Overview
The subcontractors you choose have a direct impact on your project's profitability, schedule, and quality. Sending work out to a single sub without any competition leaves money on the table and gives you no baseline for what the scope should actually cost. Bid Packages in Structur give you a structured way to define your scope, invite multiple vendors, collect their pricing in one place, and compare bids side by side before making a decision.
Every bid package is tied to a lead or project, so all the pricing stays organized and connected to the work it belongs to. Vendors receive a direct email with a link to their bid page, where they enter pricing line by line and submit. You see every submission as it comes in, with low, high, and average bid amounts displayed in the top bar at a glance.
Once you're ready to move forward, you award the winning bid with a single click. The awarded bid can then be pushed directly into your project estimate or converted into a subcontract - cutting out the double-entry and keeping everything connected from bid to contract.
Understanding Bid Packages
What It Does
Bid Packages allow you and your team to:
Create scoped bid requests tied to a specific lead or project with a title, deadline, and package number
Define line items using cost codes from your Budget, Structur Standard library, Custom Codes, or Saved Items
Attach documents so vendors have everything they need - plans, specs, drawings, and supporting files
Invite vendors from your vendor list and manage invitations in one place
Track submission status for every invited vendor in real time - Invited, Submitted, Won, or Lost
Review bids side by side with cost code-level detail and a running Bid Total for each vendor
Award the winning bid and automatically update all other vendors to Lost status
Push to Estimate with three destination options, or convert to Subcontract directly from the awarded bid with no re-entry
When to Use It
Bid Packages are most valuable when you want to:
Get competitive pricing from multiple subcontractors before committing to a scope
Document your vendor selection process with a clear, organized bid history
Compare line-item pricing across vendors rather than just lump-sum totals
Speed up the path from awarded bid to signed subcontract
Keep all bid-related files and communications tied to the project record
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Open Bid Packages
Click Leads or Projects in the left sidebar
Open the lead or project you want to bid out
Click Bid Pkgs in the module top bar
The Bid Packages index page opens. If no packages exist yet, you'll see "No bid added yet." Click + New Bid Package in the top right to start.
2. Create a New Bid Package
Click + New Bid Package
The Create New Bid Package modal opens with two options:
Start From Scratch - build the package from the beginning
Choose A Template - load a saved template to save time on repeatable scopes
Select your starting point
The package details form opens. Fill in the following:
Bid Package Title (required) - name the scope clearly, e.g. "Electrical Rough-In" or "HVAC Installation"
Select A Lead/Project (required) - defaults to the current lead or project
Bid Deadline (required) - the date vendors must submit by
Bid Package Number - auto-generated, edit if needed
Description - a brief description of the scope of work for this package
Click Create Bid Package
The package opens on the Scope of Work tab in Draft status. The top bar shows a live summary: deadline, item count, invited count, submitted count, and low/high/average bid amounts once bids come in. The package auto-saves as you work.
3. Build the Scope of Work
The Scope of Work tab has two sections: a text field and a Line Items table.
Scope description
Click the text field and describe the overall scope of work for this bid package. This is what vendors see when they open their bid page. Be specific - detailed scope leads to accurate bids and fewer vendor questions.
Line Items
Line items are the cost codes vendors will price. Each line item shows a Cost Code, Name, and Description.
Click + New Cost Code
The Add Cost Code modal opens with four tabs:
Budget - cost codes already in this project's budget
Structur Standard - Structur's built-in cost code library
Custom Codes - your company's custom cost codes
Saved Items - previously saved items
Search by code, name, division, description, or document type
Select the cost codes you want to include using the checkboxes
Click + Add Items to add them to the package
Add a description to each line item directly in the table if needed
Note: Cost code suffixes indicate cost type: L = Labor, M = Materials, S = Subcontractors, E = Equipment, O = Other. Use this to make sure you're selecting the right cost type for each line item.
