Course outline
Reading an invitation to bid: the ten-minute checklist
Before you open the drawings, read the invitation and the instructions to bidders for ten facts: which bid package includes flooring, the subcontractor due date and time, how to submit, any mandatory pre-bid meeting, the question deadline, public or private and wage rules, bonding, insurance and participation requirements, required alternates and unit prices, and who the GC estimator is. Those facts drive both your bid decision and your price.
By Michael Reddy, IntelBid
After this lesson you can
- Pull the ten decision-making facts from any invitation quickly
- Recognize requirements that can disqualify a bid if missed
- Record every invitation the same way for your team
An invitation to bid is short, but it points to instructions that decide whether your number counts at all. Missing a mandatory site walk or a required alternate can knock out a well-priced bid. This checklist is what to capture before your bid-or-no-bid decision.
The ten-item checklist
| Item | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Scope package | Which bid package or spec sections include flooring — flooring alone, all finishes, or flooring plus base and tile | You may be asked to price work you don't do, or another trade may carry part of your scope |
| 2. Sub due date and time | The GC's deadline for subcontractor numbers, and its time zone | Late numbers usually miss the bid tab |
| 3. How to submit | Platform upload, email, the GC's bid form, or a sealed bid on public work | The wrong format can mean rejection |
| 4. Pre-bid meeting or site walk | Date, place, and whether attendance is mandatory | Skipping a mandatory walk can disqualify the bid |
| 5. Question deadline | The last day to submit questions during bidding | After it, qualify your assumptions instead |
| 6. Public or private; wage rules | Prevailing wage, certified payroll, project labor agreements | Changes labor cost and paperwork significantly |
| 7. Bonding | A bid bond, or performance and payment bonds on award | Needs surety capacity and belongs in your price |
| 8. Insurance and participation | Insurance exhibit, OCIP/CCIP programs, small or disadvantaged business goals | Affects cost and whether you're eligible |
| 9. Alternates and unit prices | Add or deduct alternates and unit prices required on the bid form | Leaving out a required item can make your bid non-responsive |
| 10. People and documents | The GC estimator's name and contact, the document link and when access expires | You'll need both for questions — and some links stop working |
Where does each item hide?
- The invitation email or platform page: project, GC, due date and time, document link and contact.
- Instructions to bidders (often in Division 00, the bidding requirements): submission rules, pre-bid meetings, question deadlines, bid validity and bonding.
- The bid form: required alternates, unit prices and addenda acknowledgement.
- Division 01 and supplementary conditions: insurance, wage requirements, schedule constraints, cleaning and closeout.
- Division 09 and the finish plans: the actual flooring scope — covered in bid packages and addenda.
Record every invitation the same way
Whether you use a spreadsheet or software, capture the same fields for every invitation. It makes bid decisions faster, keeps your whole team working from the same facts, and over time shows which GCs, project types and sizes you actually win.
What should a subcontractor look for in an invitation to bid?
The flooring scope package, the subcontractor due date and time, the submission method, pre-bid meeting and question deadlines, public or private status and wage rules, bonding, insurance and participation requirements, required alternates and unit prices, and the GC contact.
What makes a subcontractor bid non-responsive?
Common causes include missing a mandatory pre-bid meeting, submitting late or in the wrong format, leaving out required alternates or unit prices, and not acknowledging addenda. The instructions to bidders list what's required.
Where are the instructions to bidders?
Usually at the front of the project manual — often Division 00 or the bidding requirements — and sometimes on the GC's bid platform page.
Key points
- Read the invitation and the instructions to bidders before the drawings.
- Mandatory walks, submission formats and required alternates can disqualify a good price.
- Capture the same fields for every invitation.
The invitation, already read
IntelBid reads each invitation as it arrives and fills in the project name, GC, location and bid due date, keeping the attachments and plan-room link with the bid. You check and approve it instead of retyping it — and because every bid carries the same fields, your win rate by GC builds itself.
Start your free trialEvery trial starts with a sample project loaded, so you can try this before connecting anything.
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About the author. Michael Reddy builds IntelBid, bid management software for commercial flooring subcontractors. These lessons come from the bid desk: how the work is priced, won and paid for.