# GeneralBid

> GeneralBid levels subcontractor bids for general contractors. Drop in the proposals as PDFs or pasted email text, start from your spec section, paste a comparison from Excel, or start from a trade template, and see every exclusion priced, the real low bid, and a clarification email for each sub. The Bid Leveler is free with no account; GeneralBid Pro collects bids from subs straight into the sheet, by portal link or by email, and tracks the package through award and change orders.

GeneralBid is for estimators, project managers and preconstruction teams at general contractors and construction managers, on projects from 500k to 50m. Subcontractors bid on a GC's link for free, with no account.

## What is bid leveling?

Bid leveling (also spelled bid levelling) is how a general contractor makes subcontractor bids comparable before award. Each bid is checked line by line against one scope list, every excluded or unmentioned line is priced with a plug, and the bids are ranked on those levelled totals rather than the numbers written on the proposals.

1. **Build one scope list for the trade.** Start from the spec section, a trade checklist, or your own list. One line per item a sub would price separately, including the ones that usually fall between trades, such as testing, protection, hoisting and clean-up.
2. **Read every proposal against that list.** For each bid and each line, record one of four things: a price, included, excluded, or not mentioned. Keep the proposal's own words beside each answer so anyone can check it.
3. **Price every gap with a plug.** For each excluded or unmentioned line, add a plug: your own estimate if you have one, otherwise the median of the bidders who priced it, or the highest price if you want to be conservative.
4. **Rank the bids on the levelled totals.** Each bid's levelled total is its stated number plus its plugs. Rank on that. Check the spread, the coverage, any line priced far from the others, and whether the line prices add up to the base bid.
5. **Send each sub a clarification.** List the exact lines to confirm or price, with a reply-by date. Put each answer back into the sheet so the ranking reflects it.
6. **Award, and keep the record.** Award at the levelled number, write down why, and keep a watchlist of the lines the winning bid excluded or never mentioned. Those are where change orders come from.

## Pages

- [Free Bid Leveler](https://generalbid.com/tool)
- [For subcontractors](https://generalbid.com/for-subcontractors)
- [Scope templates](https://generalbid.com/scope)
- [Pricing](https://generalbid.com/pricing)
- [FAQ](https://generalbid.com/faq)
- [How to level bids](https://generalbid.com/bid-leveling)
- [Bid levelling glossary](https://generalbid.com/glossary)
- [Integrations](https://generalbid.com/integrations)
- [Security](https://generalbid.com/security)
- [Pre-award checklist](https://generalbid.com/tool/checklist)
- [About GeneralBid](https://generalbid.com/about)
- [Security and data handling](https://generalbid.com/security)
- [Privacy policy](https://generalbid.com/privacy)

## Scope checklists by trade

- [Concrete scope checklist (CSI 03 00 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/concrete): Rebar, testing and winter protection are the lines most often assumed to be someone else's.
- [Masonry scope checklist (CSI 04 00 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/masonry): Grout, reinforcing and flashing are frequently split between masonry and other trades.
- [Structural steel scope checklist (CSI 05 12 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/structural-steel): Shop drawings, connection design and the crane are where steel bids differ most.
- [Rough carpentry scope checklist (CSI 06 10 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/carpentry): Blocking for other trades is the classic gap: everyone assumes carpentry carries it.
- [Roofing scope checklist (CSI 07 50 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/roofing): Flashing, curbs and the manufacturer warranty vary more than the membrane price.
- [Waterproofing and sealants scope checklist (CSI 07 10 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/waterproofing): Below-grade, air barrier and joint sealant scopes overlap with three or four other trades.
- [Doors, frames and hardware scope checklist (CSI 08 10 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/doors-hardware): Install is often excluded from supply-only door bids, and electrified hardware from both.
- [Glazing and storefront scope checklist (CSI 08 40 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/glazing): Engineering, sealant and interior glass are the lines most often missing.
- [Drywall and framing scope checklist (CSI 09 21 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/drywall): Insulation, backing and patching after other trades are where drywall bids disagree.
- [Flooring scope checklist (CSI 09 60 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/flooring): Floor preparation and moisture mitigation are the change orders waiting to happen.
- [Painting scope checklist (CSI 09 90 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/painting): Exposed structure, doors and frames, and touch-up after punch are commonly left out.
- [Fire protection scope checklist (CSI 21 00 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/fire-protection): Fire pump, backflow and design responsibility change the number more than the heads do.
- [Plumbing scope checklist (CSI 22 00 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/plumbing): Site utilities, fixtures supply and gas piping are often carried by nobody or by two trades.
- [HVAC scope checklist (CSI 23 00 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/hvac): Controls, test and balance, and structural supports are the recurring exclusions.
- [Electrical scope checklist (CSI 26 00 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/electrical): Low voltage, utility fees, temporary power and fire alarm swing electrical bids the most.
- [Earthwork and sitework scope checklist (CSI 31 00 00)](https://generalbid.com/scope/earthwork): Rock, unsuitable soils, dewatering and haul-off are where site bids diverge.

