What General Contractors Should Send With a Sitework Invitation to Bid

A sitework subcontractor can only price what the bid documents define. The fastest way for a GC to receive cleaner, more comparable pricing is to send a complete package that answers the questions contractors otherwise have to guess at.

Current Drawings and Addenda

Send the current civil plans, demolition plans, utility plans, erosion and sediment control sheets, details and every issued addendum that changes the work. If the set is not final, identify the design stage and the expected revision path.

Scope Breakout and Bid Form

Identify whether pricing is requested for clearing only, dirt only, E&S, utilities, demolition, a combined package or alternates. If the GC has a bid form or cost-code structure, include it with the invitation so the subcontractor can separate the work the same way the estimator will carry it.

Quantities and Earthwork Information

• Clearing and grubbing limits or acreage.

• Cut, fill and export/import quantities when available.

• Geotechnical information and known unsuitable-soil requirements.

• Utility lengths, depths and structure schedules.

• Demolition quantities and known disposal requirements.

Material Responsibility

State who furnishes pipe, structures, aggregate, concrete, asphalt, stabilization products and other permanent materials. JDP commonly prices labor and equipment with permanent materials by the GC or owner unless the written request says otherwise.

Schedule, Access and Restrictions

• Anticipated mobilization and substantial-completion dates.

• Work-hour or weekend restrictions.

• Site access, haul routes and staging limits.

• Traffic control or MOT requirements.

• Phasing, occupied-site restrictions and coordination with other trades.

Commercial Requirements

Include insurance limits, bonding requirements, certified payroll or prevailing-wage requirements, special reporting, badging or owner forms, and the bid due date. Those items can affect both price and lead time and should not surface after award.

What a Better ITB Produces

A complete invitation produces fewer qualifications, fewer post-bid scope corrections and more comparable subcontractor numbers. It also gives the GC a better basis for deciding whether a low number is efficient or simply incomplete.