Bid Form Template for Construction Tenders (Free Guide + Example)
The bid form is what a contractor signs. Here's what it needs to include — and why the grand total should never be typed in separately from your BOQ.
What a Bid Form Is For
A bid form is the formal declaration a contractor signs when submitting a tender: confirmation that they've examined the drawings, specifications and BOQ, understood the applicable code requirements, and are offering a firm price to complete the work. It converts a priced spreadsheet into a legally meaningful offer, per standard construction tendering practice.
What It Must Include
Grand Total Bid Amount
The firm, all-inclusive total — ideally pulled by formula from your BOQ Summary, not retyped.
Bid Validity Period
How long the offer stays firm (commonly 60-90 days), so the owner knows the window for acceptance.
Declaration Language
Confirmation that rates are firm, complete and inclusive per the General Notes, with no claims for misunderstanding of scope.
Bid Bond Reference
Where applicable, a reference to the bonding instrument (e.g. AIA Document A310) required by the Instructions to Bidders.
Compliance Confirmation
For Florida projects, explicit confirmation of compliance with the Florida Building Code and any threshold building inspection requirements under F.S. §553.79.
Authorized Signatory Block
Company name, signatory name/title, contractor license number, FEIN, address and signature with company seal.
Why the Total Should Be a Formula, Not Retyped
The single most common bid-form error: someone calculates the grand total in the BOQ Summary, then manually retypes that figure into the Bid Form — and a transcription slip creates a mismatch between the two documents. The fix is simple: the Bid Form's Grand Total cell should be a direct formula reference to the BOQ Summary's grand total cell (e.g. ='BOQ Summary'!C17), so the two can never disagree.
Formula-Linked, Not Retyped
Our template's Bid Form total pulls automatically from the BOQ Summary — change a rate anywhere upstream and the signed total updates with it.
Get the BOQ Template – $49 →The Authorized Signatory Block
In Florida, include the contractor's state license number (CGC/CBC), company FEIN, and full business address alongside the standard name/title/signature fields — information the owner's team will need regardless for contract execution and insurance verification.
A Worked Example
"We, the undersigned, having examined the Drawings, Technical Specifications, General Notes & Preambles and this Bill of Quantities... hereby offer to execute and complete the said Works... for the sum stated below: Grand Total Bid Amount: $9,952,967.09, valid for 90 days from the date of bid submission." That total, in a properly built workbook, is a single formula tracing all the way back through the BOQ Summary to every priced line item.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's typically treated as a formal offer; whether it becomes a binding contract depends on the owner's acceptance and the governing contract documents — consult your own legal counsel for a specific project.
The signed Bid Form itself usually just needs the grand total and declaration; unit rates live in the accompanying BOQ, which is typically submitted alongside it.
Add clearly labeled rows for each alternate/allowance beneath the base bid total, so the owner can evaluate them separately from the firm base price.
Skip the Blank Spreadsheet
Get our tender-ready, 60-item Structural Steel Works BOQ template — 9 tabs, live formulas, Florida codes referenced. $49, instant download.
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