Creating a Bid

This guide walks you through the complete workflow for creating a construction bid, from client setup to final cost review.

Prerequisites

tip

Before creating a bid, ensure you have:

• Logged in with your @precisionsiteservices.com Google account
• ADMIN or ESTIMATOR role (PM is read-only)

Quick Overview

The bid creation workflow follows this structure:

🔍 Click diagram to expand

1

Create or Select Client

Navigate to the Dashboard and either select an existing client or create a new one.

Click "Add Bid" to start a new bid.

2

Enter Bid Details

Fill in the bid information:

Field	Description
Bid Number	Unique identifier (e.g., "B-2025-001")
Job Name	Project name
Location	Job site location
Client	Select from dropdown

tip

Set Tax Exempt if the client is tax-exempt. This filters taxable items from cost calculations.

3

Add Scopes

Scopes represent distinct work areas within the bid (e.g., "Foundation", "Parking Lot", "Sidewalks").

1. Open the bid
2. Click "Add Scope"
3. Enter scope name and shape
4. Click Save

note

Use the Scope Multiplier for repeated identical areas. Setting multiplier to 5 means "5 identical areas" and costs scale automatically.

4

Add Estimation Items

For each scope, add items across the 6 estimation modules:

• Concrete - Dimensions, rebar, mix design
• Labor - Crew, hours, rates
• Equipment - Rentals, fuel, delivery
• Materials - Quantities, waste factors
• Subcontractor - Pump catalog, sub pricing
• Misc - Other costs

See Estimation Modules Guide for details on each module.

5

Review Costs

Costs roll up automatically:

Items → Scope Total → Bid Total (with overhead + profit)

View the bid summary to see:

• Cost breakdown by module
• Overhead percentage applied
• Profit percentage applied
• Final bid amount

Detailed Workflow

Creating a Client

If your client doesn't exist yet:

1. Go to Dashboard
2. Click "Add Client"
3. Enter client details:
   • Company name
   • Contact name
   • Email
   • Phone
   • Address
4. Click Save

Bid Settings

Access bid settings by clicking the gear icon on the bid detail page:

Setting	Description
Tax Exempt	Excludes taxable items from calculations
Per Diem Enabled	Includes per diem costs for crew
Overhead %	Default from global variables, can override
Profit %	Default from global variables, can override

Working with Scopes

Scope Multiplier

For repeated identical work areas:

1. Edit the scope
2. Set Multiplier (e.g., 5 for 5 identical areas)
3. All costs automatically scale

warning

Multiplier affects ALL items in the scope. Use separate scopes if areas have different specifications.

Scope Linking

Link child scopes to parent scopes to inherit properties:

1. Open child scope
2. Click "Link to Parent Scope"
3. Select parent scope
4. Configure inheritance settings
5. Child inherits dimensions/materials from parent

See Scope Linking Guide for details.

Adding Concrete Items

The Concrete module is typically the first module to fill out:

1. Navigate to scope → Concrete tab
2. Click "Add Concrete Item"
3. Enter dimensions:
   • Length, Width, Depth (for slabs)
   • Diameter, Length (for cylinders)
4. Select rebar size and spacing
5. Check "Auto-add to Materials" to automatically create material entries for concrete and rebar
6. Click Save

Auto-Calculations:

• Square footage = Length × Width
• Cubic yards = (L × W × D) / 27
• Rebar cost from rebar rates table

Cost Preview

Before saving any item, the form shows a cost preview:

• Unit cost
• Extended cost
• Tax (if applicable)
• Total

This helps catch errors before saving.

Bid Lifecycle

Bids progress through these statuses:

🔍 Click diagram to expand

Status	Description	Actions
DRAFT	Initial state, fully editable	Edit, duplicate, delete
SUBMITTED	Sent to client	Edit, change status
NEGOTIATION	Under discussion	Edit, change status
AWARDED	Won the bid	Convert to project (Phase 2)
LOST	Did not win	Archive

note

Only DRAFT bids can be deleted. ADMIN role required for deletion.

Duplicating Bids

To create a copy of an existing bid:

1. Open the bid
2. Click "Duplicate Bid"
3. A deep copy is created including:
   • All scopes
   • All estimation items
   • Bid settings
4. New bid has status DRAFT

tip

Use duplication for similar projects or to create bid templates.

Best Practices

Organize scopes logically

Name scopes by work area (e.g., "Foundation", "Driveway", "Sidewalks") rather than by material type.

Use scope multipliers

Instead of duplicating scopes, use multipliers for identical areas. This keeps the bid organized and makes updates easier.

Enable auto-materialization

Check "Auto-add to Materials" when adding concrete items. This ensures concrete and rebar are tracked in the Materials module.

Review before submitting

Always review the cost rollup before changing status to SUBMITTED. Check for:

• Missing scopes
• Zero-cost items
• Reasonable totals

Next Steps

🧮

Estimation Modules

Deep dive into all 6 estimation modules

🔗

Scope Linking

Learn about parent/child scope relationships