Estimating by state: WA
Washington construction estimating for public and private bids
Measured takeoffs and estimates for Washington bids, priced at your rates and checked against L&I, prevailing wage and WSDOT 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
Washington 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 Washington public construction work is advertised
Washington state agencies are required to post solicitations on Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS). Political subdivisions and higher education institutions are not required to use WEBS, though many do voluntarily. Registration is free, and WEBS emails notices for the commodity codes you select.
- Highways and ferries: WSDOT advertises its own work and issues bidding proposals only to prequalified contractors.
- Cities, counties, ports and school districts: their own advertisements, often also on WEBS.
Does Washington require prevailing wage on public work?
Yes. RCW 39.12.020 requires wages of not less than the prevailing rate for the trade and locality on all public works of the state and its counties, municipalities and political subdivisions. On contracts over $10,000, the contractor must post at the jobsite the approved statement of intent to pay prevailing wages and the L&I industrial statistician’s contact details.
L&I’s awarding agency guidance says prevailing wage requirements must be included in bid documents and contracts.
Where to check: the L&I prevailing wage rates for the county and trade, effective on the bid date in the documents.
L&I contractor registration and Washington bonds
Washington requires all construction contractors to register with the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), and state law requires them to be bonded and insured. Once registered, contractors can bid, advertise and perform construction work. Specialty contractors may only work in their registered specialty.
RCW 39.08.010 requires public bodies to obtain a bond with a surety company from the contractor on public work contracts.
- WSDOT bid deposit (RCW 47.28.090): cash, a certified or cashier’s check, or a surety bond equal to 5% of the bid. A bid is not considered without it.
WSDOT prequalification and DBE certification
Under WAC 468-16-010, WSDOT may not award a highway contract to a contractor who has not been prequalified for the work, and it issues bidding proposals only to prequalified contractors. Prequalify before you commit estimating time to a prime bid.
The Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) is the Unified Certification Program agent for DBE certification in Washington and keeps the directory of certified firms.
Common project types Washington contractors estimate
Washington public work includes WSDOT highway and ferry projects, state facilities, port and utility work, and school district construction. Common requests: concrete and structural packages, MEP trades at L&I rates, interior finishes for school modernization, and sitework on unit price forms.
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 Washington rules change the numbers in your estimate
Each rule lands in a specific estimate line.
- Price every classification at the L&I prevailing wage rate for the county and trade.
- Allow for the statement of intent and posting on contracts over $10,000.
- Confirm your L&I registration, and specialty limits, cover the scope.
- Carry the contract bond premium, and a 5% bid deposit on WSDOT bids.
- Confirm WSDOT prequalification and OMWBE certification for DBE subcontractors.
- Log every addendum and acknowledge it as the bid form requires.
Washington construction estimating done remotely, at your rates
Bidmere estimates Washington 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.
On L&I prevailing wage work, each labor line carries its trade classification so your reviewer can match it to the county rate.
- 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 Washington 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 Washington to estimate Washington 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 Washington require prevailing wage on public work?
Yes. RCW 39.12.020 requires not less than the prevailing rate of wage on all public works of the state and its political subdivisions. On contracts over $10,000, contractors post an approved statement of intent to pay prevailing wages at the jobsite. Use the L&I rates for the county and trade.
What should I send for a Washington 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 Washington 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.
Do I need WSDOT prequalification to bid Washington highway work?
Yes. Under WAC 468-16-010, WSDOT issues bidding proposals only to prequalified contractors and may not award a highway contract to one who is not prequalified. WSDOT bids also need a deposit or surety bond equal to 5% of the bid under RCW 47.28.090.
Who is responsible for the final Washington 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.atg.wa.gov/contracts
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=39.12.020
- https://www.lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/
- https://www.lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractors/
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=39.08.010
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=47.28.090
- https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=468-16-010
- https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/DBE-Participation-Plan.pdf