4. Upload Bid Documents
Click the Documents tab
The Bid Documents section shows any uploaded files
Click Click to upload or drag and drop files into the upload area
Upload plans, specs, drawings, and any supporting documents vendors need to price the work accurately
Note: Vendors can view and download all documents from their bid page. Upload everything they need before you send - adding files after vendors are invited can cause confusion.
5. Invite Vendors
Click the Vendors tab
Click + Invite Vendor
The Invite Vendors modal opens with a searchable list of your vendor contacts
Search by name or use the filter icon to narrow results
Select vendors using the checkboxes
Click Invite Selected
The Vendors tab now shows each invited vendor with their company name, contact, and a Not Sent status badge. You can add more vendors at any time before or after sending.
Note: Vendors show as Not Sent until you click Send to Vendors. Adding vendors to the list does not notify them automatically.
6. Send to Vendors
When your scope, line items, documents, and vendor list are ready:
Click Send to Vendors in the top right
The confirmation modal shows the number of vendors, line item count, and deadline
Add an Internal Note (optional) - this note is visible to your team only and is not sent to vendors
Click Send Now
Each invited vendor receives an email from [email protected] with the subject "Structur.com: Bid Request #[number] - [Title]". The email includes the project name, deadline, and a VIEW BID PACKAGE button. The package status changes from Draft to Pending.
7. How Vendors Submit Bids
From the vendor's side:
The vendor clicks VIEW BID PACKAGE in their email
Their bid page opens showing the package title, scope description, all line items, and attached documents
The vendor enters a Unit Amount for each cost code row
The vendor clicks Submit Bid
The Submit Bid modal opens showing the total cost, their name and email, the bid table, and an optional Notes field with a rich text editor
The vendor clicks Submit Bid to confirm
Vendors can also click Decline if they don't want to bid. After submitting, vendors can edit their bid by clicking the pencil icon on their bid page. As bids come in, the top bar updates with the current Low, High, and Average bid amounts.
8. Review Bids
Click the Bids tab to review all submissions.
The Bids tab has a two-panel layout:
Left panel - Vendors list
Shows every invited vendor with their status badge and the date they were sent. Status badges:
Invited - sent but not yet submitted
Submitted - bid received
Won - bid was awarded
Lost - bid was not awarded
Click any vendor row to load their bid in the right panel.
Right panel - Bid detail
Shows the selected vendor's full submission including:
Company name and contact
Cost code table with Cost Code, Name, Description, and Bid Amount columns
Bid Total in green for submitted bids, or Pending for vendors who haven't submitted yet
Files the vendor attached to their submission
x Reject button and Award Bid button (orange) for submitted bids
Leveling tab
Click the Leveling tab for a side-by-side comparison of all submitted bids. Bid leveling populates once vendors have submitted.
9. Award the Bid
In the Bids tab, click the vendor row you want to award
Click Award Bid in the right panel
The Award Bid to [Vendor]? confirmation modal shows the vendor name, package title, and total bid amount
Click Confirm Award
The package status changes to Awarded. The winning vendor's badge updates to Won. All other vendors update to Lost. A "Bid awarded successfully" toast confirms the action.
Note: After awarding, the top bar shows only Save As Template. The Edit and Duplicate buttons are no longer available. Vendors are not notified automatically - notify them separately when you're ready.
10. Push to Estimate
To add the winning bid's line items and amounts to your project estimate:
Click Push to Estimate in the green action card below the bid detail
The Push to Estimate modal opens
Select a draft estimate from the Select Estimate dropdown. Click + New Estimate to create one if needed.
Choose a destination for the line items:
Create a new group - creates a new group on the estimate pre-named with the bid package title
Add to an existing group - places the line items inside a group already on the estimate
No group - adds cost codes directly to the estimate without grouping
Select a Subgroup (optional) within the selected group
Click Add to Estimate
Note: This creates new line items on the estimate. Existing entries with matching cost codes will not be overwritten.
