There is now $140 billion-dollars worth of government construction jobs to bid on. Given the state of the economy, chances are you might be thinking about bidding for the government jobs offered as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The money will go to strengthen and improve America’s infrastructure. That translates into thousands of projects to bid on. We would like you to be able to take advantage of the opportunity. Bidding has already started on some of the projects and we think it’s time for you to take a big bite of that stimulus pie.

I thought you might be interested in reading more about the  money that’s available and how to maximize your bidding so i compiled some very helpful sites you will definitely want to bookmark.  They contain top-notch advice for tapping into the ARRA projects. Everything from how to bid to new tax provisions to new compliance requirements. You can find it all by clicking here.

The Associated General Contractors of America site also has some helpful information available. You can find it here.

Once you’re ready to bid you might want to take a good hard look at your estimating system. This current economic climate has made estimators invaluable. Question is, do they have the right tools? Daren and I are always willing to sit down and analyze your current system to ensure you are getting the most value out of it.

Another invaluable tool just released by Sage Timberline is their Estimating Databases. They invested 10 years in building them. To learn more about the top-notch databases you can call either Daren or me or click here and here and here.

Good Luck and Happy Bidding!

It’s no secret that the construction unemployment rate is high, 20 % compared to the national rate of 8.5%.  Over the last year, 1.3 million construction workers have lost their jobs.  However, some experts are saying we should soon see a substantial drop in that all-too-high number.  The reason — the unprecedented  economic stimulus package unveiled in February.

On Friday, National Public Radio reported how the current economic conditions are affecting the Construction Industry.  With some of the bidding for stimulus projects set to start this month and Arizona slated to receive hundreds of million of dollars – there certainly will be some serious bidding wars going on.

CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America, Steve Sandherr told NPR, “We’re looking at April as kind of being a bellwether month. The weather’s improving in the northern states, the funding for the stimulus projects should be going out in April at a quicker pace and we’re optimistic that we’re going to see an uptick in construction employment this month.”

Another trend – many contractors who would normally stick to the private sector are now bidding on the public jobs being generated by the stimulus.  It turns out, bids are coming in lower than expected which could mean there will be more money available for added projects.

One way to ensure your bids are air tight is to use a power house tool like Timberline Estimating.  Timberline understands construction estimating has never been more important.  With newly updated databases it gives you the edge you need to outbid the next guy.  Every bid is vital so why take a chance?  It’s a minor investment compared to what there is to lose.

Don’t get me wrong.  No one has a Pollyanna view of the construction industry’s immediate future.  Certainly no one is getting carried away.  At best construction will see a moderate year but many believe that without the economic stimulus  it certainly would have been much worse. 

If you’d like to hear the NPR report click here. 

Forget the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue…Sage Timberline’s Brand-Spanking-New Estimating Databases are the stimulus package you’ve really been wanting!

Many times, our new Estimating customers decide to spend money on the software but decide to take on the task of building their own databases. More often than not, that decision means Estimating isn’t fully used. It’s like having a Porsche that’s  just sitting in the garage and when you do take it out, it’s to the grocery store and back. *YAWN*

We want to encourage you to take Estimating on a full-throttle, pedal-to-the-medal, high-speed thrill ride! Here’s how we can make that happen for you!   Sage Timberline just unveiled a series of new databases that run the gamut,  from Columns&Chases to Commercial Room Finishes. 

Did we get your attention? Wanna know more? Of course you do!  Click here for complete details or as always feel free to give us a call!