June 2025 - Western Construction Resources

Why We Ask for Bid Results and Award Information: Building Trust Through Transparency

At WCR, we regularly reach out to public agencies and project owners to request bid results and award details following bid openings. You may have received one of these requests from us — and we want to take a moment to explain why we ask, and why sharing this information benefits the entire construction community.

When contractors bid on public projects, they invest a great deal of time, effort, and resources preparing their proposals. Each bid represents not only a financial calculation, but also a commitment of energy from estimators, project managers, and support staff. With so much at stake, transparency in the bidding and award process is essential.

Publishing bid results — including all bidders and their amounts — serves several important purposes:

✅ It promotes trust and fairness. When bid results are made public, contractors know the process was open and above-board. This builds confidence in future opportunities and encourages healthy competition.

✅ It protects the integrity of the process. Transparency deters disputes, reduces the potential for misunderstandings, and strengthens the credibility of the bidding process.

✅ It helps the industry plan and improve. Contractors can better assess market conditions, refine their estimating strategies, and make informed decisions about where to focus their efforts.

✅ It keeps stakeholders informed. From subcontractors to suppliers, many rely on accurate and timely information about who won the work and at what price.

We understand that compiling and sharing this information takes time. But timely communication of bid results and award details is not just a courtesy — it’s part of doing business in a professional and accountable manner.

We appreciate the cooperation of owners and agencies who help us keep the industry informed. Together, we can support a construction marketplace built on integrity, fairness, and mutual respect.

Respectfully,
Dawn Harju,
President WCR Publications INC

By DawnWCR|June 20, 2025|Construction|

Why an Official Plan Holders List is Important

For public municipalities and project consultants, ensuring a fair, competitive, and efficient bidding process is essential. One of the simplest — yet most critical — tools to support this is maintaining an official plan holders list.

What Is an Official Plan Holders List?

An official plan holders list is a record of all contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and consultants who have obtained the official project plans and documents from a designated source.

In short:
➡ The bid documents clearly state which agency or location bidders must contact to be added to the plan holders list.
➡ Those on the list are notified of any project changes, addenda, or updates.

This ensures that everyone knows where to get the official, most up-to-date information for a project — eliminating confusion and miscommunication.

Why Does This Matter?

Bidding on public works projects takes significant time, effort, and resources. Without an official plan holders list, several problems can arise:

Lack of coordination — Contractors, suppliers, and subcontractors may not know who is bidding as a prime or sub, leading to missed opportunities for collaboration.
Wasted time and effort — Bids can become fragmented, redundant, or incomplete, wasting valuable time for both bidders and the municipality.
Higher costs — Inefficiencies and uncertainty can discourage participation or lead to inflated bid prices.
Reduced transparency — Without an official source of truth, it’s harder to ensure that the process is fair and competitive.

The Benefits of an Official Plan Holders List

By maintaining and sharing an official plan holders list, municipalities and consultants can:

✅ Promote collaboration between contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers
✅ Encourage more complete, competitive bids
✅ Save time and reduce unnecessary costs for all parties
✅ Support the integrity and transparency of the public bidding process

Final Thoughts

An official plan holders list is a small administrative step that delivers big value. It ensures that everyone — from the owner to the bidders — starts from the same set of information, creating a smoother, fairer, and more efficient project delivery process.

By DawnWCR|June 13, 2025|Construction, General|