Glossary
Construction Bidding Glossary
Definitions of the terminology that shapes how U.S. general contractors prepare, submit, and win construction bids. Each entry covers what the term means, the components in detail, the common mistakes contractors make, and where the work fits within a ScalaBid Submission Package.
Last updated
- Term
Action Checklist
The action checklist (internally CPAP, for Client Preparation and Attachments Package) is the part of a bid response that pulls together every form, certificate, bond, insurance document, signature, and attachment the contractor has to source or sign before the submission deadline.
- Term
Bid Bond vs Performance Bond
A bid bond and a performance bond are two distinct surety instruments that show up at different stages of a construction project, and contractors regularly confuse them.
- Term
Compliance Matrix
A compliance matrix is a document that maps every requirement in a construction solicitation to the specific section of the proposal where that requirement is addressed.
- Term
Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage
The Davis-Bacon Act requires contractors and subcontractors performing work on federally funded or federally assisted construction contracts above $2,000 to pay laborers and mechanics no less than the locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits for corresponding work on similar projects in the area.
- Term
DBE, MBE, and WBE Participation
DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise), MBE (Minority Business Enterprise), and WBE (Women-Owned Business Enterprise) are certified business categories that federal, state, and local agencies use to set participation requirements on publicly funded construction projects.
- Term
Design-Build vs Design-Bid-Build
Design-build and design-bid-build are the two most common project delivery methods in U.S.
- Term
ITB vs RFP
An ITB (Invitation to Bid) and an RFP (Request for Proposal) are two of the most common solicitation types a U.S.
- Term
Preconstruction vs Construction
Preconstruction and construction are the two distinct phases of a general contractor's involvement on a project, separated by contract award.
- Term
ScalaBid Submission Package
The ScalaBid Submission Package is the four-part deliverable a general contractor receives in response to a U.S.
- Term
SF-330 (Architect-Engineer Qualifications)
The SF-330 is the standard form the U.S.