PlanetBids Registration: Complete California Vendor Guide [2026]

What Is PlanetBids?

              PlanetBids is an e-procurement platform used by  200+ California government agencies  to post construction bids, RFPs, and public works contracts. Cities, counties, school districts, and special districts across the state rely on it as their official bidding portal. If you want government construction work in California, PlanetBids registration is non-negotiable.

             200+

             CA Agencies

             $4.2B+

             Annual Bid Volume

             Free

             Vendor Registration

        PlanetBids handles the entire procurement lifecycle: bid posting, document distribution, Q&A management, electronic bid submission, and award notification. For contractors, the platform serves as a direct pipeline to government work across Southern California, the Central Valley, the Bay Area, and beyond.

        Major agencies on PlanetBids include the County of Los Angeles, City of San Diego, City of Long Beach, City of Sacramento, and dozens of water districts, transit authorities, and school districts. Each agency maintains its own PlanetBids portal, which means you need separate registrations for each one you want to target.

        This guide walks you through the complete registration process, from gathering your documents to configuring notifications. By the end, you will be registered and receiving bid alerts from every agency that matters to your business.

Before You Register: Gather These Documents

        Completing your PlanetBids registration in one sitting requires preparation. Agencies reject incomplete profiles, and missing documents delay your access to bid notifications. Gather everything on this checklist before you open the registration form.

              Business Documents

                 Business license number and issuing jurisdiction

                 CSLB contractor license number (A, B, or C classifications)

                 Federal Tax ID (EIN) or SSN for sole proprietors

                 DUNS number (if registered with SAM.gov)

                 W-9 form (some agencies request during registration)

              Insurance & Certifications

                 Certificate of Insurance (COI) - General Liability

                 Workers' Compensation certificate

                 Auto liability insurance (if applicable)

                 DBE/SBE/MBE/WBE/DVBE certification letters (PDF)

                 DIR (Department of Industrial Relations) registration number

NAICS Codes: Get These Right

              Your NAICS codes determine which bid notifications you receive. Selecting the wrong codes means you miss relevant bids or get flooded with irrelevant ones. Here are the most common construction NAICS codes:

                236220  - Commercial Building Construction

                236210  - Industrial Building Construction

                237310  - Highway/Street Construction

                237110  - Water/Sewer Line Construction

                238210  - Electrical Contractors

                238220  - Plumbing/HVAC Contractors

                238310  - Drywall/Insulation Contractors

                238110  - Poured Concrete Contractors

        Keep digital copies of every document in a single folder on your computer. You will upload these files multiple times as you register with different agencies. Having them organized saves 5-10 minutes per registration.

Step-by-Step PlanetBids Registration Guide

        Every California agency on PlanetBids follows the same registration workflow. Once you complete your first registration, subsequent ones take under 10 minutes because you reuse the same information. Follow these six steps exactly.

           1

Choose Your Target Agency

              Navigate to  planetbids.com  and locate the agency directory. California agencies are listed alphabetically. You can also access a specific agency's PlanetBids portal directly through that agency's procurement webpage.

Pro tip: Start with the agency that posts the most bids in your service area. For Southern California general contractors, that is typically LA County or City of San Diego. For the Bay Area, start with Alameda County or City of San Jose.

Create Your Vendor Account

              Click  "Register as Vendor"  on the agency's PlanetBids portal. You will see a registration form requesting:

                 Business email address (use a company email, not personal)

                 Password (minimum 8 characters, one uppercase, one number)

                 Company name (must match your contractor license exactly)

                 Primary contact name and phone number

Important: PlanetBids sends a verification email within 2-5 minutes. Check your spam folder. Add noreply@planetbids.com to your contacts before registering to prevent delivery issues.

Complete Your Business Profile

              After email verification, log in and navigate to  My Profile . Fill in every field completely. Agencies filter vendors by profile completeness, and incomplete profiles rank lower in bid invitations.

Select Commodity Codes

              Navigate to the  Commodity Codes  section. PlanetBids uses a combination of NAICS codes and NIGP (National Institute of Governmental Purchasing) codes. Select every code that matches work you perform or want to bid on.

