How to Follow Up on a Submitted Bid (Without Being Annoying)
Learn how to follow up on a submitted bid the right way. Practical tips for specialty trade subs to stay top of mind and win more work.
How to Follow Up on a Submitted Bid (Without Being Annoying)
You sent the bid. Now you're waiting. A week goes by. Nothing. Two weeks. Still nothing.
This is one of the most frustrating parts of being a specialty trade subcontractor. You put time into scoping the job, pricing it out, and getting it in front of the GC or owner. Then it just sits there.
The fix is a solid follow-up process. Not aggressive. Not desperate. Just professional and consistent. Here's how to do it.
Why Following Up Matters
Most GCs are juggling dozens of bids at once. Your submission is competing with several others, and the decision-maker is probably busy with active jobs at the same time. A well-timed follow-up does two things:
- It confirms your bid was received and reviewed.
- It keeps your name in front of the right person when they're ready to make a decision.
Contractors who follow up consistently win more work. It's that simple.
Step 1: Set a Follow-Up Date When You Submit
Don't wait until you start feeling anxious. When you send the bid, mark a follow-up date on your calendar. A good rule of thumb is 5 to 7 business days after submission for most commercial bids. For larger projects with longer decision timelines, you might wait 10 days.
If the GC gave you a bid due date, follow up one or two days after that deadline. That's usually when they're reviewing numbers.
Step 2: Send a Short, Professional Email First
Your first follow-up should be an email. Keep it short. You're not rewriting your pitch. You're just checking in.
Here's a simple template you can use:
Subject: Follow-Up on [Project Name] Bid
Hi [Name],
I wanted to follow up on the bid I submitted for [project name] on [date]. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information from me. I'm happy to walk through the scope or adjust anything if needed.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
[Your Name] [Company Name] [Phone Number]
That's it. Short, professional, easy to respond to. You're giving them an opening to ask questions, which sometimes uncovers the real reason they haven't responded.
Step 3: Follow Up by Phone If You Don't Hear Back
If you don't get a response to your email within 2 to 3 business days, make a phone call. Don't overthink this. You're not being pushy. You're doing your job.
When you call, be direct:
"Hey, this is [Name] from [Company]. I submitted a bid for [project] about two weeks ago and just wanted to make sure you received it and see if you had any questions."
Keep it conversational. Listen more than you talk. If they say they're still deciding, ask if there's a timeline you should know about. That gives you a reason to call back without feeling like you're bothering them.
Step 4: Make It Easy for Them to Review Your Bid
One reason GCs go quiet is because your bid is buried in their inbox or hard to read. If your bid came in as a rough email or a messy spreadsheet, it's easy to deprioritize.
This is where having a clean, itemized bid document makes a real difference. When you follow up, you can offer to resend the bid in a clear format that's easy to review and share with the owner.
TradeBid is built specifically for this. It helps specialty trade subcontractors generate professional, itemized bid PDFs fast. Your labor, materials, and scope are laid out clearly so the GC can see exactly what they're getting. A polished document builds trust and makes it easier for the decision-maker to say yes.
Step 5: Know When to Move On
Not every bid is going to convert. If you've followed up twice by email and once by phone over three weeks and heard nothing, send one final message letting them know you're still available if the project moves forward. Then move on.
"Hi [Name], I understand you may have gone another direction on [project]. If anything changes or you have a future project coming up, I'd be glad to put a number together for you. Thanks for the opportunity."
This keeps the relationship open without wasting more of your time. Some of those GCs will come back to you on the next job.
Step 6: Track Your Bids and Follow-Ups
If you're submitting multiple bids a month, you need a system. Whether it's a simple spreadsheet or a dedicated tool, track the project name, bid date, amount, and your follow-up dates.
Without tracking, bids fall through the cracks. You forget to follow up. Money gets left on the table.
Quick Reference: Follow-Up Timeline
- Day 1: Submit your bid
- Day 5 to 7: Send a follow-up email
- Day 9 to 10: Call if no email response
- Day 20 to 21: Final check-in, then move on
Final Thoughts
Following up on a submitted bid is not optional if you want to grow your business. Most of your competitors are not doing it consistently. That alone gives you an edge.
Be professional. Be persistent. Make it easy for the GC to say yes by showing up with a clean bid they can actually read and share.
If you want to make a stronger first impression before the follow-up even starts, try TradeBid. It helps you build itemized, client-ready bid PDFs in minutes so your numbers are clear, credible, and easy to approve.
Try TradeBid free at tradebid.org.