Bid tabulations (bid tabs) are goldmines of competitive intelligence that most contractors underutilize. These documents reveal not just who won, but provide insights into market pricing, competitor strategies, and your own estimating accuracy. Learning to read and analyze bid tabs systematically can give you a significant competitive advantage.
What Is a Bid Tabulation?
A bid tabulation is an official document that records and compares all bids received for a project. Public agencies are typically required to make these available, while private bid results may be harder to obtain.
Information Typically Included
- Project name and bid number
- Bid opening date and time
- Engineer's estimate (if disclosed)
- All bidder names
- Base bid amounts
- Alternate prices
- Unit prices (for unit-price contracts)
- Bid security verification
- Apparent low bidder designation
Where to Find Bid Tabs
Public Agency Sources
- Agency websites: Posted after bid opening
- Electronic bidding systems: PlanetBids, BidNet, etc.
- Public records requests: FOIA/state equivalent
- Bid opening attendance: Results read aloud
Industry Sources
- Construction news services: Report awards and amounts
- Plan rooms: Sometimes track results
- Industry associations: May compile data
- Competitor research: Watch for press releases
Timing Considerations
- At bid opening: Results announced publicly
- Within days: Posted on agency websites
- Final tabs: May differ after review/protests
Understanding Bid Tab Format
Standard Lump Sum Format
Project: Main Street Renovation
Bid Opening: December 1, 2025
Bidder Name Base Bid Alt 1 Alt 2
---------------------------------------------------------------
ABC Construction $1,245,000 +$45,000 +$82,000
XYZ Builders $1,312,500 +$52,000 +$89,500
Smith & Sons $1,298,700 +$48,000 +$91,200
Johnson Contracting $1,378,200 +$55,500 +$95,000
Engineer's Estimate: $1,350,000
Apparent Low Bidder: ABC Construction
Unit Price Format
Item Description Qty Unit ABC Const. XYZ Build.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Mobilization LS LS $45,000 $55,000
2 Clear & Grub 5 AC $2,500 $3,000
3 Excavation 2,500 CY $18.00 $16.50
4 Concrete Paving 1,200 SY $85.00 $92.00
5 Asphalt Paving 8,500 SY $28.00 $29.50
...
TOTAL BID $1,245,000 $1,312,500
Key Metrics to Analyze
Spread Analysis
Calculate the spread between bidders:
- Low to second: Indicates competition intensity
- Low to high: Shows market range
- Average spread: Market pricing consensus
Example Analysis:
- Low bid: $1,245,000
- Second bid: $1,298,700
- Spread: $53,700 (4.3%)
- Interpretation: Moderately competitive
Comparison to Engineer's Estimate
How bids relate to the official estimate:
- All below: Market is competitive; estimate may be high
- All above: Costs rising; estimate may be outdated
- Mixed results: Normal market conditions
What It Tells You:
- Engineer estimates trending accuracy
- Market pricing direction
- Project attractiveness to contractors
Your Position Analysis
When you bid:
- How close were you? To low and to average
- Pattern recognition: Consistently high/low?
- Scope interpretation: Did you read specs differently?
Competitive Intelligence
Identifying Your Competition
Track over multiple projects:
- Who bids the same project types?
- Who's winning in your market?
- Who's pricing aggressively?
- Who's new to the market?
Competitor Pricing Patterns
Build competitor profiles:
| Competitor | Avg. Spread from Low | Win Rate | Typical Projects | |------------|---------------------|----------|------------------| | ABC Const. | +2.3% | 18% | Schools, municipal | | XYZ Build. | +5.8% | 9% | Commercial, retail | | Smith Bros | +1.1% | 24% | Heavy civil |
Market Capacity Signals
Bid activity indicates market conditions:
- Many bidders: Market is hungry; expect tight pricing
- Few bidders: Busy market; potential for better margins
- New entrants: Increased competition coming
- Regulars absent: They're busy or uninterested
Unit Price Analysis
Building Your Price Database
For unit-price projects, track pricing by item:
Item: 8" PVC Sewer Pipe (per LF)
Project Date Low Avg High
--------------------------------------------------------
Elm St. Sewer Jan 2025 $45.00 $52.00 $68.00
Oak Ave Rehab Mar 2025 $48.00 $55.00 $72.00
Pine Rd Extend Jun 2025 $52.00 $58.00 $75.00
Trend: Increasing (~6% over 6 months)
Identifying Unbalanced Bids
Watch for unusual unit pricing:
- Front-loaded: High early items, low later items
- Quantity exploitation: Betting on quantity changes
- Alternates manipulation: Strategic alternate pricing
Red Flags:
- Mobilization over 5-10% of total
- Extreme deviation on specific items
- Negative pricing on alternates
Benchmarking Your Estimates
Compare your unit prices to market:
- Which items are you consistently high on?
