Pre-Bid Estimating Support: Solicitation Review, Addenda, RFIs and Bid Preparation

Pre-Bid Estimating Support covers the work done between finding a solicitation and submitting a complete bid: reviewing documents, tracking addenda, raising RFIs, taking off quantities, pricing and preparing the bid package.

Most bids are won or lost before bid day. Bid Sharp supports your team through the pre-bid phase so your proposal is complete, compliant and competitive.

Solicitation and bid-document review

We read the instructions to bidders, bid form, supplementary conditions, Division 00 and 01 documents, and the specification sections for your trade, and produce a short compliance summary: due date, bid security, bonds, insurance, wage requirements and required forms. See how to read a construction solicitation.

Addenda, RFIs and pre-bid meetings

We maintain an addendum log, flag conflicts between drawings and specifications as RFIs with sheet and section references, and capture pre-bid meeting and site-visit notes. Our pre-bid checklist covers every step.

Takeoff, pricing, alternates and unit prices

We complete the quantity takeoff and pricing and price alternates, allowances and unit prices to match the bid form.

What you receive

• Solicitation compliance summary
• Addenda and RFI logs
• Quantity takeoff and priced estimate
• Alternate, allowance and unit-price schedule
• Bid-form pricing support

Technical scope and terminology we work with

• Invitation for Bid (IFB), Invitation to Bid (ITB), RFP and RFQ
• Instructions to bidders, bid form and bid security
• Addenda, bulletins, RFIs and pre-bid conferences
• Responsive and responsible bidder
• Alternates, allowances and unit prices
• Prequalification, licensing, bonding and insurance

Who this service is for

General contractors and subcontractors preparing public and private bids.

How it works

1. Send the solicitation documents and your bid date.
2. We confirm scope and schedule.
3. We review, take off and price.
4. We update everything when addenda arrive.

Software, standards and file formats

We work in PlanSwift and Bluebeam Revu for digital takeoff and markup, Excel and RSMeans-style cost data for pricing, Oracle Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project for scheduling, and AutoCAD-compatible formats for drawings. Deliverables are provided as Excel, PDF and, where relevant, DWG files, organized by CSI MasterFormat.

When to use this service

Use pre-bid estimating support when a bid date is close, when your team is stretched across projects, when you need an independent check of your own numbers or drawings, or when you want consistent deliverables in the same format every time. Tell us the due date when you request a quote so the schedule can be planned around it.

Engagement options

• One project: order pre-bid estimating support for a single bid or job and receive a firm price and turnaround before we start.
• Several trades or divisions: combine this service with related scopes so quantities, drawings and pricing agree.
• Bid-season capacity: send multiple projects with their due dates and we schedule the work to hit each one.
• Ongoing support: repeat-volume contractors can agree standard formats, cost codes and turnaround so every delivery drops straight into their process.

Quality control, confidentiality and communication

Every deliverable is reviewed by a second team member before it reaches you, and assumptions, inclusions and exclusions are written down so they can be checked. If information is missing we send a short list of questions rather than guessing, and we tell you which assumption we used when a question cannot be answered in time. Your plans, specifications and files are used only to prepare your project work and are not shared publicly; see our privacy policy.

Related services, guides and pages

• Construction estimating and quantity takeoff
• Pre-bid, solicitation response and post-bid support
• Shop drawings, structural drafting and permit drawings
• Public bid estimating, pricing, samples, FAQ and bidding glossary

Pre-bid timeline

1. Bid opportunity identified: go/no-go on capacity, bonding, location and fit.
2. Documents obtained: drawings, specifications, bid form, instructions and any prior addenda.
3. Pre-bid meeting and site visit: notes, questions and logistics captured.
4. RFI deadline: conflicts submitted in writing.
5. Takeoff and pricing: quantities, alternates and unit prices.
6. Final addenda and bid day: last-minute changes priced and the package completed.

What causes bids to fail

• Missed or unacknowledged addenda
• Pricing from superseded drawing revisions
• Blank or inconsistent unit-price and alternate lines
• Scope gaps between trades and unclear exclusions
• Missing bid security, signatures or required forms
• Late submission or a portal problem on bid day

Our process controls each of these. Read the pre-bid checklist and see solicitation response support.

What we need from you

The solicitation and every addendum, the drawings and specifications, your trades and markups, subcontractor lists and the bid due time. If the bid is due soon, tell us the exact deadline so we can plan the work backwards from it.