## Pricing

- **Bid Leveler**: Free forever, no account. Level the bids already in your inbox.
- **Estimator**: $399 per estimator, per month. Run every bid from invitation to award, and after.
- **Multi-office**: $1,200 per month. For contractors running bids from more than one office.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Bid Leveler really free?

Yes. No account, no card, and no limit on how many sheets you level; each one holds up to 40 bidders and 300 lines. It runs in your browser and does not stop working after a trial.

### Where do my numbers go?

The levelling is worked out in your browser and the sheet is kept in this browser's local storage so a refresh does not lose it. Three things are sent to us, and only when you ask: a proposal you drop in to be read, a spec section you drop in to draft scope lines, and a sheet you save with “Save & get a link”. Anonymous links expire after 30 days.

### How is an exclusion priced?

With a plug. If you entered your own estimate for that line, that is the plug. Otherwise it is the median of the bidders who priced it, or the highest price if you choose the conservative method. Each bid's levelled total is its stated number plus its plugs.

### What is the difference between excluded and not mentioned?

Excluded means the bid says so, and you can ask for an add price. Not mentioned means the bid is silent, which is how scope ends up in nobody's contract. Both are plugged; not mentioned is highlighted because it is the one people miss.

### Can I paste from my existing spreadsheet?

Yes. Copy the block with bidder names across the top and scope lines down the side. A Total or Base bid row, Tax and Bond rows, Alt rows and an Estimate column are all recognised, as are words like incl, excl, NIC and by others.

### How are proposals read?

The PDF or pasted text is sent to GeneralBid with your scope line names, and an AI model (Claude, from Anthropic) reads it onto those lines: a price, included, excluded, or not mentioned, each with the quote it came from, plus the base bid, tax, bond, exclusions and qualifications. It is told to leave a line the proposal never mentions as not mentioned rather than guess, and never to make up a price. It is not perfect, especially on scanned pages, so you review every line before it is applied, and any warning is shown to you.

### Can I start from the spec instead of the bids?

Yes. Drop in the spec section for one trade, or paste its text, and you get one scope line per item a sub would price separately, each with the spec paragraph it came from, such as 09 21 16 – 2.3.B. Commonly missed items the spec states, like testing, mock-ups, attic stock and warranties, come out as their own lines, and the spec's alternates as alternates. It never invents quantities or prices. You tick the lines you want, and any already in your sheet are left out.

### Is my proposal or spec stored?

No. The file is sent to GeneralBid and passed to Anthropic, the AI provider that reads it for us, and the result comes back to your browser. We keep neither the file nor its text. Under Anthropic's commercial terms for its API, content sent to it is not used to train its models; Anthropic may keep it for a limited period under those terms, for example to detect misuse. What you apply lives in your browser's sheet, like everything else you type. The privacy policy has the details.

### Is there a limit on reading proposals?

Yes, a few a minute and a daily cap per connection, so the free tool stays free, and reading can pause for the free tool on a very busy day. If you reach a limit, a free account keeps you going. Pasting, templates and typing into the sheet have no limit.

### Can subs email their proposals in?

Yes, in GeneralBid Pro. Every package has its own inbox address. Forward a proposal to it, or give it to subs as the reply-to on your invitations, and each PDF is read onto the package's scope lines and waits in the package inbox until you review and apply it. We keep the reading and who it came from; the email and its attachments are not stored.

### Do subcontractors pay, or need an account?

No. A sub opens the link in their invitation, prices your lines and submits, with no account. Subs who want one can create a free subcontractor account to see every invitation from every GC in one place, keep their documents current, and be listed for GCs looking for their trade. Subs are never billed.

### Do you send text messages to subs?

Only to a sub who has opted in. SMS is only sent after the sub opts in on their own bid link or in their free account; a GC can add a phone number but can never opt a sub in. Texts are reminders of a bid due date with the link, and replying STOP ends them. Reminders are part of the paid plans.

### What are benchmarks, and is my data in them?

Only if your team turns sharing on; it is off by default. Benchmarks are opt-in and aggregated from at least 5 companies, and a range is only shown when there are enough points behind it. No company, project or bidder is ever named. Your own cost history is always private to your team, whether you share or not.

### Does GeneralBid integrate with Procore?

Native Procore sync is not available yet. An awarded package exports as a schedule-of-values CSV that Procore, Autodesk Build and most ERPs can import (check your import template), every package exports as JSON, and signed webhooks can send bids, awards and change orders to your own systems or to Zapier and Make.