Common Mistake: Selecting Too Few Codes

Contractors who select only their primary trade miss bids categorized under related codes. A plumbing contractor should select both "Plumbing Services" and "Mechanical Contractors" because agencies categorize plumbing work under both.

              Select 10-20 commodity codes to cast a wide net. You can always narrow your selections later based on the quality of notifications you receive. It is easier to reduce than to realize you missed bids because your codes were too narrow.

           5

Upload Certifications & Documents

              Navigate to  Documents/Certifications . Upload the following files in PDF format (most agencies reject other formats):

                 Certificate of Insurance (COI) - must be current, not expired

                 Workers' Compensation certificate

                 CSLB license verification printout

                 DBE/SBE/MBE/WBE certification letter (if applicable)

                 DIR registration confirmation

File size limit: PlanetBids caps individual file uploads at 10MB. If your COI scan exceeds this, reduce the PDF resolution or use a PDF compressor before uploading.

Set Notification Preferences

              Navigate to  Notification Settings . This step determines how and when you learn about new bids. Configure these options:

Email Frequency

Choose "Immediate" for time-sensitive bids. "Daily Digest" works for less competitive markets.

Bid Type Filters

Select Construction, Public Works, and Maintenance. Deselect Goods/Supplies unless you also sell materials.

Dollar Thresholds

Set minimum and maximum project values to match your bonding capacity and ideal project size.

Addendum Alerts

Enable addendum and Q&A notifications for bids you're tracking. Missing an addendum disqualifies your bid.

Recommendation: Set notifications to "Immediate" for your first 30 days. This gives you a baseline understanding of bid volume and quality before you switch to digest mode.

        After completing all six steps, your registration status changes to  "Active"  within 24 hours for most agencies. Some agencies manually review vendor registrations, which adds 2-3 business days. You receive a confirmation email when your account is approved and active.

Skip the Multi-Portal Hassle

            ConstructionBids.ai aggregates bids from PlanetBids plus 50+ other California portals into one dashboard. One search. Every opportunity. Start your free trial and see bids you are missing right now.

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Top California Agencies on PlanetBids

        Not all PlanetBids agencies post the same volume or value of construction bids. Focus your registration efforts on the agencies that match your service area and project capacity. Here are the highest-volume California agencies on PlanetBids, ranked by annual construction bid volume.

               Agency
               Region
               Annual Bids
               Avg Project Size

               County of Los Angeles
               Southern CA
               450+
               $2.1M

               City of San Diego
               San Diego
               280+
               $1.8M

               City of Long Beach
               Southern CA
               180+
               $1.4M

               City of Sacramento
               Central Valley
               160+
               $1.2M

               Port of Long Beach
               Southern CA
               120+
               $3.5M

               City of Palmdale
               Antelope Valley
               90+
               $850K

               City of Encinitas
               San Diego
               70+
               $650K

               City of Corona
               Inland Empire
               65+
               $720K

               City of Santa Ana
               Orange County
               60+
               $900K

               Alameda County
               Bay Area
               55+
               $1.6M

        Beyond these top agencies, dozens of water districts (Metropolitan Water District, East Bay MUD), transit authorities (OCTA, SANDAG), school districts, and special districts use PlanetBids. A contractor targeting Southern California should register with at least 15-20 PlanetBids agencies to maximize bid flow. For a full breakdown of California bidding portals and strategies, see our  California Construction Bidding Guide .

Common PlanetBids Registration Problems & Fixes

        Most registration issues stem from five recurring problems. Here is how to resolve each one without contacting agency support (which takes 3-5 business days for a response).

"Email Already Registered" Error

Cause: You previously created a partial registration with that email, or someone at your company registered before you.

Fix: Use the "Forgot Password" link to recover the existing account. If the email belongs to a former employee, contact the agency's purchasing department directly and request an email change on the vendor account.

Verification Email Never Arrives

Cause: Corporate email filters block PlanetBids emails, or the email address had a typo.

Fix: Check spam/junk folders. Whitelist noreply@planetbids.com and support@planetbids.com in your email settings. If still missing after 15 minutes, re-register with a different email address.

