“PlanHub is one of the tools we use to help CCG expand into the new states where we have little or no presence… the quality of the bids is good.” -Alice Wise, Estimating Coordinator, Commercial Construction Group
Summary
Commercial Construction Group is a design-build and general contractor run by a management team with nationwide experience in a broad range of projects.
Challenges
- Getting enough bids from subcontractors in different states
- Updating a time-consuming manual database of subcontractors
- Facing an industry-wide shortage of bids during the construction boom
Solution
- Attracting more high-quality bids with excellent bid coverage
- Easy and intuitive platform to view and manage subcontractors
- Building relationships and making connections with subcontractors in different states
Results
- More bids in less time with better bid coverage
- Save time compared to traditional methods
Challenges
Getting More and Better Bids from Across the Country
For Alice Wise, an Estimating Coordinator at Commercial Construction Group (CCG), it is no easy feat to coordinate between subcontractors and owners in 15 states.
The design-build and general contractor company, which has completed an impressive range of projects across the country, is looking to expand into more states. CCG has great coverage in the North Texas area, but it also wanted to get bids beyond Texas.
“We were expanding into a couple of new states, and it had been extremely challenging to get an adequate number of bids, especially in new states where we had small, or no presence,” Alice explains.
To tackle the challenge, Alice designed and populated an intensive database with about 6,000 subcontractors and all their contact information. But the effort was time-consuming and exhausting since she had to constantly update the database:
“All it takes is one little typo and that information is useless. With so much fluctuation in this industry, I have to constantly weed through outdated information. It was extremely frustrating,” recalls Alice.
Compounding the challenge was the fact that the construction industry faced a shortage of bids with overworked and overstretched subcontractors, causing a further drop-off in bids.
“We had to send someone to another state to drive around, visit other construction sites, and ask for bids. It is really painstaking right now to get bids,” Alice says
Solution
A Nationwide Construction Bidding Platform
Alice decided to try PlanHub, a construction bidding platform that allows general contractors to post their construction projects and receive bids from subcontractors across a wide range of trades. The average bid sent through PlanHub goes to over 4,000 registered subcontractors, helping general contractors get more bids at lower costs.
Right away, Alice was pleased with the results. Since using PlanHub, CCG has received dozens of bids on its projects, especially on bigger construction projects.
“PlanHub helps a lot with bid coverage as well. I was extremely pleased with many of the responses we received on the projects we posted,” Alice says.
Despite the recent boom in construction, which makes it difficult to get bids as subcontractors get busier, Alice finds PlanHub helpful in expanding into new states.
Without PlanHub, it would have been very difficult to build relationships and make connections with subcontractors across state lines.
But what Alice loves most is the helpful relationship she has developed with PlanHub Customer Success Manager Nikki Verdier, who works with Alice directly:
“I’ve enjoyed my relationship with Nikki, which makes an enormous difference. She has been very helpful and even when I’m not asking, her offer for help ends up in my inbox,” Alice says.
The ease of navigating PlanHub, which has an intuitive interface, is a boon to Alice, especially when compared to the painstaking manual database before PlanHub. As Alice puts it:
“Not having to build up a database of subcontractors manually is like a dream come true. The biggest advantage of PlanHub is that subcontractors self-populate their own profiles, so I don’t have to constantly update the database myself, which is wonderful.”
By attracting more bids from subcontractors across different states, PlanHub has helped Commercial Construction Group to expand into different states, grow their reach, and get subcontractor jobs arranged easier and faster.
Results
Better bid Coverage Spurs Business Growth
CCG has posted 15 projects since they joined PlanHub. It’ not unusual for the largest to attract dozens of bids. This has proven extremely beneficial as CCG continues to grow and expand its reach.
“PlanHub is one of the tools we use to help CCG expand into the new states where we have little or no presence. The quality of the bids is good,” Alice says.
Alice reflects that it would have been much more difficult to create the same relationships without PlanHub. PlanHub has also helped her save time versus other tools, especially with more traditional routes of recruiting such as asking for bids in person, which turned out to be a frustrating experience. When subcontractors engage and respond to bids, CCG is also introduced to new subcontractors.
“I would certainly recommend PlanHub to any subcontractor who wants to get invited to bid on projects. It is a wonderful way for them to grow their business,” Alice concludes.