### What does GeneralBid Pro cost?

399 dollars a month per estimator, for projects, sub invitations, proposals by email, the directory and the GeneralBid network, prequalification, reminders, clarifications, award records and change orders. 1,200 dollars a month covers several offices and unlimited estimators, with analytics.

### Can I move a free sheet into a project later?

Yes. Save it with a share link, then create an account from the link under the result. The sheet comes with you and becomes a trade package.

## Glossary

- **Bid leveling** (bid levelling, bid tabulation, bid comparison): Adjusting subcontractor bids for one trade so they price the same scope, then comparing them. Each bid is read against one scope list, every excluded or unmentioned line is priced with a plug, and the bids are ranked on the levelled totals.
- **Scope gap**: Work the project needs that a bid does not cover, either because the bid excludes it or because the bid never mentions it. Unpriced scope gaps are the usual source of change orders after award.
- **Exclusion** (excl., NIC (not in contract), by others): A line a bid explicitly leaves out of its price. Because the sub has said so, you can ask for an add price. In levelling, an exclusion is priced with a plug so the bid covers the full scope.
- **Omission** (not mentioned, silent): A line a bid neither prices, includes nor excludes. It is more dangerous than an exclusion because nobody notices it until construction, when it turns into a change order. Levelling prices it with a plug and flags it for clarification.
- **Plug** (plug number): The amount added to a bid for a line it excluded or did not mention, so every bid covers the same scope. Usually your own estimate, the median of the other bidders' prices for that line, or the highest of them.
- **Levelled total** (leveled bid, adjusted bid): A bid's stated number plus its plugs. It is the figure that compares like for like, and the one to rank bids on.
- **Base bid**: The lump sum written on a proposal for the scope as drawn and specified, before alternates. If a proposal gives only line prices, the base bid is their sum.
- **Alternate** (alt, add alternate, deduct alternate): A separately priced option the owner may accept or reject, such as a different finish or product. Alternates are compared side by side and kept out of the base totals.
- **Bid spread**: The gap between the lowest and highest levelled bids, as a percentage of the lowest. A wide spread usually means the bidders read the scope differently, and is worth a clarification before award.
- **Coverage**: The share of the base scope lines a bid prices or includes. A bid with low coverage is carrying many plugs, so its levelled total depends heavily on how those plugs are priced.
- **Scope sheet** (scope checklist, bid form, scope of work): The list of lines every bidder for a trade should price, taken from the spec section, a trade template or the GC's own list. Giving subs one scope sheet to price is the simplest way to get comparable bids.
- **Trade package** (bid package): The portion of a project bought from one kind of subcontractor, such as drywall or electrical, with its own scope, drawings, due date and bidders. Each package is levelled and awarded separately.
- **Invitation to bid** (ITB): The request a GC sends subcontractors to price a trade package, with the scope, documents and due date. Subs who respond submit a proposal.
- **Qualifications** (clarifications and assumptions): The conditions a sub attaches to a proposal: what it assumes about schedule, access, working hours or other trades. Qualifications can change what a bid covers as much as an exclusion does, so read them before ranking.
- **Clarification**: A written question to a bidder, after bids arrive, asking them to confirm or price specific lines. Answers go back into the levelling sheet before award, so nothing is agreed only on the phone.
- **Buyout**: The period after the GC wins the prime contract when it awards subcontracts and purchase orders for each trade. Bid levelling is the core of buyout.
- **CSI MasterFormat**: The Construction Specifications Institute's standard for organising specifications into numbered divisions, such as 03 for concrete and 09 for finishes. Trade packages and cost codes usually follow it.
- **Prequalification**: Checking a subcontractor before inviting them: insurance, licence, bonding capacity, safety record, financials and experience. It keeps bids from subs you could not award to out of the levelling.
- **Certificate of insurance** (COI): A document from a sub's insurer showing its policies, limits and expiry dates. GCs collect a current COI before award and before work starts, and track when it expires.
- **Form W-9**: The US IRS form a subcontractor gives a GC with its legal name and taxpayer identification number, so payments can be reported.
- **Bid bond**: A surety bond guaranteeing that a bidder will sign the contract at its bid price if awarded. Proposals differ on whether bond cost is included, which is worth levelling like any other line.
- **Schedule of values** (SOV): The breakdown of a subcontract's price into lines, used to bill progress each month. An awarded package's levelled lines are a natural starting point for it.
- **Change order**: A written change to a contract's scope, price or time after it is signed. Scope gaps that were not caught at award are among the most common causes.
- **Hit rate** (win rate): For a sub, the share of bids submitted that were awarded. For a GC's directory, it also means how often a sub responds to invitations at all.

## Contact

- Email: hello@generalbid.com
- Contact form: https://generalbid.com/contact