General contractors
Bid follow-up software for general contractors
A general contractor's bid is rarely decided in a week. Owners are lining up financing, waiting on architectural drawings, or sitting on three competing bids while the project timeline quietly slides right.
Why these quotes go quiet
- Financing or a construction loan needs to close before the owner can commit to a bid.
- Permit and plan review timelines are outside anyone's control and stall the start date.
- Owners collect competing bids from multiple GCs and take their time comparing scope and price.
- Design isn't finalized yet, so the bid sits until drawings are locked.
A sensible follow-up rhythm
- Day 3Confirm the bid was received and offer to clarify scope or exclusions.
- Day 10Check on financing or permit status.
- Day 21Ask if the design has changed since the bid was priced.
- Day 35Close out and note that pricing may need revisiting if too much time passes.
You can change the wording and the timing, and follow-up stops the moment anyone replies.
Typical jobs people track
- Home additions and second stories
- New construction
- Commercial tenant build-outs
- Full-scope renovation projects
Worth knowing
A GC bid going quiet for a month often just means the financing or permit hasn't cleared yet — not that you lost it.
Start with the last two months of estimates
Add the ones that never got a yes or a no. That is usually enough to see whether this works for you.