Free bid proposal templates

Bid or construction proposals are sales documents that detail how your construction business would undertake completion of a building project. Bid proposals are important to establish the scope of the construction project, timeline and costs, and highlight your business’ track record. A concise bid proposal helps you win new construction work and also protect your small business from any disagreements if work commences.  

Construction businesses should use bid proposals for clients during the process of winning new construction project work in several situations:

1. Responding to requests for proposals (RFPs) –  Prospective clients may issue ‘requests for proposals’ (RFPs) for large and/or complex building projects. Usually government or public sector projects require formal bid submissions as part of their procurement processes. A bid proposal is your construction’ business formal response to a RFP or tender. 
2. Target new  construction projects – Sending bid proposals can become a powerful marketing tool especially when bidding for larger or more lucrative contracts. Creating professional construction proposals highlights your construction business’ proactive approach and reliability during business dealings. 
3. Partnering with other building businesses or subcontractors – Issuing a bid proposal can help define roles and responsibilities of each party in a partnership. This helps construction business partners to deliver building projects on time for external clients.

Your aim for writing an effective proposal for construction work is to demonstrate value and reliability versus simply being the lowest bidder. Follow our step-by-step guide to the bid proposal writing process:

1. Understand the requirements of the construction project – Undertake a site visit and consult with the client to understand the scope of the construction project.
2. Develop a clear construction plan – Highlight all construction and trades work that your business will perform and any materials and subcontractors that are required. 
3. Make the construction proposal – Download our free editable proposal templates for construction work. To save even more time, make and send construction proposals for clients with Bookipi’s bid proposal software. Generate pre-formatted bid proposals in minutes, make easy edits and save changes from anywhere.
4. Follow up with the client – After submitting a bid proposal, be proactive and follow up with your prospective client. Be prepared to address any clarifying questions from your client, negotiate and make revisions to your bid proposal. This shows your construction business’ reliability during the sales process and eagerness to be involved. You can also instruct clients to ‘accept’ your bid proposal and get deposits paid by clients for work to commence.

Writing a successful bid or construction proposal requires presenting a detailed construction plan in a professional format.

Follow our guide below to build a strong bid proposal with the necessary sections and elements to cover the construction project in detail: 

1. Construction project overview – Provide a summary or introduction of the construction project including any building locations and expected completion date.  
2. Scope of construction work – Provide detailed information about materials to be used and all the construction tasks that are involved including any subcontracted jobs. 
3. Cost estimates and terms – Provide a comprehensive cost breakdown for materials, labor and equipment rental. Clearly state hourly rates and any fixed cost amounts for construction services. List any construction materials required and fees for equipment rental. To protect your construction business, it’s important to include payment terms, any conditions and warranties for construction work quality.
4. Proposed timeline – Outline a proposed schedule with start and expected completion dates for different stages of the construction project
5. Your construction business’ information and safety compliance – To give prospective clients peace of mind, add information on your adherence to relevant local building codes, construction regulations and safety standards. Detail your construction business’ insurance coverage and bonding information to showcase solid risk management.
6. Examples of past construction projects – Providing client testimonials helps clients understand your track record of delivering quality construction projects. 
7. Call to action – Give clear instructions to your prospective client on next steps. Using Bookpi’s proposal maker, your prospective client can formally accept your sales proposal and/or pay a deposit securely via credit card. This can serve as formal acknowledgement that the project can commence.
8. Appendices – Attach additional supporting documents, such as technical specifications, measurements, building plans, copies of your business insurance, council permits and more. 

Try our simple bid proposal software for free to make professional construction proposals in minutes. Invest time in writing a strong bid solution and position your construction business to win a tender.