Entering multiple subcontractor bids

From the Sub Amount column of the spreadsheet, you can use the bid grid to store bids submitted by various subcontractors for a group of items. After comparing the bids, you can then specify the bid you want to use for the estimate.

To enter a bid:

1. For each bid, enter the Sub Name, Bid Quantity, Unit Cost and Amount.

   Right-click the Sub Name cell, and then select List Address Book (or Estimate) Subcontractors for a list of companies that are available for use as subcontractors. If the subcontractor does not exist in the address book, you can easily add it by typing the name in the Sub Name column in the bid grid, and then pressing Enter. (For more steps, see Setting up a subcontractor in the estimate.)

2. Use the default name for the bid grid or enter a more descriptive name of your own. On the Bid Grid report, the grid name can be used to specify ranges.
3. Click in the Sub Amount cell of the main item covered by the bid.

4. In the Sub Amount column, select the items covered by the bid.

   • To select consecutive items, click the first item, then press and hold Shift as you click on the last item.
   • To select scattered items, press and hold Ctrl as you click on each item

For more information, click on the title bar of the window, and then click a field or button.

To select a subcontractor bid:

After you have entered information in the bid grid for each subcontractor and compared the amounts, you can select the subcontractor you want to use for the job.

1. Right-click the Sub Name of the bid you want to use for the estimate and choose Use Subcontractor. That subcontractor appears in the Sub Name cell of all included items.

2. If the included items have labor, material, other, or equipment amounts in the spreadsheet, you can remove or keep the original category amounts.

   • Clear labor, material, equipment, and other amounts changes these category amounts to zero.

   • Keep the existing labor, material, equipment, and other amounts changes only the Sub amount; amounts in other categories remain unchanged.

3. Click [Close].