How to Win More Fabrication Contracts: A Bidding Guide for Independent Shops

General contractor estimators receive between 8 and 40 fabricator bids per week. They read three sections in order: the cover sheet, the exclusions, and the schedule. Price is fourth. If your cover sheet doesn't identify the package by drawing number and revision, if your exclusions aren't itemized against the specification sections, and if your schedule reads 'TBD' — you're already out.

Lead with a Bid Summary block: package name, drawing revision, base metal breakdown by weight, connection count, finish scope, and a top-line number. Then break the price into material, fabrication, finish, and freight. GC estimators want to level bids on a per-line basis and if you make it easy for them, they'll pick your bid to level against.

State your inclusions and exclusions against the actual specification sections (05 12 00 for structural steel framing, 03 21 00 for reinforcing, and so on). 'Excludes touch-up paint' is useless; 'Excludes field touch-up paint per spec 09 91 23 unless included by change order' is defensible.

Attach a schedule with detailing weeks, fabrication weeks, and delivery windows tied to the GC's baseline. If you can commit to earlier delivery, say so — but only if the shop can hold it. A blown delivery date is worse than losing the bid.

Waste factor guessing costs shops 4-8% margin. Waste factor is a function of member type, plate versus rolled, camber requirements, and mill order lead time. Use the platform's per-member waste factor table instead of a flat 6%.

Freight is under-quoted 60% of the time. If your shop is on the wrong side of a mountain pass, oversize permits, escort vehicles, and weekend delivery premiums stack quickly. Quote freight from a real logistics engine, not a rule of thumb.