Watch time: 14 minutes
Once you’ve completed your takeoffs and added your markups, the final step in your workflow is preparing a professional proposal for your client. The Proposal tool in BuilderBid lets you control exactly what information appears, adjust the level of detail, and customize your contract language. This guide walks you through each section so you can easily build a polished proposal.
Watch this video to learn more(14 minutes):
Steps
1. Open the Proposal tab
At the bottom right of your screen, click the “Proposal” tab to begin.
2. Review proposal sections on the left panel
The left side of the screen shows all the proposal sections you can enable or disable.
Turning the toggles on/off will include or exclude each part in your final proposal.
3. Customize the Header
The Header contains your company information and project details.
If you need to update any of this information, click “Settings” at the lower left.
Once entered, this information will automatically populate for all future proposals, saving you time.
4. Configure the Quoted Items section
The Quoted Items page displays the main scope of your proposal. You have full control over how much detail you want to show your client.
To adjust the layout:
Click “Configure the View.”
Choose how you want the information displayed.
Available options include:
Summary View
Select “Summary” from the dropdown. This presents high-level section totals only.
You can also enable “Cost Code Totals” by clicking the bubble option.
Detailed View
Selecting “Detailed” lets you decide how deep you want to go:
Rows to Hide
Columns to Hide
Formatting Options
Once you find a layout you like, you can save the view as a favorite to reuse on future projects.
5. Review the Allowances section
The Allowances page gathers all line items marked as an allowance.
You can adjust how this page appears the same way—using the “Configure the View” button at the lower left.
6. Add Terms & Conditions and project memo
The Terms & Conditions and Memo pages function like editable text documents.
Use these sections to include:
Contract language
Payment terms
State-mandated disclosures
Any important reminders for your client
To set as a template, click “Settings.”
7. Add project-specific notes (optional)
If you want to add information specific to the current project only, click “Edit” at the top.
Any notes added here will apply only to this particular project’s proposal.
8. Export your proposal to PDF
After reviewing each section and confirming your settings:
Click the “Export” button at the bottom right.
Select PDF.
Your proposal will open in a new tab, showing the exact order and level of detail you selected.
9. Download and send to your client
Once you’ve completed your final review, click “Download PDF” at the top or bottom of the page.
You can now send the proposal to your client with confidence.
