These guides are written for owners, estimators and office managers at general contractors and subtrades who want to move up in project size. Each one teaches a single skill in enough depth that you can do it yourself without hiring anyone. Where a guide touches licensing or rules, it links the official source and stops there, because those decisions belong with you and the provincial bodies.
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Bid hit-rate math for contractors: what bigger work is really worth
Before spending on marketing for bigger projects, work out your hit rate, your real cost per bid and the gross profit of an average award. Those three numbers tell you what an invitation is worth.
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How to write a contractor capability statement that gets read
A capability statement is a two-page summary of what your company builds, at what size, with what crew, and where. Write it for a tired estimator with ten minutes, and back every line with a project.
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How subcontractors get on builder bid lists, step by step
Getting on a builder's bid list is a sequence: pick builders whose work fits your crew, remove their risk worries in writing, make contact for a real reason, then earn the second invitation on the first job.
How subcontractors get on builder bid lists
Getting on builder bid lists is a six-step method for subtrades that want new builder relationships.
It covers choosing builders whose work fits your crew, having paperwork ready before anyone asks, writing your experience down once, making first contact for a real reason, following up without becoming a nuisance, and earning the second invitation on the first job. It includes a contact rhythm table and a message template you can adapt.
Read it if: most of your revenue comes from a few builders and you want more of them.
Writing a capability statement that gets read
The capability statement guide shows how to produce a two-page summary and a set of project sheets that answer an estimator's five key questions: experience, scale, capacity, safety and close-out.
It includes a six-block structure, a project-sheet template table, a before-and-after rewrite, and a checklist you can run before sending anything. It also notes the language point for anyone pursuing work in Quebec.
Read it if: builders or owners have asked for your information and then gone quiet, or you're entering a new sector.
Bid hit-rate math: what a bigger project is worth
The hit-rate guide turns four numbers from your own records into the value of a single invitation to price.
It walks through a full worked example, shows how more invitations, a better hit rate and larger projects each change the result, and explains how to test any marketing budget against your break-even. It also covers the often-ignored cost of bidding on work that was never a good fit.
Read it if: you're deciding whether to spend on marketing at all, or you want a way to judge any agency's proposal, including ours.
How the guides fit together
The three guides follow the order most contractors work through:
- Value it with the hit-rate math, so you know what an invitation is worth.
- Prepare your capability statement and project sheets.
- Approach builders and owners with a plan, and follow up.
If you'd rather have the work done for you, each guide corresponds to one of our services. Pricing is on the pricing page, and published results from our HVAC work are on the results page.
How to use the guides with your team
The guides work best when the people who estimate, run sites and answer the phone read them together. A one-hour meeting with the owner, the lead estimator and whoever handles the office is usually enough to agree on your four hit-rate numbers, your top ten target builders or owners, and which projects deserve a proper project sheet. Print the checklists, assign each item to one person, and set a date to review progress in a month. Small, steady progress beats a big push that stops when the next project starts.
The guides are updated as rules and practice change; each one shows the date it was last revised.
Spotted something out of date? Tell us by call, text or email and we will check it.
Guides by region
Rules, seasons and buyer habits vary across Canada. Before acting on any guide, check the region page for your province on our areas page. Each one links the official licensing, safety and workers' compensation bodies, so you can confirm your own obligations at the source.
Frequently asked questions
Are these guides free to use?
Yes. Read them, print them and use the templates in your own business. There's nothing to sign up for.
Do the guides give legal or bidding advice?
No. They are marketing and business planning guides. For licensing, contracts, tenders or bonding, speak to the provincial body, your lawyer, your surety or your broker.
Which guide should I read first?
If you're a subtrade, start with getting on builder bid lists. If you're a GC, start with the capability statement guide. Anyone deciding on a marketing budget should read the hit-rate guide.