Preparing For a Bid by Sal Alfano There's more to good bidding than preparing an accurate estimate. But, as with an estimate, the more systematic your approach to bidding, the better your chances for success. Assume for a moment that most of your bids will involve an owner, an architect and/or engineer, a set of working drawings, a specification book, and a specific bid document. What follows in this and the next two columns are tips on how to handle these complex elements efficiently and accurately. To Bid or Not to Bid Commonly, two weeks is allowed in which to prepare a bid, and it never seems like enough. Before relationship with their office in the past, you may want to think