Bid strategy and submission
Win the bid you can actually build, then submit it without a single compliance error
Most lost bids are not lost on price. They are lost to a missed addendum, a rejected bid form, an alternate left blank or a subcontractor quote that excluded half a trade. Our estimators sit beside your team through the bid cycle, advising on whether to pursue, leveling quotes, building the bid form and checking every submission requirement before the portal closes.
100%of submissions checked against the instructions to bidders before upload
- 5.0 Google
- 4.9 Trustpilot
- 4.9 Clutch
Scope of takeoff
What the service covers
Each step of the bid cycle, from the go decision through the post-bid conversation, is handled as its own deliverable.
Bid or no-bid analysis
Risk review of contract terms, bonding, schedule, owner history and your available capacity
Scored decision memo
Bid document review
Instructions to bidders, addenda, general conditions and special requirements checked for traps
Line-by-line read of Division 00 and 01
Scope letters
Trade scope definitions with inclusions, exclusions, addenda acknowledgement and quote deadline
Trade-by-trade template from drawings
Subcontractor solicitation
Bidder lists, invitations, follow-ups and tracking by trade and prequalification status
Bid list tracker
Quote leveling
Side-by-side comparison of subcontractor proposals with gaps, adds and exclusions priced to equal scope
Leveling sheet by CSI division
Bid form preparation
Base bid, alternates, unit prices, allowances and add or deduct values entered exactly as requested
Owner form checked against instructions
Alternates and unit prices
Add and deduct alternates, unit price schedules and allowances priced with their own backup
Separate takeoff per alternate
Bid-day support
Live phone and email coverage for late quotes, addenda and last-hour number changes
Dedicated bid-day estimator
Plan-room and portal submission
Upload, bid bond, sub lists and required attachments assembled and verified before the deadline
Submission checklist
Compliance check
Bonds, insurance certificates, addenda receipts, minority and local participation forms verified
Checklist sign-off
Post-bid interview prep
Talking points on schedule, staffing, value engineering and clarification of exclusions
Briefing document and rehearsal
Lessons-learned review
Win/loss comparison against the low bid and the owner's budget for future pursuits
Tabulation and variance notes
Estimate types
What type of consultation & bid submission can you get?
Match the estimate to where your project is. Every option is priced as a flat fee before work begins.
Bid strategy session
A focused review of one opportunity covering competition, risk, pricing posture and what the owner is really buying.
Accuracy
Decision memo with scored risks
Turnaround
24 hours
Best for
Contractors deciding whether to pursue
98%
takeoff accuracy on awarded projects
Why LEEDS
Why contractors switch to LEEDS
An estimating desk that behaves like an extension of your team, not a software subscription.
Estimators who have submitted public and, private bids and know which compliance errors get a bid thrown out.
A written bid or no-bid memo so the decision is documented, defensible and tied to your actual capacity.
Scope letters tailored to the drawings rather, than a generic template sent to every subcontractor.
Quote leveling that adjusts for missing scope, instead of simply picking the lowest number on the sheet.
Addendum tracking that flags changes to quantities, alternates and bid forms before the final number is released.
Support for plan-room, email and owner portal submissions, including bid bond and attachment verification.
Process
How our estimating process works
Four steps from upload to a bid-ready estimate, with a senior estimator signing off before anything leaves our desk.
- 1
Upload plans and scope
Send your drawings, specifications and bid invitation through the secure upload form. We confirm scope, deadline and a fixed price within two business hours.
- 2
Digital quantity takeoff
Estimators measure every item from calibrated plans in Bluebeam and PlanSwift, color-coding each layer so quantities can be traced back to the drawing.
- 3
Pricing and labor
Quantities are priced with location-adjusted material costs, crew productivity rates and equipment, then marked up to your overhead and profit targets.
- 4
Senior review and delivery
A second estimator audits quantities and pricing, documents assumptions and exclusions, and delivers your Excel workbook, PDF summary and marked-up plans.
Overview
Where consultation ends and submission begins
Consultation starts with the bid documents and a plain question: should you bid this job at all. We read the instructions to bidders, bonding and insurance requirements, liquidated damages, owner history and prequalification rules, then compare them with your capacity, crew availability and the likely competition. A written bid or no-bid memo gives your leadership a basis for the decision, not a gut call at the last minute.
