Want A Contract With The City? What Every Contractor Needs Before Bidding

As a contractor, you know just how lucrative it can be for your company to land contracts with cities. Depending on the job, just one project could potentially mean millions of dollars for you and your company, and could in fact lead to even bigger jobs down the road. However, since you will likely face stiff competition from other contractors, it is important to know exactly what you will need prior to placing your bid. To make sure you are prepared, here is what you need to know before the bidding process begins.

Prepare Your Budget

Before you ever bid on a project, always prepare a budget that details not only your overhead costs, but also costs for your materials, payroll, and other expenses. To ensure your budget will be very accurate, pay a visit to the site before finalizing your budget and placing your bid. This will be crucial since most cities have pre-bid meetings with potential contractors to answer questions and go over bidding specifics.

Have the Necessary Materials

If there is one thing you don’t want to do, it is to have the winning bid for a city project, only to realize you can’t get the materials needed for the job. Once you know what you need, make sure that you have a reliable supplier. Companies like Sandhill Plastics can help you get what you need. Therefore, whether you need HDPE sheets or other essential materials for a project in which you are interested, always know you have the materials on hand prior to bidding or have arrangements in place to get the materials immediately if you have the winning bid.

Register with the City

Though not all cities require this contractors, it is always a good idea to register your company with the city. If this is a requirement in order for your company to bid on a city project, also remember to register any subcontractors you will be hiring to assist with the project.

Finalize Your Bid Packet

Last but not least, put together your bid packet ahead of time and make sure it contains everything needed. Should you submit a packet that is missing information, chances are you will be out of the running for the project. Rather than let this occur, make sure your bid packet contains your company history, verifiable work references, proof of insurance and bonding, and of course an accurate bid.

As you follow these steps in your quest to secure a lucrative city project, double-check everything along the way. From getting your questions answered at the pre-bid meeting to going over your bid packet before its submission, taking care of the details may land you and your company a very big city contract.