Public Project Estimating for General Contractors

Public bid estimating is the preparation of takeoffs, pricing and bid packages for projects advertised by federal, state and local agencies, school districts, universities, utilities and other public owners. These solicitations follow formal procurement rules: sealed bids, strict deadlines, specific forms and often wage and bonding requirements. Bid Sharp helps general contractors and subcontractors prepare complete, responsive public bids from the drawings, specifications and addenda.

Types of public solicitations we support

• Invitation for Bid (IFB) or Invitation to Bid (ITB): sealed, price-based; award normally goes to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
• Request for Proposal (RFP): evaluated on qualifications, approach and price against stated criteria.
• Request for Qualifications (RFQ): shortlisting by experience and capability.
• Job-order and unit-price contracts: pricing against unit-price books and adjustment factors.

What we review in a public solicitation

• Notice and instructions to bidders: due date and time, delivery method, mandatory pre-bid meetings, bid validity period
• Bid form: base bid, alternates, unit prices, allowances, addendum acknowledgments, subcontractor lists
• Contract conditions: payment, retainage, liquidated damages, insurance, bonds, change orders
• Division 01 General Requirements and the technical specification sections for your trades
• Drawings, addenda and bulletins
• Wage determinations or labor provisions, and small, local or disadvantaged business participation goals

Prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon on public work

Federally funded or assisted construction is generally covered by the Davis-Bacon Act and related acts, which require payment of locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits determined by the U.S. Department of Labor. Many states and local governments have their own prevailing-wage laws for public works. We price labor using the wage determination stated in your solicitation, including fringe benefits, payroll burden and the administrative cost of certified payroll. Read our guide to prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon for estimators.

Official sources: SAM.gov wage determinations and the U.S. Department of Labor — Davis-Bacon and related acts. Last reviewed: October 1, 2026. Rates and requirements change — always confirm the current requirements with the awarding agency.

Bid security, bonds and insurance

Public solicitations commonly require bid security (a bid bond or certified check, often a percentage of the bid), performance and payment bonds on award and specific insurance limits. We list these requirements at the start so the bidder can confirm capacity before spending estimating time.

Pre-bid, bid-day and post-bid support

• Pre-bid: solicitation review, addenda log, RFIs, takeoff, pricing and bid-form support. See pre-bid estimating support.
• Bid day: final pricing check, alternates and unit prices, subcontractor coverage and bid-form completeness.
• Post-bid: bid tabulation review, bid leveling, clarifications and buyout. See post-bid support.

Public project types

Schools and universities, healthcare and clinics, municipal buildings, public safety facilities, libraries, parks and recreation, water and wastewater, roads and utilities, military and federal buildings. We estimate by CSI division, from Division 01 general requirements through Division 33 utilities.

Finding public projects

Contractors find public bids through agency procurement portals, plan rooms and bid networks, for example SAM.gov for federal work, state portals such as Texas ESBD and Cal eProcure, and local city, county and school-district sites. If you found a project there, send us the drawings or the link. Bid Sharp is independent and is not affiliated with any agency or bidding platform.

What you receive

• Quantity takeoff and priced estimate by CSI division
• Alternate, allowance and unit-price schedules matched to the bid form
• Compliance checklist: forms, bonds, insurance, wage and goal requirements
• Addenda log and RFI list
• Scope sheets and bid-leveling sheets when subcontractors are involved

The contractor reviews, signs and submits the bid in its own name. See our solicitation response support and FAQ.