Estimating by state: NC
North Carolina construction estimating for public bids
Measured takeoffs and estimates for North Carolina bids, priced at your rates and checked against NC licensing, bond and NCDOT 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
North Carolina 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 North Carolina public construction work is advertised
State purchasing opportunities in North Carolina run through the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), where vendors register to receive information on upcoming bids.
- State buildings: the State Construction Office oversees planning, design and construction for more than 4,400 state facilities, including the university and community college systems, and publishes bidding documents and the State Construction Manual.
- Highways and bridges: NCDOT posts current and recently advertised lets, results and tentative letting lists on its Bidding and Letting page.
- Counties, cities and school boards: their own advertisements, under the same general statutes for bonds and bid deposits.
Does North Carolina require prevailing wage on public work?
No. The North Carolina Department of Labor says the state does not have prevailing wage rates at the state level. On most North Carolina public work, labor is priced at your own rates.
Federal Davis-Bacon rates can still apply on federally funded projects.
Where to check: the bid documents for an attached federal wage determination.
North Carolina licensing, bid deposits and bond thresholds
Under G.S. 87-1, anyone who bids on or builds a project where the cost of the undertaking is $40,000 or more is a general contractor and needs a North Carolina general contractor license.
- Bid deposit (G.S. 143-129): cash or a cashier’s or certified check of not less than 5% of the proposal, or a bid bond in its place.
- Bonds (G.S. 44A-26): when total construction contracts for one project exceed $300,000, a 100% performance bond and 100% payment bond are required from each contractor with a contract over $50,000. For state departments, agencies and the UNC system, the project threshold is $500,000.
Identify the owner type first, because it decides which threshold applies.
NCDOT prequalification and DBE certification
NCDOT requires businesses to prequalify before working with NCDOT, through its prequalification application and supplemental forms. Prequalify before you commit estimating time to a prime highway bid.
NCDOT also administers the North Carolina Unified Certification Program (UCP) for DBE firms. Check certification before you count a subcontractor’s quote toward a goal.
Common project types North Carolina contractors estimate
North Carolina public work includes NCDOT lettings, state facilities under the State Construction Office, university and community college buildings, and county and school construction. Common requests: whole-project estimates for GC license holders, concrete and masonry, sitework and paving on unit price forms, and interior finish packages.
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 North Carolina rules change the numbers in your estimate
Each rule lands in a specific estimate line.
- Compare the project cost with the $40,000 general contractor license threshold before you bid.
- Carry a 5% bid deposit or bid bond on bids covered by G.S. 143-129.
- Apply the right G.S. 44A-26 bond threshold for the owner, $300,000 or $500,000, and carry premiums when it applies.
- Check for an attached federal wage determination; otherwise price at your rates.
- Confirm NCDOT prequalification and UCP certification for DBE subcontractors.
- Log every addendum and acknowledge it as the bid form requires.
North Carolina construction estimating done remotely, at your rates
Bidmere estimates North Carolina 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.
Bond premiums and the bid deposit are kept on separate lines, so your team can apply the owner-specific threshold before bid day.
- 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina to estimate North Carolina 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 North Carolina require prevailing wage on public work?
No. The North Carolina Department of Labor says the state does not have prevailing wage rates at the state level. Federal Davis-Bacon rates can still apply on federally funded projects, so check the bid documents for an attached federal wage determination before pricing labor at your normal rates.
What should I send for a North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 are performance and payment bonds required in North Carolina?
Under G.S. 44A-26, when total construction contracts for one project exceed $300,000, each contractor with a contract over $50,000 must provide 100% performance and payment bonds. For state departments, agencies and the UNC system, the project threshold is $500,000. Owners may require bonds on other contracts too.
Who is responsible for the final North Carolina 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://evp.nc.gov/
- https://ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/construction
- https://connect.ncdot.gov/letting/Pages/default.aspx
- https://www.labor.nc.gov/workplace-rights/employee-rights-regarding-time-worked-and-wages-earned/prevailing-wage-rates
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_87/GS_87-1.html
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_143/GS_143-129.html
- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_44A/GS_44A-26.html
- https://connect.ncdot.gov/business/Prequal/Pages/default.aspx
- https://connect.ncdot.gov/business/SmallBusiness/Pages/UCP%20Certification%20Process%20for%20DBE%20firms.aspx