TotalBidder — User Guide

What's a Bid?

A bid is a paper that tells a customer how much money it will cost to do their job. Think of it like a price ticket for a big project.

When someone wants to build something — a school, a hospital, a train station — they ask companies like TotalBidder to send a bid. The customer reads all the bids that come in and picks one.

Your job is to make the bid right. TotalBidder helps you do that. This guide walks you through it from the very first click.

Before You Start

TotalBidder does not count devices from drawings. Somebody — you, an estimator, a takeoff service — has already walked the plans and written down every device and every cable run. TotalBidder's job starts there: it takes your completed count, prices it, and builds the bid.

Three things to have ready:

1. Your take-off — A spreadsheet or PDF that already lists every device/material and its quantity, plus cable lengths (Excel, CSV, or PDF — a completed count-and-cable schedule, not the drawings themselves).
2. The specs — A book of rules. It tells you what kind of cable to use, what brand of camera, how to wire everything. Usually a PDF, called something like "Division 27" or "Division 28." TotalBidder reads this to auto-fill project info — it's optional, but it saves you typing.
3. Your sign-in — Your work email and the password your boss gave you.

Have a wage determination (Davis-Bacon or a state prevailing-wage decision)? Keep that handy too — it goes in the same upload spot as your take-off.

Got what you need? Good. Let's go.

Step 1 · Sign In

1. Open TotalBidder in your web browser (Chrome, Edge, or Safari all work).
2. You'll see a box that says "Welcome to TotalBidder."
3. Type your work email (the one your boss gave you).
4. Type your password.
5. Click SIGN IN.

Step 2 · Start a New Bid

At the top of the screen, look at the big toolbar. Find the button that says + NEW BID.

Click it. A blank bid opens. The screen changes to a form with lots of boxes.

Step 3 · Tell TotalBidder About the Job

You'll see a list of boxes. Take your time. Fill in each one:

Box	What to type
Project Name	What the job is called. Example: Sutter Health TI Building C
Project Location	Where the building is. Example: Sacramento, CA
Prepared For	The company asking for the bid. Example: Turner Construction
Bid Due Date	When the bid must be done. Click the calendar and pick the day and time. (This one matters — it powers the deadline reminders below.)
Estimator	Your name. Pick from the drop-down list.
Salesperson	The TotalBidder salesperson on the deal. Pick from the list.

Pick the Disciplines

Below that, you'll see boxes called Disciplines. These are the kinds of work the job needs. Check ONLY the ones that match your job:

• CCTV — Security cameras
• Access Control — Door locks, card readers, keypads
• Structured Cabling — Phone and computer wires (Cat6, fiber)
• Fire Alarm — Smoke detectors, alarm panels, horns
• Audio Visual — Speakers, TVs, conference room gear
• Networking — Internet switches, Wi-Fi access points
• Intrusion Detection — Motion sensors, glass break, perimeter

Step 4 · Upload Take-off Data

Click Next at the bottom of the page. You'll see a box called Upload Take-off Data — this is the heart of the new workflow.

1. Click that box (or drag your file straight onto it).
2. Find your completed take-off — Excel (.xlsx/.xls), CSV, or PDF — the file that already lists every device/material, its quantity, and any cable lengths.
3. Click Open.
4. Wait a moment while TotalBidder reads it. You'll see a status line like "✓ 214 line items extracted from Counts.xlsx."

Any reasonable column layout works — Item, Qty, Unit, Unit Cost, Mfg, Part #, Cable Length. TotalBidder finds the columns itself; it doesn't need an exact template.

Got a wage determination (Davis-Bacon or a state prevailing-wage decision)? Drop that in the same box — TotalBidder tells take-off files and wage documents apart automatically and reads each one the right way.

Step 5 · Upload the Specs

Click Next again. You'll see a separate box for the specification book — this is unrelated to the take-off upload and still works the same way it always has.