11. Convert to Subcontract
To create a subcontract directly from the winning bid:
Click Convert to Subcontract in the orange action card below the bid detail
The Convert Awarded Bid to Subcontract confirmation modal appears
Click Convert to Subcontract
Structur creates a full subcontract with all cost codes, quantities, and amounts pre-populated from the awarded bid. A Subcontract Created confirmation card appears with a View Subcontract button to open it immediately.
Note: You can do both - push to estimate first to lock in the budget, then convert to subcontract to generate the formal agreement.
12. Save As Template
Click Save As Template in the top bar at any point to save the package as a reusable template. Templates are available when you create future packages using the Choose A Template option. The template saves the cost code line items and scope structure but not vendor lists or documents.
Best Practices
Invite at least three vendors - true competition requires multiple bidders and gives you a meaningful price range to evaluate.
Complete the scope before sending - add all line items and documents before you click Send to Vendors so every vendor prices the same scope.
Use the Internal Note on Send - leave a note for your team explaining any context about the send, like which vendors you added last minute or any scope clarifications.
Check the Low/High/Avg bar before awarding - the top bar summary lets you spot outliers quickly before you open individual bids.
Use Leveling to compare - the Leveling tab puts all submitted bids side by side for an apples-to-apples comparison before you decide.
Review cost codes line by line, not just the total - a lower total may hide high pricing on specific line items that matter to your budget.
Convert to Subcontract right after awarding - doing it while the bid is fresh reduces the chance of scope drift between the bid and the contract.
Save repeatable scopes as templates - if you bid out the same trade on every project, save a well-built package as a template so you're not rebuilding from scratch each time.
Common Questions
Q: Where do I find Bid Packages inside a project?
A: Click Bid Pkgs in the module top bar inside any lead or project.
Q: Can I add vendors after I've already sent the package?
A: Yes. You can add vendors to the Vendors tab at any time. New vendors added after the initial send will show as Not Sent - click Send to Vendors again to notify the new additions.
Q: Can vendors edit their bid after submitting?
A: Yes. Vendors can click the pencil icon on their bid page to edit a submitted bid. The updated amounts will reflect in your Bids tab.
Q: What do vendors see when they open their bid page?
A: Vendors see the package title, scope description, all cost code line items with Quantity and a Unit Amount field to fill in, and any documents you uploaded. They don't see other vendors or internal notes.
Q: What happens to the other vendors when I award a bid?
A: All other vendors are automatically updated to Lost status. The award confirmation modal reminds you that you can individually notify the other vendors afterward.
Q: Can I award a bid without any vendors submitting?
A: The Award Bid button only appears on vendors who have submitted a bid. You can't award a vendor who hasn't submitted.
Q: What's the difference between Push to Estimate and Convert to Subcontract?
A: Push to Estimate adds the awarded line items and amounts to your project estimate for budget tracking. Convert to Subcontract creates a formal subcontract agreement with the vendor. You can do both - they serve different purposes and don't conflict.
Q: Can I edit the bid package after sending it to vendors?
A: Yes. Click Edit in the top bar to update the package title, description, or deadline. Be aware that significant changes after sending may cause confusion for vendors who have already started pricing.
Q: What is the difference between the Bid Package Number and the Bid Package Title?
A: The Bid Package Number is a reference number used to identify the package (auto-generated but editable). The Bid Package Title is the descriptive name of the scope, for example "Electrical Rough-In." Both appear on vendor emails and in the package header.
Q: Can I use a template from a previous project?
A: Yes. Click Choose A Template when creating a new bid package to load a saved template. Templates carry over the line items and scope structure but not vendor lists or documents.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
Send before all line items and documents are ready | Complete the scope first, then send |
Invite only one vendor | Invite at least three for real competition |
Ignore the Low/High/Avg summary bar | Use it to spot outliers before reviewing individual bids |
Award without checking the Leveling tab | Compare all bids side by side before deciding |
Skip Convert to Subcontract after awarding | Convert right away so the contract matches the bid exactly |
Build the same package from scratch on every project | Save repeatable scopes as templates |
Choose based on the lowest total alone | Review pricing line by line before deciding |