on the same bid3 min
    4. Learning from wins and losses: debriefs that change your next bid3 min
    5. Module 9 quiz5 questions
11. 10

    Module 10: Won it: contract to closeout

    Subcontract red flags, schedule of values, pay applications, change orders, lien rights and closeout.

    1. Reviewing the subcontract: the clauses that decide whether a job pays4 min
    2. Building a schedule of values that gets you paid3 min
    3. Billing pay applications line by line3 min
    4. Change orders: notice, pricing and getting paid for extra work3 min
    5. Closeout: punch list, documents, retainage and final payment3 min
    6. Module 10 quiz5 questions
12. 11

    Module 11: Capstone: bid the Amazon Distribution job

    Bid a real package from start to finish — read the documents, take off and price three finishes, write the proposal for two GCs — then run the same job through IntelBid's sample project.

    1. Capstone part 1: read the Amazon Distribution package4 min
    2. Capstone part 2: take off and price the three finishes3 min
    3. Capstone part 3: write the proposal and run the job in IntelBid3 min