Click it, find your specs PDF, click Open. TotalBidder reads it and auto-fills project info (owner, dates, prevailing wage, disciplines, code jurisdiction) so you don't have to type it twice.

Step 6 · Build the Bid

Click Next until you see the BUILD BID button light up at the top of the page.

Click BUILD BID.

TotalBidder takes the quantities and cable lengths straight from your take-off upload and:

• Prices every line item (backfilling a unit cost when your file didn't include one)
• Converts cable runs into total footage so material and labor price correctly
• Groups everything into a priced Bill of Materials by discipline
• Pulls in wage rates from your uploaded wage determination, if you gave it one
• Adds it all up to a total price

This is fast — there's no drawing analysis to wait on, since the counting was already done in your file. When it's done, you'll see a green message and move straight to the Results / Workbench screen.

Step 7 · Check the Numbers

Now the most important part. You see the results, and YOU double-check that the priced BOM matches your take-off. TotalBidder never changes your quantities, but a column it read wrong or a price it couldn't find will show up here — that's why a person always checks.

Click the WORKBENCH button at the top. A big window opens with tabs on the left side. Visit each tab in order:

Tab 1 · Dashboard

A summary of everything. Look at:

• Total Bid — The big dollar number at the top. Is it about what you expected for a job this size?
• Line Items — How many devices/materials came in from your take-off? Does the count match what you uploaded?
• Bid Readiness — A checklist on the right. Every line should be green. If anything is red, do that thing.

Tab 2 · Estimate Summary

A one-page printable summary. Read it. If anything looks wrong, fix it on the regular wizard steps.

Tab 3 · Scope Validation

Tells you what's IN the job and what's NOT.

• Read the green column (Included Scope). Make sure it matches what you think the job is.
• Read the red column (Excluded). These are things you do not have to do.
• Read the yellow box (Auto-Detected from Spec). These are things the spec says are NIC ("not in contract") or By Others.
• At the bottom, type your name and click Mark Scope Validated. This puts a stamp on the bid.

Tab 4 · Risk / CO Exposure

Lists things that could go wrong later and cost extra money. Click Auto-Detect from Spec to get the robot's list, then add anything YOU noticed that worries you (a short description, how likely it is, a dollar guess, and how you'd fix it).

Tab 5 · Value Engineering

Shows ways to make the bid cheaper. Click Generate from BOM — the robot suggests swaps like "use a cheaper camera here." Keep the good ones, delete the bad ones.

Tab 6 · Quote Comparison

If you know what other companies are bidding, type their prices here. TotalBidder shows if you are LOW, MID, or HIGH compared to them.

Tabs 7–12 (After You Win)

These tabs — Schedule, Procurement, Project Checklist, Submittals — are for after the bid is won. Don't worry about them yet.

When you're done checking, close the Workbench with the X in the top right.

Step 8 · Save Your Work

Always save before you walk away.

TotalBidder auto-saves every few minutes, but you can also click the SAVED button at the top to save on purpose. You'll see "Saved at 2:34 PM" in the corner when it works.

Step 9 · Manager Review

When you think your bid is done, the manager (Tony) needs to look at it before you send it.

The Quick Way

1. Tell Tony the bid is ready (Teams message, walk over to his desk, whatever).
2. Tony opens Admin → Manager Dashboard and sees your bid in the "Awaiting Review" column.
3. He clicks into the bid and checks the scope, prices, and your Workbench notes.
4. He clicks Mark as Reviewed and types a short note if he wants.
5. Now your bid has a "Reviewed By " stamp on the proposal cover.

The Formal Way (Big or Public Jobs)

For really big bids — or any public-works job — use the Approval Chain (Admin → Compliance & Workflow → Approval Chain). It has four rows: Estimator → Tony → Allan → President. Each person changes their row to Approved as the bid moves up. The header reads IN REVIEW (yellow) until everyone signs off, then turns APPROVED (green).

