Your bid is the
first thing
they judge.
Turn spreadsheet chaos into polished proposals that land in their inbox before the competitor's PDF even loads.
hey john — here's the numbers i ran. let me know if the markup looks off, i think i forgot the concrete pump rental again lol
also the steel prices are from like 3 weeks ago so probably add 8-12% idk
attached the excel but some of the cells are broken, just look at the highlighted ones
steel ~ $77k?? maybe 80
concrete — check with rick
labor markup 22% or 25%
don't forget pump rental !!!!
elec — ask Dave
total ~$340k
total ~$360k (with contingency)
* need to send before friday
* check bond requirements
Construction doesn't have a pricing problem.
It has a presentation problem.
Your numbers are right. Your crews are solid. But if the proposal looks like it was assembled at 11pm the night before — because it was — you're leaving jobs on the table.
The version control nightmare
quote_FINAL_v2_use_this_one_revised_ACTUAL_FINAL.xlsx. Every estimator has a folder that looks like this. When the GC calls asking for line 47, nobody knows which version they sent.
The forgotten line items
Concrete pump rental. Temporary power hookup. Dumpster fees. Change order markup. These aren't exotic — they're standard. But they disappear in the scramble, and you eat the cost.
Hours lost to reformatting
Your scope is solid. Your pricing is sharp. But you're spending Tuesday night dragging cells in Word, fighting tab stops, and wondering why the logo is pixelated again.
The client perception gap
A GC choosing between two subs at equal price picks the one that looks like they run a tight operation. Your proposal is the only thing they see before the job starts.
Here's what the other column looks like.
The difference is visible before you start typing.
Every row below is a real scenario from real contractors. The left column is where they started. The right is where they are now.
This is what your client receives.
Select your trade, then click through the tabs. This is the actual output — not a mockup.
Riverside Commercial Tower — Phase 2
Prepared for: Hartwell Development Group
The next proposal you send
should be your best one.
Build your first proposal free — no templates to rebuild, no credit card, no estimator required. Just your scope, your numbers, and a PDF that wins.