Practical RFP review tips for contractors.

Bid strategy Jun 13, 2026 6 min read

They Already Know Who's Getting the Job

What to look for when an RFP is written for someone else, and how to decide whether to bid anyway.

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Bid strategy Jun 12, 2026 8 min read

The RFP Told You Everything. You Just Had to Know How to Read It.

Experienced contractors can tell before finishing an estimate whether an owner has done this before. Here is what to look for and what it means for your price.

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Bid risk Jun 5, 2026 7 min read

The RFP Looks Like a Good Job. Then You Read the Fine Print.

Before pricing an RFP, contractors should review the payment terms, deadline traps, addenda, insurance, bonding, and submission requirements that can quietly change the job.

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Bid decisions May 29, 2026 5 min read

A Bid/No-Bid Checklist for Small Trade Contractors

Use this bid/no-bid checklist to decide whether an RFP is worth estimating before your team spends time calling suppliers and building a proposal.

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Deadlines May 22, 2026 4 min read

Pre-Bid Meetings, RFIs, Addenda, and Bid Deadlines Explained

A plain-English guide to the RFP dates contractors should track, including pre-bid meetings, site walks, RFIs, addenda, bid due dates, and closeout terms.

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Contract risk Jun 13, 2026 7 min read

Liquidated Damages in Construction Contracts: What Contractors Need to Know

How liquidated damages clauses work, what the daily rates actually mean for your bottom line, and how to spot the ones that can bankrupt a job.

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Contract risk Jun 13, 2026 6 min read

Pay-When-Paid and Pay-if-Paid Clauses: A Contractor's Guide

The difference between pay-when-paid and pay-if-paid, which states enforce each, and what to do when you find one in a subcontract.

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Bid basics Jun 13, 2026 5 min read

What Is a Bid Bond and When Do You Need One?

A plain-English explanation of bid bonds: what they guarantee, how much they cost, when owners require them, and what happens if you win and cannot perform.

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Compliance Jun 14, 2026 7 min read

Prevailing Wage in Construction: What It Means and What It Costs You

A plain-English breakdown of prevailing wage requirements for contractors: how rates are set, which jobs trigger them, and how to price them correctly.

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Bid basics Jun 15, 2026 8 min read

How to Read a Construction RFP: A Contractor's Walkthrough

A step-by-step guide for trade contractors on how to read an RFP, where the important clauses are, and what to look for before you spend time estimating.

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Contract risk Jun 16, 2026 6 min read

Retainage in Construction Contracts: What It Is and How to Manage It

How retainage works, what percentage is standard, when it gets released, and how to protect your cash flow when an owner holds it too long.

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Contract risk Jun 17, 2026 5 min read

Written Notice Requirements in Construction Contracts: Why Missing One Kills Your Claim

Why written notice clauses exist, what triggers the requirement, how long you have, and how contractors lose valid claims by missing a notice deadline.

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Bid basics Jun 18, 2026 5 min read

Performance Bond vs. Payment Bond: What Each One Does

The difference between performance bonds and payment bonds, who they protect, when each is required, and what happens when a claim is made.

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Contract risk Jun 19, 2026 6 min read

Indemnification Clauses in Construction Contracts: What You're Agreeing To

How indemnification clauses work in construction contracts, the difference between broad and limited form, and why the wrong clause can make you liable for things you did not cause.

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Bid basics Jun 20, 2026 7 min read

How to Bid on Government Contracts as a Small Contractor

A step-by-step guide for small contractors entering public bidding for the first time: registration, bid bond, certified payroll, and what makes a bid non-responsive.

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Project management Jun 21, 2026 6 min read

The Change Order Process: How to Get Paid for Extra Work

How to document, submit, and negotiate change orders in construction so extra work does not become unpaid work.

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Insurance Jun 22, 2026 5 min read

Additional Insured Requirements in Construction Contracts: What Contractors Need to Know

What it means to add someone as an additional insured, how it affects your policy, what endorsement language to use, and why the wrong certificate can get your bid rejected.

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Getting paid Jun 23, 2026 6 min read

Mechanics Lien Rights for Contractors: Your Most Important Collection Tool

How mechanics liens work, who can file them, what the deadlines are, and why missing the lien deadline is the most expensive mistake a contractor can make.

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Project management Jun 24, 2026 5 min read

Scope Creep in Construction: How to Document It and Get Paid for It

What scope creep is, why it happens, and the documentation habits that turn extra work into paid change orders instead of budget losses.

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Bid basics Jun 25, 2026 5 min read

Contractor Prequalification: How to Get on the List for Public Work

What prequalification requires, how to prepare your financial and safety documentation, and how prequalification differs from certification in government contracting.

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Compliance Jun 26, 2026 5 min read

MBE, WBE, and DBE Requirements in Public Construction Contracts

What minority, women, and disadvantaged business enterprise requirements mean for contractors, how participation goals work, and what you need to document.

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Estimating Jun 27, 2026 7 min read

How to Price a Construction Job: A Practical Guide for Small Contractors

The components of a construction estimate, how to calculate overhead and profit correctly, and the pricing mistakes that cause small contractors to lose money on jobs they win.

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Contract risk Jun 28, 2026 5 min read

Force Majeure Clauses in Construction Contracts: What They Cover and What They Do Not

What force majeure means in construction, which events qualify, how to invoke the clause correctly, and why many contractors discover it does not protect them as much as they thought.

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Getting paid Jun 29, 2026 5 min read

Construction Contract Payment Terms: What to Look For Before You Sign

How progress payments work, what net 30 and net 60 mean for your cash flow, and the payment term red flags that warn you a job will be slow to pay.

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Bid basics Jun 30, 2026 5 min read

RFP Submission Checklist for Trade Contractors

Everything you need to include in a bid submission for public and private RFPs: forms, certifications, bonds, insurance, pricing, and the common omissions that get bids rejected.

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Contract risk Jul 1, 2026 6 min read

Key Clauses in Every Subcontractor Agreement You Should Read Before Signing

The subcontract clauses that matter most for small trade contractors: flow-down provisions, no-damage-for-delay, termination for convenience, and scope definition.

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Compliance Jul 2, 2026 6 min read

Davis-Bacon Act Requirements: What Contractors Need to Know

What the Davis-Bacon Act requires, which projects it covers, how to find the right wage determination, and what certified payroll records you must submit.

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Bid basics Jul 3, 2026 4 min read

Proposal Validity Periods in RFPs: What They Mean and Why They Matter

Why RFPs require bids to remain firm for 60 or 90 days, what happens if material prices change in that window, and how to protect yourself when you cannot hold your price.

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Tools Jul 4, 2026 8 min read

I Tested AI Tools on Real Construction RFPs. Here Is What I Found.

Why ChatGPT and general AI assistants struggle with construction RFPs, what they get wrong, and why the type of engine matters as much as the model behind it.

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