- Where might you be leaving money?
- Are your productivity assumptions realistic?
Alternate Analysis
Understanding Alternate Patterns
Alternates reveal bidder strategies:
- Additive alternates: How bidders price options
- Deductive alternates: Where profit is hidden
- Priority patterns: Owner's likely choices
Strategic Insights
Analyze alternate pricing:
- Low base, high alternates: Win the base, profit on adds
- High base, low alternates: Counting on alternate awards
- Consistent spreads: Straightforward pricing
Creating a Bid Tab Database
What to Track
Build a spreadsheet or database with:
- Project information (name, location, type, size)
- All bidder names and amounts
- Engineer's estimate if available
- Award information (winner, final amount)
- Your bid if you submitted
- Key observations
Analysis Over Time
Regular review reveals:
- Market pricing trends
- Competitor patterns
- Your estimating accuracy
- Win rate by project type
Useful Queries
Questions your database can answer:
- "What's the average spread on school projects?"
- "Which competitor wins the most highway work?"
- "How often does the low bidder not get awarded?"
- "What's the typical relationship to engineer's estimates?"
Using Bid Tabs for Estimating
Pricing Validation
Before submitting, check:
- Recent results for similar projects
- Competitor likely pricing
- Market conditions indicators
- Your historical position
Calibration Adjustments
If you're consistently off:
- Always high: Review productivity rates, overhead allocation
- Always low: Check scope interpretation, risk coverage
- Random variance: Estimating process needs tightening
Go/No-Go Decisions
Bid tabs inform pursuit decisions:
- Expected competition level
- Likely price range
- Your competitive position
- Market attractiveness
Common Bid Tab Insights
What to Look For
Tight Clustering: Multiple bids within 2-3%
- Indicates: Well-understood scope, competitive market
- Implication: Need tight pricing to compete
Wide Spread: 15%+ between low and high
- Indicates: Scope interpretation differences, or risk pricing
- Implication: Opportunity to find efficiencies
All High vs. Estimate: Every bid over engineer's estimate
- Indicates: Rising costs, market conditions changed
- Implication: Agency may need to adjust expectations
Dominant Low Bidder: One bidder consistently 10%+ lower
- Indicates: Different cost structure or unsustainable pricing
- Implication: Monitor for quality/completion issues
Warning Signs
- Unrealistically low bids: May indicate mistakes or problems
- Same low bidder always: Possible anti-competitive behavior
- Erratic pricing: Market instability
- Bidder withdrawal patterns: Industry issues
Post-Award Analysis
When Low Bidder Doesn't Win
Track these situations:
- Bid mistakes: Withdrawal for error
- Responsiveness issues: Technical non-compliance
- Qualification failures: Didn't meet requirements
- Protests: Award contested
Contract vs. Bid Amount
Final contract amounts often differ:
- Negotiations reduce price
- Scope changes affect total
- Value engineering applied
- Additive alternates selected
Change Order Patterns
Long-term tracking shows:
- Which projects have significant changes
- Which contractors file many change orders
- Owner/agency patterns
Technology Tools
Spreadsheet Analysis
Basic but effective:
- Import bid data
- Calculate metrics
- Create charts
- Track trends
Dedicated Software
Specialized tools offer:
- Automated data collection
- Historical comparisons
- Competitor tracking
- Market analysis
Data Visualization
Present insights clearly:
- Trend charts over time
- Competitor comparison graphics
- Market condition dashboards
- Win rate analysis
Building Organizational Knowledge
Share Insights
Distribute learning across your team:
- Estimating staff review sessions
- Executive market briefings
- Business development input
- Strategic planning data
Continuous Improvement
Use bid tab analysis to:
- Refine estimating processes
- Train junior estimators
- Adjust pursuit strategies
- Improve win rates
Conclusion
Bid tabulations are more than just results—they're a window into market dynamics, competitor behavior, and your own performance. Contractors who systematically collect, analyze, and act on bid tab data gain significant competitive advantages.
Start building your bid tab database today. Every project you track adds to your market intelligence. Over time, this data becomes invaluable for pricing decisions, competitor analysis, and strategic planning.
The best estimators don't just calculate costs—they understand the market. Bid tabs are your key to that understanding.
ConstructionBids.ai tracks bid results across thousands of public agencies, helping you understand market pricing and competitive dynamics. Access historical bid data and award information to inform your estimating and business development strategies.