Document Upload Fails

Cause: File exceeds 10MB limit, wrong format (JPG instead of PDF), or browser compatibility issue.

Fix: Convert all documents to PDF. Compress files under 10MB using a free PDF compressor. Use Chrome or Edge (PlanetBids has known issues with Safari file uploads).

Commodity Codes Not Showing Construction Categories

Cause: Some agencies use NIGP codes instead of NAICS codes, or their code tree is structured differently.

Fix: Search for keywords like "construction," "building," "contractor," or "renovation" in the commodity code search box instead of browsing the tree. This surfaces codes you would otherwise miss in deeply nested categories.

Registration "Pending" for Over a Week

Cause: The agency requires manual vendor approval, and your application is in a queue.

Fix: Call the agency's procurement or purchasing department directly. Ask for the status of your vendor registration. A phone call typically resolves pending registrations within 24 hours, while an email takes 3-5 business days.

Managing Multiple PlanetBids Agency Registrations

        This is where PlanetBids becomes a time sink. Each California agency on PlanetBids maintains its own vendor database. There is no "register once, access all" option. A contractor targeting 20 agencies repeats the registration process 20 times, manages 20 separate logins, and monitors 20 separate notification streams.

          Real Time Cost of Multi-Agency Registration

             5+ Hours

             Initial Registration (20 agencies)

             2+ Hours/Month

             Profile & Document Updates

             20 Passwords

             Separate Logins to Manage

        Here is how experienced contractors manage this complexity:

Use a Password Manager

Store all PlanetBids credentials in LastPass, 1Password, or Bitwarden. Create a "PlanetBids" folder with each agency's login URL, username, and password. This eliminates locked accounts from forgotten passwords.

Create an Email Rule

Set up a filter in Gmail or Outlook that routes all PlanetBids notifications to a dedicated "Bids" folder. This prevents bid alerts from getting buried in your general inbox.

Set Annual Calendar Reminders

Insurance certificates and certifications expire. Set a calendar reminder 30 days before each document's expiration date. Uploading an expired COI can disqualify active bids across all agencies.

Maintain a Master Spreadsheet

Track which agencies you have registered with, your registration status, last login date, and which commodity codes you selected. This prevents duplicate registrations and identifies gaps in your coverage.

        Even with these systems, the multi-portal management problem grows as you add agencies. This is the core limitation of portal-based registration: you scale linearly with effort. For a deeper comparison of PlanetBids versus alternative approaches, see our  PlanetBids Alternative for Vendors  guide.

Beyond PlanetBids: Agencies You Are Missing

        PlanetBids covers roughly 200 California agencies. That sounds comprehensive until you realize that California has  482 cities, 58 counties, 1,037 school districts, and thousands of special districts . The majority do not use PlanetBids. They use BidSync, CivCast, OpenGov, BonFire, their own websites, or newspaper-only postings.

California Procurement Portals Beyond PlanetBids

              BidSync/Periscope  - Miami-Dade, Broward, but also CA water districts

              CivCast  - Texas-based, expanding into CA

              OpenGov/BonFire  - Growing CA municipal adoption

              SAM.gov  - All federal construction contracts in CA

              Caltrans  - State highway/infrastructure bids

              Agency Websites  - Hundreds post bids only on their own sites

        The math is clear: registering exclusively on PlanetBids gives you access to roughly  12-15% of California's government construction bid volume . The remaining 85% sits on other platforms, agency websites, and local newspaper postings that PlanetBids never touches.

        This is where bid aggregators solve a real problem. Instead of registering on every portal individually, an aggregator pulls bids from all of them into one searchable interface. ConstructionBids.ai monitors PlanetBids agencies alongside 50+ additional procurement portals, state DOTs, federal sources, and direct agency feeds.

See What You Are Missing

            Search California construction bids from PlanetBids and 50+ other portals. One login. Every agency. Real-time alerts when new bids match your trade and location.

