Estimating by state: FL
Florida construction estimating for public and private bids
Measured takeoffs and estimates for Florida bids, priced at your rates and checked against Florida licensing, bond and FDOT rules.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed price before any work starts
- Plan review and quotes are free
- You pay only after you accept the price and delivery date
- Single-trade estimates in 48 hours
- Your rates, your final number: your team signs and submits
Quick answer
Florida construction estimating from Bidmere gives general contractors and subcontractors measured takeoffs and cost estimates priced at their own rates, prepared remotely from plans and specifications. Single-trade estimates are priced from $195 and are ready in 48 hours. You get a fixed quote within 2 business hours and pay after you accept.
Where Florida public construction work is advertised
Florida state agency solicitations are posted on the Vendor Bid System (VBS), part of MyFloridaMarketPlace, run by the Department of Management Services. FDOT publishes its own letting information, bid items and letting documents for road and bridge work.
- State agencies: check VBS for the advertisement and download the bid documents it links.
- Highways and bridges: FDOT Central Office lettings list current projects, bid items and important letting documents.
- Counties, cities, school districts and authorities: most use their own portals, and their bid documents control.
Does Florida require prevailing wage on public work?
No. Florida has no state prevailing wage law; the US Department of Labor lists it as repealed in 1979. That changes how labor is priced on Florida public work: your normal rates apply unless the project carries other wage requirements.
Federal Davis-Bacon rates can still apply on federally funded or federally assisted projects, and some local owners write wage terms into their own contracts.
Where to check: the bid documents. If a federal wage determination is attached, price each classification at that rate.
Licensing, registration and bonds to check in Florida
Florida Statutes §489.115 says no person may engage in the business of contracting in Florida without first being certified or registered in the proper classification. Certification allows work only of the type the certificate covers. Confirm your classification before you price a scope.
Bonds follow §255.05. A contractor on a public building or public work contract must execute and record a payment and performance bond before starting work. The statute sets these limits:
- State work: no payment and performance bond is required on contracts of $100,000 or less.
- Counties, cities and other public authorities: contracts of $200,000 or less may be exempted at the awarding official’s discretion.
- State contracts over $100,000 and under $200,000: the Secretary of Management Services may delegate authority to agencies to exempt them.
Check the bid documents for an exemption before carrying the premium.
FDOT prequalification and DBE certification
Under §337.14, a contractor who wants to bid an FDOT construction contract over $250,000 must first be certified by FDOT as qualified. Applications need audited, certified financial statements from the preceding 12 months, although contractors bidding only contracts estimated under $2 million may submit reviewed statements. A certificate of qualification is valid for 18 months after the financial statement date, and it sets the amount of uncompleted work you may hold with FDOT at one time.
FDOT runs DBE certification as a member of the Florida Unified Certification Program. Check certification before counting a subcontractor’s quote toward a DBE goal.
Common project types Florida contractors estimate
Florida public work includes FDOT lettings, state facilities, school district construction and county and city buildings. Common requests: roofing and envelope packages, concrete, masonry and stucco, sitework and paving on unit price forms, and interior finishes for occupied renovations.
Bidding work in this state? Send the plans and specs. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteHow Florida rules change the numbers in your estimate
Each rule lands in a specific estimate line.
- Confirm whether a federal wage determination is attached; otherwise price at your own labor rates.
- Confirm your Chapter 489 certification or registration covers the scope.
- Check §255.05: no bond on state contracts of $100,000 or less, and look for any local exemption up to $200,000.
- For FDOT work over $250,000, confirm your certificate of qualification and remaining capacity before estimating as a prime.
- Check DBE participation requirements and certification status for subcontractors you carry.
- Log every addendum and acknowledge it the way the bid form requires.
Florida construction estimating done remotely, at your rates
Bidmere estimates Florida projects remotely from the plans, specifications and addenda you send. You set the rates, wage schedule and markups; Bidmere measures, prices at your rates and returns an Excel estimate with live formulas, color-coded marked-up PDF plans, and a written list of assumptions, exclusions and open questions.
Because Florida has no state prevailing wage schedule, the estimate shows the labor rates your team supplied on every line, so a reviewer can see exactly what was used.
- Single-trade estimates from $195 in 48 hours; multi-trade from $1,150.
- Bid packages from $1,950 in 5 business days.
Fixed price within 2 business hours, free plan review, pay only after you accept. Bidmere does not visit sites, sign or submit bids, or guarantee awards.
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Will I lose control of my number?
No. Every rate and markup comes from your team, and you approve the estimate.
Can a remote estimator handle Florida rules?
The estimate follows the wage and bond terms in your bid documents and flags any gap.
What if an addendum lands after the estimate is done?
Send it. Affected quantities are updated and the changes listed.
Monthly estimating plans
Bidding every week? Ask about a monthly estimating plan
Steady bidders can use a monthly plan instead of quoting each job: $1,395 per month for up to 6 bids, $2,595 per month for up to 12 bids, or $4,795 per month for up to 25 bids. Every plan uses your rates, and your team still signs and submits each bid.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to be in Florida to estimate Florida projects?
No. Bidmere works remotely from the plans, specifications and addenda you send, so location does not limit the work. Bidmere does not visit sites. Share photos or pre-bid notes, and the estimate lists every assumption made where the documents are silent.
Does Florida require prevailing wage on public work?
No. Florida has no state prevailing wage law; the US Department of Labor lists it as repealed in 1979. Federal Davis-Bacon rates can still apply on federally funded projects, and local owners can add wage terms, so check the bid documents for an attached wage determination before pricing labor.
What should I send for a Florida public bid estimate?
Send the plans, specifications, every issued addendum, the bid form and any wage determination. Tell us the trades, the bid due date and the labor rates, markups and supplier pricing to use. You can start with project basics; document sharing is arranged after scope review.
How much does a Florida construction estimate cost, and how fast is it?
Single-trade estimates are priced from $195 and are ready in 48 hours. Multi-trade estimates are priced from $1,150, and full bid packages are priced from $1,950 in 5 business days. You get a fixed price and delivery date within 2 business hours and pay only after you accept them.
When is a payment and performance bond required on Florida public work?
Section 255.05 requires one on public building and public work contracts, but none is required on state contracts of $100,000 or less. Local owners may exempt contracts of $200,000 or less. The bid documents should say whether an exemption applies; carry your surety’s premium when it does not.
Who is responsible for the final Florida bid?
Your company. Bidmere measures quantities and prices them at the rates you approve, then hands the estimate to your team for review. Your authorized signer sets the final number, signs the bid form and submits it. Bidmere does not sign or submit bids and does not guarantee an award.
Get a fixed quote
Share the project basics. You get a fixed price and delivery date within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Sources
- https://www.dms.myflorida.com/content/download/152865/1016668/VBS_Manual.pdf
- https://www.fdot.gov/contracts/lettings
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/prevailing-wages
- https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/489.115
- https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/255.05
- https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/337.14
- https://www.fdot.gov/equalopportunity/dbecertification.shtm