How to use When to use For whom Planning pitfalls Reaching deadlines

FREE Construction Proposal Template

Master construction proposal timelines with our intuitive construction proposal template project plan Gantt chart template.

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Gantt chart template

Why use our Construction Proposal Template instead of Excel or Google Sheets?

Get started with our Construction Proposal Template in seconds while skipping the hassle involved with Excel or Google Sheets.

Build Gantt charts in minutes, not hours.

Build Gantt charts in minutes, not hours.

No project management experience? No problem. Tom's Planner offers a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface that's intuitive and easy to learn. Creating Gantt charts is a breeze, saving you time and effort. Compare that to the time-consuming, frustrating, manual formatting-intensive process of building a Gantt chart in Excel or Google Sheets.

Create a Gantt chart in minutes, not hours

Move at the pace of modern business with no learning curve or Googling formulas.

Good luck figuring out how to make a Gantt chart work in Excel or Google Sheets. Excel’s user manual weighs in at a hefty 500+ pages. It takes just five minutes with Tom’s Planner to start planning your first real project plan.

Create a Gantt chart in minutes, not hours

Headache-free collaboration and sharing.

Tom's Planner offers powerful options for sharing and collaborating on Gantt charts, including public links, PDF exports, and team access with customizable permission levels. It’s never been easier to communicate or ensure everyone’s on the same page. Compare that to Excel, where sharing and collaboration mean jumping through hoop after hoop and dealing with confusion and chaos.

How to use Tom’s Planner’s construction proposal template to build and share your construction project.

Getting your project off the ground is as easy as 1-2-3.

Step #1

Click the 'start with template’ button to open the Construction Proposal Template.

Step #2

Register for a free account and watch a short video on using Tom’s Planner. The account is free forever, with no strings attached.

Step #3

You’re all set to use the Gantt chart template. Need additional help? Our AI assistant can create a custom Gantt chart Construction Proposal Template based on your project description.

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What is a construction proposal template?

Property owners must make informed decisions when hiring a construction company for their project. They need to balance experience, costs, time, and expertise. They do this by soliciting bids or proposals from construction firms. Construction companies will use a construction proposal template to present their bid on the project.

A construction proposal template outlines all the important details the client needs to know, such as project phases and stages, materials required, permits, plans, and more. Clients can then compare proposals and choose the one they feel best fits their needs, budget, and goals.

Construction proposal templates often allow firms to plan specific things, such as:

  • Project estimates
  • Timelines
  • Scope of work
  • Materials to be used

Choose a construction proposal Gantt chart instead

A construction proposal template in Excel or Google Sheets only offers so much utility. Instead, consider using a construction proposal Gantt chart template for better planning (and more wins with clients). Software like Tom’s Planner allows you to plan a broader range of elements relevant to the project.

Whether you’re pitching a bid on a residential construction project or submitting your bid for a new commercial project, a construction job proposal template offers the flexibility and customization that you need to win more work.

When to use a construction proposal template

In construction, proposals and bids are submitted before the work begins. They inform the client of what you can do and the costs and timeline for completion. A construction project proposal template can be used in the following phases:

Ideation Phase:

Before you bid on the project, you’ll need to rough out the information you want to submit to the client. Use your construction proposal template to get all the required information in one place.

Bidding Process:

Once the template for construction proposal is complete, you’ll submit it to the client as a bid. A construction proposal template ensures that you’re able to provide all the important details to help a potential client make an informed decision and choose your bid.

During Construction:

You and the client will refer back to the construction proposal Gantt chart template during the construction project to track accountability, adjust the schedule, assign tasks, and more.

A construction proposal template is a living document and an important tool to inform your project planning and guide it to completion.

Who should use a construction proposal template?

While construction proposal templates are important planning tools for construction companies and their clients, a wide range of people will need access to these documents during the project, including:

General Contractors:

General contractors need access to the information contained in the construction proposal to ensure that each team stays on track with assigned tasks and that the project is on time and within budget.

