Subcontractor Bid Tracker Spreadsheet

You're leaving money on the table every time you guess your bid rate instead of knowing it.

You finished the job. You got paid. But somewhere in the back of your head, a quiet question keeps showing up: *did I price that right?*

Maybe you bid low to win it. Maybe you bid high and lost three in a row and you still don't know why. Maybe you've got six active bids floating out there right now — some emailed, some texted, some scribbled on your truck's notepad — and you genuinely couldn't tell anyone your close rate if they asked. You're running a real trade business. You just don't have the system a real trade business needs.

That's exactly what Scout was built to fix.

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**Scout — Subcontractor Market Intelligence Tracker** is a purpose-built Excel and Google Sheets template for solo subcontractors and small trade crews in electrical, plumbing, HVAC, framing, concrete, and beyond. It turns the bid chaos of a working subcontractor into a clean, data-driven pipeline — so you stop guessing on price, stop losing track of open bids, and start knowing, in plain numbers, whether your business is growing the way you think it is.

This isn't a generic project tracker dressed up with trade language. Every section was designed around how subcontractors actually work: quoting fast, juggling multiple GCs, chasing scope changes, and trying to hold margin when material costs shift.

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### 🔩 WHAT'S INSIDE SCOUT

**Bid Pipeline Dashboard**
Every active bid in one place. Track the GC or client name, project type, bid submission date, bid amount, estimated start date, and current status — open, awarded, lost, or pending. No more wondering what's out there. No more following up on bids you forgot you sent.

**Market Rate Benchmarking Log**
This is the feature most subcontractor tools skip entirely. Scout includes a structured benchmarking log where you record what rates you're hearing in the field — from conversations with other subs, job walk pricing signals, and awarded vs. lost bid patterns. Over time, this becomes your own private market intelligence file. You'll know whether your day-rate is competitive before you send the quote, not after you lose the job.

**Margin Intelligence Calculator**
Enter your bid amount, estimated labor hours, crew rate, and material costs. Scout calculates your gross margin in real time — and flags it visually if you're below your target threshold. You'll see immediately whether a job is worth pursuing at the number on the table, or whether you need to restructure before you submit. Stop taking jobs that feel big but pay small.

**Win/Loss Rate Tracker**
Log every bid outcome — won, lost, or no-decision — and Scout tracks your close rate automatically. Filter by GC, project type, or time period. You'll start to see patterns: which GCs you win with consistently, which project types have your best margins, and where you're leaving money behind by under-bidding work you always win anyway.

**Annual Volume Projection**
Scout rolls your awarded bids into a running annual volume projection so you can see, at any point in the year, whether you're on track for your $300K, $400K, or $500K target. No spreadsheet formulas to write. Just your real numbers, projected forward in plain view.

**GC Relationship Scorecard**
Not all GCs are equal. Scout lets you rate your active GC relationships by payment reliability, communication quality, repeat bid invitations, and scope clarity. Over time, you'll know which GCs to prioritize and which ones to quietly deprioritize when you're busy.

**Scope Change & Margin Erosion Log**
One of the fastest ways a subcontractor loses margin is scope creep that never gets billed. Scout includes a lightweight scope change log where you record approved vs. unapproved scope additions, their dollar value, and billing status. Nothing falls through the cracks.

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### ✅ WHO THIS IS FOR

- Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, framing, and concrete subs running $200K–$600K in annual job volume
- Solo operators who are the estimator, the PM, and the crew lead all at once
- Small trade crews who've outgrown the notepad but aren't ready for $300/month software
- Any subcontractor who's ever finished a job and genuinely wasn't sure if it made money

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### 📦 WHAT YOU GET

- Scout template in **.xlsx format** (Microsoft Excel) and **Google Sheets** (link delivered instantly via Etsy)
- Pre-built dashboard, benchmarking log, margin calculator, pipeline tracker, and all supporting tabs
- Clean, unlocked formatting — customize column headers, trade categories, and rate thresholds to match your business
- One-time purchase, no subscription, no monthly fee

> **License:** Personal and single-business use only. Template is for your business operations only.

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### ⚡ WHY SUBCONTRACTORS USE SCOUT INSTEAD OF GENERIC TOOLS

Generic task trackers and project planners weren't built for how subs actually quote work. Scout speaks your language: bid day, awarded margin, GC relationship, material burden, scope creep. You'll be up and running in under an hour — and within your first full bid cycle, you'll have data you've never had before.

At **$39.99**, Scout costs less than one billable hour for most of the tradespeople who use it. And it pays for itself the first time it stops you from submitting a margin-negative bid.

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**Questions? Visit @bizgrid_co on Instagram or message us directly on Etsy. We respond fast.**

Perfect for: Solo subcontractors and small trade crews (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, framing, concrete) managing $200K–$600K in annual contract volume

Why now: Material cost volatility, labor shortages, and GC consolidation are squeezing sub margins to historic lows — subs who track market rates and bid spreads win disproportionately in 2024–2025

✓ Instant digital download
✓ Works with Microsoft Excel (Mac & PC) and Google Sheets
✓ No technical skills required
✓ Formulas and calculations already built in

📋 LICENSE: Personal and single-business use only. This template may not be resold, redistributed, or used to create derivative products for sale.