            Start Free Trial

PlanetBids vs Aggregator: Side-by-Side Comparison

        PlanetBids and ConstructionBids.ai solve different problems. PlanetBids is the portal where specific agencies post bids. ConstructionBids.ai is the aggregator that pulls bids from PlanetBids and everywhere else into one place. They are complementary, not competing. Here is how they compare for a California contractor's daily workflow. For a detailed feature comparison, see our  PlanetBids vs ConstructionBids.ai Comparison .

               Feature
               PlanetBids
               ConstructionBids.ai

               CA Agency Coverage
               200+ agencies
               200+ PlanetBids agencies + 2,000+ additional sources

               Registration Required
               Per-agency (20+ registrations)
               One account covers all portals

               Federal Bids (SAM.gov)

               State DOT Bids

               AI Bid Matching

               Trade-Specific Filters
               Commodity codes per agency
               Universal trade filters across all sources

               Bid Submission

               Links to original portal

               Price
               Free (registration)
               From $49/month

               Time Investment
               5+ hours initial + ongoing management
               5 minutes to set up

        The optimal strategy for California contractors: register on PlanetBids for the 5-10 agencies where you submit bids electronically, and use ConstructionBids.ai to discover every other opportunity across the state. This combination ensures you never miss a bid on PlanetBids and gain access to the 85% of bids posted elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PlanetBids registration free?

Yes. PlanetBids vendor registration is 100% free for every California agency on the platform. You never pay to create an account, search bids, or receive notifications. The agencies pay PlanetBids, not the vendors.

How long does PlanetBids registration take?

A complete registration takes 10-15 minutes if you have your business license number, NAICS codes, and insurance documents ready. Without preparation, expect 25-30 minutes as you search for license numbers and scan documents.

Do I need to register separately for each agency on PlanetBids?

Yes. Each California agency on PlanetBids maintains its own vendor database. You must complete a separate registration for every agency you want to receive bids from. There is no universal PlanetBids registration that covers all agencies.

What documents do I need for PlanetBids registration?

You need your business license number, CSLB contractor license number, NAICS/commodity codes, certificate of insurance (COI), and any small business or DBE certifications you hold. Some agencies also request a W-9 and DIR registration number.

Can I register on PlanetBids from outside California?

Yes. Out-of-state contractors register the same way. Some California agencies require a California contractor license (CSLB) for construction work, but PlanetBids itself has no geographic restrictions on vendor registration.

How do I reset my PlanetBids password?

Click the "Forgot Password" link on the PlanetBids login page for the specific agency. Enter the email address you registered with. PlanetBids sends a password reset link within 2-3 minutes. Check your spam folder if you do not see it.

What NAICS codes should a general contractor select?

General contractors should start with 236220 (Commercial and Institutional Building Construction) and 236210 (Industrial Building Construction). Add specialty codes like 238210 (Electrical) or 238220 (Plumbing/HVAC) if you self-perform that work. Select 10-20 codes total for broad coverage.

Why am I not receiving bid notifications from PlanetBids?

Three common causes: (1) your commodity codes do not match the bid categories agencies post under, (2) your notification preferences are set to digest instead of immediate, or (3) PlanetBids emails land in spam. Add noreply@planetbids.com to your contacts and review your commodity code selections.

Does PlanetBids cover all California government agencies?

No. PlanetBids covers roughly 200+ California agencies, but thousands of municipalities, school districts, and special districts use other portals like BidSync, CivCast, OpenGov, or their own websites. An aggregator like ConstructionBids.ai fills these gaps by monitoring all portals simultaneously.

What is the difference between PlanetBids and ConstructionBids.ai?

PlanetBids is a procurement portal that individual agencies use to post bids. ConstructionBids.ai is an aggregator that pulls bids from PlanetBids plus 50+ other portals into one searchable dashboard. You still need PlanetBids to submit bids electronically, but ConstructionBids.ai ensures you discover every opportunity regardless of which portal it is posted on.

Can I upload my DBE or SBE certification to PlanetBids?

Yes. During registration, navigate to the Certifications section and upload your certification letter as a PDF. Agencies use this data to identify eligible firms for set-aside contracts and to meet their DBE participation goals on federally funded projects.

Get All PlanetBids Bids Plus 50+ More Portals

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