FREE Commercial Construction Proposal Template (Updated)

Preparing a convincing construction proposal is the first step in any construction company's efforts to win a construction tender. Your proposal for the construction project will be evaluated against other proposals from your competitors. Therefore, it's important that your construction proposal has all the essential elements. We have curated a construction proposal template that will guide you when preparing your construction proposals to potential clients or project owners.

What is a Commercial Construction Proposal?

A commercial construction proposal is a document submitted by construction companies or contractors to clients outlining details of the construction project. A good construction proposal template will help you not miss out the most important details of the project. The main objective of the construction proposal is to communicate to the client how the project will be implemented.

Why Prepare Construction Proposal?

There are many commercial construction proposal templates online that you can customize. Since you're not writing the proposal from scratch, knowing why you're writing the proposal will guide you in the customization process. In addition to communicating how you will deliver the construction project, the proposal shows your company's capacity or capabilities to successfully execute the project. There are more reasons why construction proposals are important.

Clarity

The construction proposal provides an outline of the construction project schedule, costs, and scope. As such, both the contractor and the client have clear expectations and shared understanding of the expected outcome.

Transparency

Construction projects are expensive ventures. A construction proposal should demonstrate transparency in the pricing or project cost. Furthermore, the construction firm should define client expectations.

Project and Resource Planning

The construction project proposal helps the construction company and contractors to plan for the project. Project managers can use the proposal to plan schedules, allocate resources, and organize tasks effectively.

Brand Identity

A good commercial construction proposal brings out the construction company's brand identity. This reinforces the company's credibility and reputation. This emphasizes the significance of using brand colors and assets during the proposal creation process. A strong brand will help your company stand out from other construction companies during the commercial bidding process.

Client Decision Making

Clients or project owners use construction proposals to compare different construction companies and gauge their capabilities to successfully complete the project within a specific budget and timeline.

The Proposal Template

You have received or seen a construction request for proposal and you're confident this is a project your company can deliver. How do you convince the client you can deliver? The answer is a construction proposal. But you've never written a construction proposal before. You do not have to go through the pain of writing your project proposal from scratch. This free construction proposal template will help you quickly draft your proposal.

Cover Page

This is where you create a good first impression. Ensure you have a bold and well-designed cover page that displays your company information and brand colors. Remember, if the client is not impressed by the cover, they may not proceed to read your proposal.

This free construction proposal template comes with a stunning cover page that you can customize. Change the text, logo, and other details to fit your brand. The cover page should also have your contact information, as well as the client's contact information.

Cover Letter

Write a short introductory paragraph about your company. Highlight the benefits your company offers in a bullet list. Specify any company-backed guarantees.

About Us Page

Highlight your company's specialization and experience in few short sentences. Add any outstanding achievements that will make your company stand out from other construction firms. Key details you should not miss out include certifications and licenses.

Bios for Team Members

Write short bios of key team members. If you have subcontractors, you should have their bios in this section too.

Portfolio

This is where you showcase previous successful projects. Include images and specific details of the projects. You may also include details of the cost, duration, and project owners of these projects.

Take advantage of this case study section by demonstrating that you understood the client's needs and your were able to meet the requirements within the specified timeline.

Scope of Work

Write a clear description of scope of work your construction company will take. Outline all activities and tasks to be completed. Go through your commercial construction checklist and lay down all of the details. This construction proposal template does not have a detailed scope -- you should customize to your client specification. This is one of the sections that will take you the most amount of time when writing your proposal.

This is also the section where you specify whether you're going to use subcontractors. Include the subcontractors' responsibilities and estimated costs.

Project Schedule with Phases

Present your projected timeline for the completion of the project. The work schedule should include start and completion dates for each phase. The project schedule should also include the time it will take to get required approvals or permits. It is also important to account for external factors that may cause delays, such as the weather.

Cost Breakdown

Provide estimates of the costs for specific aspects of the project, as well as estimated cost of the entire project. Some of the key aspects that should be accounted for in the budget include:

• Material
• Labor
• Equipment
• Permits

The proposal should also have a payment schedule of how and when to expect payment from the client. There are plenty of commercial pre-construction cost estimating services available to help you with this.

Terms and Conditions

Outline any terms and conditions that should apply to both parties -- you and the client. This is the section where you can include the following:

• Insurance requirements
• Payment terms
• Dispute resolution
• Owner responsibilities
• Changes in contract
• Weather implications
• Material delivery
• Agreement statement
• Late payments and service charges

Clarifications and Exclusions

Provide details about materials, equipment, or works that will be provided by other parties. Items to consider in this section include vehicle liability, hazardous materials, damages, and indemnification.

Relevant Authorities

Specify the regulatory bodies or relevant authorities that the construction project must comply with before starting and subsequently proceeding with the construction process. For example, you may need building permits before starting the project.

Warranty

Do you offer any warranties? If yes, this is where you provide the warranty details. Details include duration and coverage. Specify what you're responsible for fixing and what you're not liable for.

References

You may include in your proposal contact details of three of your past and present clients. Indicate the name of the company, the contact person, and their contact details.

E-signatures to Close the Deal

This free construction proposal template ends with a professional e-signature page. This page makes it easy for the client to accept your proposal. Digital signatures are compliant and 100 percent legal. A signature is an acceptance of the terms and conditions, and also indicates that the client agrees to move forward with the project. The signature makes the proposal a legally binding document.

Tips When Using this Template

This commercial construction proposal template can be applied to any type of construction project. However, each proposal should be tailored to the specific requirements of the project. The following tips will help you when using any construction proposal templates for your construction bid proposal.

Customize the Proposal

You should have different commercial construction proposals for different construction projects -- don't use one generic proposal for multiple projects. This is because of the differences or variations in requirements for each project. In addition, there are different types of commercial construction. A proposal you have used for heavy timber construction should be different from your bid for fire-resistive construction.

Focus on Details

This construction proposal template is just that, a template. You should dig deeper and focus on details for each specific element or section of the proposal template. Clearly outline the equipment, materials, labor, and any other applicable expenses. A detailed budget inspires confidence.

Show Project Impact

Demonstrate the impact your workmanship will have on the client's project. This is why you should include a portfolio of your past projects in your construction bid.

Your proposal should demonstrate that you understand the client's pain points. Explain how you will solve these challenges when executing the project.

Set Clear Timelines

Your proposal should not just have timelines, the timelines should be realistic. Importantly, the project timeline should align with the project owner's objectives.

Provide Accurate Data

Ensure the data you provide in your construction bid is accurate. Before sending the proposal to the client, double check the details, figures, and data. Accuracy of your data demonstrate your attention to detail. Inaccurate data could be viewed as a sign of incompetence or lack of professionalism.

Things to Avoid

In addition to the above tips, avoid the following in your proposal:

• Incomplete scope of work
• Ambiguous language
• Unclear warranty terms
• Using non-customizable templates
• Unclear payment terms
• Ignoring local regulations

Use this Free Construction Proposal Template to Write your Proposal

We hope this comprehensive construction proposal template will help you not only save time during the proposal creation process, but also ensure that you do not miss the crucial details or elements of the proposal. You can also send your construction contract along with this proposal. The contract is a legally binding document, and if signed by the client, it means you've closed the deal.