BuildWellFree Bid Proposal Generator
Lay out the scope and your price, see the proposal as you type, and download a PDF. Free, no account.
Everything stays in this browser. Nothing you type is sent to BuildWell.
How to use the free bid proposal generator
The free bid proposal generator lays out your scope and price as a clean PDF proposal. Add your business and license, name the project, price each part of the scope, and write the schedule, exclusions and payment terms. The preview updates as you type. Below the tool: a worked example from a subcontractor, what makes a proposal easy to compare and hard to dispute, the mistakes that lose bids, and how a proposal leads to change orders and invoices.
- 1
Add your business and the client
Enter your business details, license number and logo, then the client or general contractor and the project.
- 2
Name the project
Put the project name and address in the job field so the proposal is easy to find among the other bids.
- 3
Price the scope
List each part of the scope as its own line, with quantities and prices, so your number can be compared line by line.
- 4
Add the schedule and terms
In notes and terms, give your timeline, exclusions, allowances and payment schedule.
- 5
Download and submit
Download the PDF and submit it by the bid deadline.
Who uses a bid proposal
Bid proposals are for jobs where the client compares several contractors, usually on bigger or commercial work. These trades write the most of them.
General contractors
A GC’s proposal rolls up the subcontractors’ prices into one scope, schedule and total for the owner. Match the owner’s plans and spec sections line for line.
General contractor software →Drywall and framing
Subcontractors bid to the GC. Price framing, board, finish level and ceilings separately, and list what you assume other trades will do.
Drywall software →Roofers
Commercial and multi-unit roofs go out to bid. Price by system and area, and state the warranty you’re offering and what it requires.
Roofing software →Concrete contractors
Flatwork, footings and walls are priced by volume and area. Excavation, testing and pump time are where bids differ, so spell them out.
Concrete software →Electricians
Bid by system: service, distribution, lighting, devices and low voltage. List fixtures supplied by others so nothing is counted twice.
Electrical software →Kitchen remodelers
Homeowners often collect three bids for a kitchen. A proposal with allowances for the finishes they haven’t chosen makes yours fair to compare.
Kitchen remodeling software →How to make a bid proposal: an example
Here is a filled-in proposal from a drywall subcontractor to a general contractor, made with the generator above. The companies, project and prices are invented for the example.
- The project name is the job nameA GC may receive dozens of proposals for one project. Naming it the way the plans do keeps yours in the right pile.
- Scope split the way the plans areFraming, board, finish and ceilings are separate lines, so the GC can compare them with other subcontractors’ numbers.
- Addenda acknowledgedThe notes say which addenda the price includes. A bid that misses one may not be comparable.
- An alternate, priced but not totaledThe alternate is in the notes with its own price, so the base bid stays clean and the owner can choose.
- Exclusions that protect the pricePainting and door hardware belong to other trades. Saying so prevents them from landing in your scope by default.
Before you send it, check it has
- The project name and address
- Your license number and insurance, if requested
- The scope of work, line by line
- Your price for each line and the total
- Exclusions and allowances
- Your proposed schedule
- Payment schedule and terms
- How long the bid is valid
What goes into a strong bid proposal
The parts every bid proposal needs, and why each one matters to the client reading it.
Project name, address and bid reference
Use the names on the plans and the invitation to bid. If the client gave the bid a number, put it in the job name.
Who the proposal is to
The owner, the general contractor or the person running the bid, exactly as named in the invitation.
A scope that follows the plans
Organize lines the way the plans or specifications are organized. It makes your price easy to check against what was asked for.
Prices the client can compare
A price per line with quantities, and a clear total. A client comparing several bids trusts the one they can read line by line.
Inclusions and exclusions
What your price covers and what it doesn’t, especially work that sits between trades. This is where most bid disputes start.
Allowances and alternates
A stated amount for anything not yet selected, and a separate price for each alternate the client asked for, kept out of the base total.
Schedule
When you can start, how long the work takes, and what you need from others to keep that schedule.
Validity, payment terms and credentials
How long the price holds, how and when you’ll bill, and your license and insurance details if the client asked for them.
Common bid proposal mistakes
And how to avoid them, so the document does its job the first time.
Ignoring the requested format
If the invitation asks for prices broken down a certain way, use it. A bid that can’t be compared may not be considered.
Missing an addendum
Changes issued after the plans went out affect the scope. List the addenda your price includes.
Vague exclusions
“Excludes work by others” doesn’t say which work. Name it.
Alternates in the base price
Mixing options into the total makes your bid look higher than it is. Price alternates separately.
No validity period
Bids can sit for weeks before an award. Say how long your price holds.
Submitting at the deadline
Late bids are often turned away. Leave time to check the numbers and send it early.
Bid Proposal templates you can create
The generator has 6 layouts and 12 colors. Here is the example above in three of them; pick yours in “Look” at the bottom of the form.
Features of the free bid proposal generator
Live preview
The document redraws as you type, in the same layout BuildWell itself sends.
Your logo and colors
Upload a PNG, JPG, SVG or WebP up to 2 MB, and pick from 12 colors.
6 templates
Classic, Headline, Banner, Statement, Minimal and Letterhead.
Tax and discounts
Set a discount and a tax rate. The discount comes off before tax, and the totals are exact to the cent.
Private by default
What you type stays in this browser and is remembered on this device. Nothing is sent to BuildWell.
A PDF with no account
Download the PDF from your browser’s print dialog and send it however you like. No sign-up.
Tracking and follow-up in BuildWell
Many bids go through the client’s own portal or email, and a PDF won’t tell you if anyone opened it. When you send a proposal as an estimate from BuildWell, you see when the client opens it and how many times, and you’re notified when they accept and sign or decline. How the client portal works.
- Opened, and how oftenSee when the client opens your estimate and how many times.
- Accepted or declinedGet notified when the client accepts and signs on their phone, or declines.
- PaidGet notified when the client pays an invoice, and see what’s still owed.
- Sent from your phoneText or email the link in your own words. Clients need no app or account.
- Estimate E-1042 sent by textMon 9:14 AM
- Opened by the client · viewed 3 timesMon 7:52 PM
- Accepted and signedTue 8:03 AM
- Deposit invoice sentTue 8:10 AM
- Deposit paid by bank transferWed 11:26 AM
Skip the typing. Let it price the job.
Describe the job by voice or photos. BuildWell lists the work, prices it for your area, gets it signed on the client’s phone, and turns it into the invoice.
- AI estimates priced for your area
- Estimates, invoices, clients and projects
- Clients sign on any phone
- Card and bank payments, no extra BuildWell fee
- iPhone, Android and the web
- AI estimates priced for your area
- Estimates, invoices, clients and projects
- Clients sign on any phone
- Card and bank payments, no extra BuildWell fee
- iPhone, Android and the web
Both plans include every feature and start with a 3-day free trial. Add a card to start; you’re not charged until the trial ends. Cancel anytime.
Bid Proposal FAQ
01Is it really free, with no sign-up?
02What’s the difference between a bid and an estimate?
03How do I make my bid easy to compare?
04Should I include allowances?
05What is an alternate?
06Should I acknowledge addenda?
07How long should a bid be valid?
08Can I add my logo?
09How do I save it as a PDF?
10Will my details be here next time?
Free resources
Templates, calculators and definitions. No sign-up.
Guides for this document
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