Step 10 · Send the Bid

Almost done. Two steps.

Make the Proposal

1. On Step 7 (Results), click Generate Proposal.
2. A Word document (.docx) downloads to your computer.
3. Open it. Check the cover page — your name and the price should look right. The "About TotalBidder" page lists our credentials.

Or — Fill the Customer's Own Bid Form

Some GCs want their bid back on their own form, not a fresh proposal. On the Results screen, look for the Customer Bid Form card. Drag in their PDF (or a scan of it), and TotalBidder fills it with your real numbers — project info, total base bid, alternates, license/DIR numbers, addenda — right onto their original pages. Nothing is re-typeset into a new template. Check every filled-in value before you download, print, or email it — same rule as everything else the robot fills in for you.

Send It

1. Click Admin → Compliance & Workflow → Send / DocuSign.
2. Type the GC's email in the To Email box (the rest is pre-filled).
3. Click Open in Email Client — your email program opens with everything ready.
4. Attach the Word document you just made, then click Send.
5. Come back to TotalBidder and click Mark as Sent so the log knows.

You did it. 🎉

Bonus · The Whole Pipeline (what runs in what order)

Here is the exact order TotalBidder works a job, start to finish. Steps marked 🤖 automatic run by themselves; steps marked 👤 you need a person.

1. 👤 Do the take-off. Count the devices and cable runs yourself (or get them from your takeoff service), and put them in a spreadsheet or PDF.
2. 👤 Start a job. Create a bid, upload your take-off file (and specs, and a wage determination if you have one), and click BUILD BID.
3. 🤖 TotalBidder extracts and prices. Reads your take-off's quantities and cable lengths exactly as given, backfills pricing where needed, and reads the specs to auto-fill project info.
4. 🤖 Bid builds itself. The full estimate — BOM, pricing, labor, RFIs, risks — is assembled and saved to the cloud.
5. 🤖 Proposal drafts itself. A complete customer proposal is written and saved with the bid.
6. 👤 Human review. An estimator opens the saved bid, walks the Workbench tabs (Step 7), adjusts pricing, and gets manager approval.
7. 👤 Send it. Export the proposal to Word/PDF and send the bid. Sending to a customer is always a human decision — on purpose.

Bonus · Ask the Bid Copilot

Once you're signed in, look for a small round button sitting in the bottom-right corner of the screen — that's the Bid Copilot. It stays with you on any bid. Click it and a chat panel opens where you can ask plain questions about the bid you're currently working on:

• "What's in scope for AV on this job?"
• "What's driving the price on the fire alarm line?"
• "What should I double-check before I send this?"

The Copilot answers using this bid's own live numbers — project info, disciplines, and the BOM you uploaded — it doesn't make numbers up. You can type or use the microphone button, and it can read answers back out loud with the speaker toggle.

Public Bid? A Few Extra Steps

If your bid is for a public-works job (school district, city, state, federal), you have a few extras to take care of. They're all under Admin → Compliance:

DBE / SBE / MBE Suppliers

Many public bids require a percentage of certified small / minority / disadvantaged suppliers. Open DBE / SBE / MBE, list your suppliers and their cert types. The page turns green if you hit the goal, red if not.

Insurance Certificate (COI)

The GC needs a Certificate of Insurance. Open COI Generator, fill in the GC's name and address, click Print Broker Request, and send it to your insurance broker.

Bid Bond

Public bids usually need a bid bond (often 10% of the bid amount). Open Bid Bond — the amount is auto-calculated. Click Print Bond Request and email it to your surety agent.

DAS-140 (California public-works only)

After you win a CA public-works job, you have 5 days to send a DAS-140 form to the apprenticeship committee. Open DAS-140 / 142, click Generate Cover Letter, and mail it with the DAS form from dir.ca.gov.