Once you commit, the work shifts to execution. We issue scope letters to subcontractors that define inclusions, exclusions and addenda, collect quotes, and level them line by line so a low number is not low because of a missing scope item. Alternates, allowances and unit prices are priced separately and carried to the bid form exactly as the owner requested.
On bid day we stay with your team, track late quotes, adjust for last-minute addenda, and check the form against the instructions before it goes out. After the bid, we help prepare for interviews, value engineering and scope clarification so a low bidder converts to a contract without surprises.
Deliverables
What's included in your estimate package
Every deliverable is formatted so it can go straight into a proposal, a purchase order or an owner report.
- XLSX
Estimate workbook
Quantities, unit costs, labor hours and totals organized by CSI division, with subtotals, markups and a bid summary tab.
- PDF
Marked-up plans
Color-coded takeoff drawings showing exactly where every measured quantity came from.
- XLSX
Material procurement list
Consolidated material quantities with waste factors applied, ready to send to suppliers for quotes.
- XLSX
Labor hours by task
Crew-based labor hours and productivity rates so you can check the schedule against the estimate.
- PDF
Assumptions and exclusions log
Every clarification, allowance and exclusion documented so your proposal scope is defensible.
- PDF
Bid summary sheet
A proposal-ready one-page summary with overhead, profit, bonds and contingency applied.
Clients
Who relies on our estimates
From single-trade subs to national developers, every client gets the same measured-twice standard.
Reviews
What contractors say after their first bid with us
What general contractors, subcontractors and developers say after bidding with our numbers.
“We were turning down bids because our two in-house estimators were buried. LEEDS gave us division-by-division numbers in 48 hours that leveled cleanly against our sub quotes. We bid 40% more work last quarter and our hit rate went up, not down.”
Marcus Whitfield
Chief Estimator, Whitfield Commercial Builders · Charlotte, NC
“Having a design-development estimate before we finished CDs let us value-engineer the envelope while it still mattered. Clear, fast, and the estimators speak our language.”
Aisha Bello
Principal, Bello Architecture Studio · Atlanta, GA
“Squares, underlayment, flashing lengths, fastener counts, even the ridge vent. The waste factors were right for the roof pitch. Bid-ready out of the box.”
Greg Lindqvist
Estimator, Summit Roofing Co. · Kansas City, MO
Project types
Project types we estimate
The same measured-twice standard applies whether the scope is a tenant improvement or a ground-up campus.
FAQ
Consultation & Bid Submission FAQs
What does a bid or no-bid analysis include?
We review the instructions to bidders, contract terms, bonding and insurance needs, liquidated damages, schedule, owner history and your available capacity. The result is a short memo that scores the risks and gives a recommendation, so you can decide before spending days on a takeoff.
Can you submit the bid on our behalf?
We prepare the complete submission package and can upload it to the portal or email it from your account when you authorize that. Most contractors prefer to press the final button themselves, so we verify the form, bond and attachments and hand you a signed-off checklist.
How do you level subcontractor quotes?
We lay each proposal against a common scope outline by CSI division and mark inclusions, exclusions, alternates and clarifications. Missing items are priced from our estimate or a budget allowance, so the comparison is on equal scope. The sheet shows adjusted totals and recommends which bids to carry.
Do you handle alternates, allowances and unit prices?
Yes. Each alternate is priced with its own takeoff and backup so you can see what it adds or deducts. Allowances and unit prices follow the format in the bid form, and we cross-check them against the specification so quantities and descriptions match the owner's documents.
What support do you provide on bid day?
A dedicated estimator stays on call through the final hours to absorb late quotes, run addenda changes, update the bid form and check totals. You get a short checklist to confirm before submission, and we stay reachable until the portal closes or the sealed bid is delivered.
Do you help after the bid is opened?
Yes. We prepare talking points for post-bid interviews, respond to owner clarifications, price value engineering ideas and compare your number with the low bidder. If you lose, we document the variance in a short review so the next pursuit starts with better data.
Related
Related estimating services
Most projects need more than one trade. Bundle them into a single upload and we price the whole scope together.
Blog
Insights from the estimating desk
Practical guidance on bidding, takeoffs and protecting margin.
Ready for a consultation & bid submission quote?
Upload your plans and get a fixed quote within 2 business hours. Most estimates are delivered in 24–48 hours.