Too Busy to Bid? Recognizing an Estimating Capacity Problem
Part 1 of 2: Making Time for Your Next Project
By Hakan Afacan, Founder, The Construction Estimator
A tender arrives for a project that fits your company’s experience. You know the work and can see how it could fit into your schedule.
But the deadline is approaching. Your crews need direction, a supplier delivery has changed, and an active project requires your attention. The estimate will have to wait until tonight, the weekend, or whenever you find a few uninterrupted hours.
For many general contractors and subcontractors, this is familiar. Having the capability to build a project does not always mean having the capacity to prepare a thorough bid.
After more than 20 years in construction, I have seen capable contractors face the same difficult choice: rush the estimate, stretch their team further, or let a suitable opportunity pass.
Today’s work and tomorrow’s workload
Active projects create immediate demands. A crew waiting for instructions needs an answer now. Reviewing a tender can feel easier to postpone.
Yet future work depends on decisions made while current projects are underway. Waiting until the schedule opens up can leave too little time to prepare for what comes next.
The challenge is maintaining enough estimating capacity to assess opportunities while meeting existing commitments.
A complete bid takes more than a takeoff
Drawings, specifications and tender instructions need to be reviewed together. Supplier and subcontractor quotations need to be checked for inclusions, exclusions and compliance with project requirements.
An apparently competitive quotation may omit an important component. An assumption may conflict with the specifications. An addendum may change quantities, materials or submission requirements.
General contractors need to identify gaps and overlaps between trades. Subcontractors need clear scope boundaries and an understanding of their interfaces with other work.
A useful estimate makes quantities, assumptions and unresolved questions visible before the bid closes.
Signs that capacity is becoming a constraint
Look for recurring patterns:
Suitable tenders are declined because nobody has time to review them.
Estimates are routinely completed late at night or near the deadline.
Supplier quotations receive little comparison or scrutiny.
Scope questions remain unresolved before submission.
Every bid depends on the owner finding time to move it forward.
An occasional busy week is normal. When these compromises become routine, your estimating arrangements deserve attention.
The goal is to give suitable opportunities enough time for careful review and an informed bidding decision.
In Part 2, “Outsourced Estimating: Finding the Right Support for Your Next Bid,” I explain where external support fits and what to look for in an estimating partner.