If You Get Stuck

My take-off file didn't extract right (wrong names, missing lines, or $0 total)

This is almost always a column-header problem. Open your file and check:

• Is there a clear Description (or Material/Device) column? A bare "Item #" numbering column by itself will read as the item name.
• Is there a clear Qty column, and does every row you want kept actually have a number in it?
• If nothing priced, that's usually fine — a take-off with quantities but no cost columns still builds; you'll price those lines in the Workbench.

Fix the headers and re-upload. Still off? Ask Tony before you send it.

My cable lengths look wrong

Check whether your sheet has a separate Qty (run count) column alongside the Length column — TotalBidder multiplies the two into total footage. If your Qty column is really the total footage already, leave the run-count column blank so it isn't multiplied twice.

My wage determination didn't apply

Make sure the file name or content makes it clearly a wage document (it should say things like "wage determination," "Davis-Bacon," or "prevailing wage"). If TotalBidder can't tell, it may be read as a take-off file instead. Re-upload it on its own if needed.

"API Rate Limit" message at the top

The robot is busy with other people's bids. Wait a few minutes and try again. It will still work — just a little slower.

"Audio Visual: 0 devices" stops me from exporting

You checked Audio Visual on Step 3 but your take-off doesn't have any AV lines in it. Go back to Step 3, uncheck Audio Visual, and try again.

The bid total looks way too high or way too low

Open Workbench → Dashboard and look at the breakdown. Then open the Discrepancies tab — it lists places where the priced BOM doesn't line up with your take-off (rows that didn't parse, labor-guard and wage anomalies). Ask Tony to look before you send it.

I closed the tab and lost my work

Click SAVED at the top, pick your project from the list, and everything comes back. TotalBidder auto-saves every few minutes — you almost never actually lose work.

I need help and the guide doesn't cover it

• — Anything about estimating, pricing, scope
• — Everything else (logins, the program acting weird, big-picture questions)

Words You'll Hear

Construction has its own language. Here's what the most common words mean:

Word	What it means
Bid	The total price you give to the customer.
Proposal	The pretty Word document that contains the bid.
Take-off	The completed count of every device/material and cable length for a job — what you upload to TotalBidder to build the bid.
Plans	The drawings of the building (floor plans, ceiling plans, riser diagrams). TotalBidder doesn't read these directly — your take-off comes from them.
Specs	The rulebook for the building (the written part).
Wage Determination	A government document (Davis-Bacon or state prevailing-wage) listing required hourly pay rates by craft for a public job.
Addendum	An update to the plans or specs the architect sent after the original.
Solicitation	The official "we want bids" posting from a city/school/agency.
BOM	"Bill of Materials" — a list of every part needed.
GC	"General Contractor" — the company that builds the whole building. We bid TO them.
Owner	The customer who pays for everything (school district, hospital, etc.).
RFI	"Request For Information" — a written question you ask the GC when something's unclear.
Submittal	A package showing what brand of stuff you'll use, sent before installation.
Markup	The extra money added on top of cost. That's our profit.
Contingency	Money saved for "just in case" surprises.
Prevailing Wage	A higher hourly pay rate the government requires on public-works jobs.
NIC	"Not In Contract" — work that's NOT our job.
By Others / By EC	Another contractor (or the electrician) does this part, not us.
DBE / SBE / MBE	"Disadvantaged / Small / Minority Business Enterprise" — certified small suppliers public bids often require.
Scope	What the job covers (and what it doesn't).
CO	"Change Order" — when the job changes after work starts. Extra paperwork, extra money.
VE	"Value Engineering" — making the bid cheaper by changing what gets installed.
FACP	"Fire Alarm Control Panel" — the brain of the fire alarm system.
IDF / MDF	The closets / rooms where network equipment lives. IDF = small, MDF = big main one.

Last Thing

The first bid takes the longest. The second is faster. By the fifth one, you'll feel like you've been doing this forever.

Everyone here was new once. Ask questions. Mess up. Fix it. That's how you learn.

Good luck.