The construction industry moves fast, making it challenging to stay updated on what new opportunities are gracing the market. This is where bidding websites become helpful for construction stakeholders and contractors looking to secure the best projects. However, with hundreds of bidding platforms coming out every year, choosing the best one can be a bit overwhelming. Below is a list of popular commercial bidding websites in alphabetical order that have the potential to contain excellent leads for your construction business.
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BidCentral.ca is said to be the largest construction bidding website for sourcing bids and projects. With listings collectively worth over $30 billion, users can access comprehensive project details and opportunities based on their criteria. Thanks to a built-in reminder system, new project opportunities are mailed straight to your inbox daily. The platform also organizes documents into categories, so that they can be found easily and efficiently.
BidCentral has a free version that comes with basic features. It also offers Premium plans at $80 monthly and $875 annually. Both plans offer complete access, but you should still contact their sales to find if a plan can be tailored to your needs.
BidClerk.com is one of the premier construction bidding sites with nearly half a million annual submissions. Each project contains everything a key decision-maker would want to know before placing a bid. Combined with powerful search filters, users get complete visibility into various stages of a project’s lifecycle. The platform also lets users save tags that can be searched repeatedly with a click of a button without setting up new searches every day, making the bidding process easier and more efficient.
BidClerk features a free demo alongside three premium project plans that do not reveal their membership costs. You must contact their sales representative to find the best plan for your company and confirm its final pricing.
BidNetDirect.com is another commercial bidding website worth mentioning here. Formerly known as Government Bids, it focuses on government or state-backed projects as well as government procurement and government RFPs at the local, state, and federal levels. While the name may suggest so, the platform is not overseen by any government agency or regulatory body.
In addition to a free version that only allows access to member bids, you can choose from three different membership plans.
ConstructConnect.com is another popular commercial bidding website. Formerly known as iSqFt, the CMD Group platform is a leading provider of market intelligence, data, and analytics in North America. Subcontractors get access to actionable bid data and the opportunity to connect with leading general contractors. In addition, the platform uses takeoff software solutions to make bidding and retaining easy and simple.
ConstructConnect can be tried for free by scheduling a demo. In terms of payment plans, it supports three different memberships.
ConstructionBidSource.com stands out for small and medium-sized contractors seeking targeted opportunities on a budget. It is one of the oldest construction bidding websites on the list that looks to connect contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers with project owners. The online publication provides leads on bids and projects and lets contractors view bid dates while filtering projects by location. This is one commercial bidding site where every bid is vetted by a real person.
ConstructionBidSource offers various subscription plans to cover affordability and flexibility, including an attractive free plan.
ConstructionWire.com is one of the oldest and leading commercial bidding websites around, especially for new (and upcoming) commercial and private projects. The platform provides three in-depth reports (project, company, and people reports) that give an excellent overview of each project. The bidding platform also helps subcontractors connect with the people involved by supplying their contact information.
Construction Wire offers a week-long free trial, after which you must choose a membership plan based on your needs. Their sales representative are highly trained to find the best plan for you based on regional, national, data, and pricing requirements.
Construction.com is a subsidiary of McGraw Hill Financial that operates independently. Dodge Global Network runs the platform in conjunction with Dodge Data & Analytics, offering users impressive amounts of data that can be used to find the right projects. It also provides in-depth overviews of companies and project data, which while beneficial for user projects can be a bit pricey.
DodgeConstructionNetwork features several subscription plans with varying features. However, their prices are not transparent. You must speak with one of their sales representatives to find a tailored plan and its price.
There is also a free demo that allows you to only search for projects in North America with limited filters. You can only get a project with a premium subscription plan, alongside advanced search filters.
PlanHub.com stands out as a valuable commercial bidding website for both subcontractors and general contractors. It partners with third-party cloud services and pre-construction software companies to offer a diverse range of contract opportunities. With a growing number of industry professionals relying on PlanHub as their commercial bidding platform, general contractors can easily and quickly grow their network of qualified subcontractors.
PlanHub features a free version and a demo that you can request for free. It is one of the few commercial bidding websites with a comprehensive membership system for different users.
General Contractors:
Subcontractors:
Suppliers:
Takeoff and Estimation:
SAM.gov is home to all current contract opportunities formerly posted to FBO.gov. There is no fee to register, and it is free to use and see opportunities. Subcontractors must use the advanced search function to specify the type of contract. One of the downsides of using SAM over other commercial bidding websites is that it is clunky. It can be hard to find jobs that match your company’s interests or get to the right page. However, it is free and can lead to excellent opportunities for those with the patience to learn it.
SAM only allows you to create a free account.
Several factors must be considered when choosing the right construction bidding platform for your company. The membership cost is a good point to start from. While most bidding websites offer a free demo or trial version, they all have payment tiers that grant access to various features.
This brings us to the second factor: the features you plan to use. There’s no point in paying for the most expensive membership if you are not using its features. Carefully read through the description to confirm what meets your criteria.
Lastly, your projects determine the type of bidding website to go for. For example, a contractor looking for government opportunities will likely want to sign up for a platform that lists government projects.
eSUB is a cloud-based project management platform built especially for subcontractors. It seamlessly integrates with leading construction software systems so you can easily switch from your current document process to a cloud-based system to upgrade your construction project management process.
eSUB organizes all your project information in one place, allows for smooth collaboration, and streamlines communication through its intuitive interface. It also works on your mobile, so you can track projects on the go—no matter where or when—and stay up-to-date.