Subcontractors:

Subcontractors can use the construction proposal to understand their tasks, as well as to sync with other teams so that the project flows smoothly. It also helps them plan the materials they’ll need, as well as the amount of time to allot.

Clients:

Clients will use the construction proposal to understand the bid and choose the construction company that best fits their needs and budget. However, they will also use it during the project to stay updated on progress.

An accurate construction proposal is an evolving document that guides projects to successful conclusions.

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The top three pitfalls to avoid when planning a construction proposal

Want to ensure that your bid is as appealing as possible to a potential client? Need to guarantee accuracy in your bid? Avoid these three pitfalls:

  1. Too Little Detail in Planning:

    Successful construction proposals are detailed and provide clients with all the information they need at a glance. A lack of detail will cause potential clients to skip over your proposal and choose another construction company.

    Solution:

    Be detailed in your bid by using a construction proposal Gantt chart template to customize elements to the specific project in question.

  2. Failure to Be Flexible in Timelines:

    In a perfect world, tasks would be completed quickly, and teams could move seamlessly from one to the next. We don’t live in such a world. Many tasks are dependent on others and failure to plan for this can lead to missed deadlines and cost overruns.

    Solution:

    Use a construction proposal Gantt chart template like Tom’s Planner to ensure you have buffer time between tasks so that you can avoid delays.

  3. Not Communicating with the Client:

    While clients might not be involved in the project daily, they do need to stay in the loop. Not keeping them up to date can lead to serious dissatisfaction.

    Solution:

    Use your construction proposal to keep clients engaged and updated on changes to the project as they occur.

What does a construction proposal template include?

Wondering how to write a construction proposal? The point of a construction proposal template is to make it faster and easier to break down bid-related information for easy digestion by the client so they can make an accurate decision and choose your firm. Some of the things you can plan include:

  1. Planning

    Project planning requires conceptualization, budgeting, scheduling, resource allocation, and more. Larger projects will require feasibility studies, environmental impact studies, and risk assessments.

  2. Design

    The design process involves several different elements depending on the scale and type of project. Schematic design, architectural modeling, electrical and plumbing planning, and interior design are just some of the things that must be planned here.

  3. Permitting

    All construction projects require permitting. A construction proposal Gantt chart template allows you to plan for permit research, zoning approval, utility approvals, health and safety permits, building permit application status, and much more.

Four tips on how to make sure you reach your deadlines

1. Detail Each Task:

Break down each section of your construction proposal into tasks. This helps clients understand everything involved in that task but also helps keep your teams on track. Remember that your construction proposal forms will eventually be used to inform the entire project if your bid is selected.

2. Update Your Planning Regularly:

You may need to change elements of your proposal throughout the planning process. Make sure you update the document regularly. Plan to have all updates done before submitting the bid to the potential client. Updates made after submission can communicate a lack of professionalism or expertise.

3. Hold People Accountable

Many people will have a hand in creating your construction proposal. Make sure to hold each one accountable for their assigned tasks so that you can submit your bid on time and stand the best chance of winning the project.

4. Keep All Stakeholders in the Loop:

Use a flexible tool like Tom’s Planner to keep all stakeholders in the loop, from your initial bid all the way through project completion. Communication is the key to a successful construction bid, as well as to a successful project after winning approval from a client.

Gantt charts in Tom's Planner vs in Excel

Excel Tom's Planner
Cost License required Free version available
Learning curve Hours Minutes
Create your first Gantt chart Hours Minutes
Making an update in your chart Several minutes Seconds (drag & drop)
Sharing charts with others At some point you will save and email a file titled: version_4_def_usethisversion_reallyfinal.xlsx Online, one source of truth, always up to date, with no confusion
Look & Feel Messy Clean, polished and professional
Dependencies
Filtering
Zoom in/out
Automatic Legend
AI-assist Let our AI assist do the work for you
Export to image or pdf Requires workarounds to export One mouse click

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