Where can I get help with commercial landscape tendering?

When do you need help with tendering?

You need help with tendering when the tenders you could win are arriving faster than you can price them properly. For most commercial landscape subcontractors the estimating is done by the owner, at night, between running jobs, and that is where the pressure shows first.

The common signs are:

1. You are declining tenders you could win because nobody has time to measure them before they close.
2. Takeoffs are rushed, so quantities are estimated from a glance at the plans instead of measured.
3. Lost tenders come back with no clear reason, and you cannot tell whether the price, the scope or the submission lost it.
4. Margin leaks on jobs you win, through missed scope, unpriced preliminaries or exclusions that were never written down.
5. Head contractors ask for a format you do not have, such as their own pricing schedule or a full clarifications list.

If two or more of these sound familiar, the problem is capacity, not capability. Our guide on whether a landscape tender is worth bidding helps you spend the capacity you have on the right jobs.

What are your options?

There are five realistic ways to get help with commercial landscape tendering, and each suits a different volume of work and a different budget.

1. Hire an in-house estimator. A salaried estimator on your team who knows your rates and your crews. The right answer once you tender steadily enough to keep one busy.
2. Use a freelance estimator. An independent estimator paid per job. Quality depends entirely on the individual and on whether they know landscaping.
3. Use a general construction estimating firm. Firms that take off every trade, often from offshore teams. Broad coverage, but landscape is one trade among many.
4. Use a specialist landscape tendering service. A service that only prices landscape and related external works, measures to the landscape specification and prices to your rates.
5. Buy estimating software and keep doing it yourself. Takeoff software makes measuring faster, but someone on your team still has to do the takeoff, the pricing and the submission.

A tender platform such as EstimateOne helps you find and receive tenders, but it does not price them for you. Our guide on where to find landscape tenders covers that side.

How do the options compare?

The options differ most on fixed cost, landscape knowledge and how much of the work still lands on you. The table below compares them on the points that matter when you are tendering commercial landscape packages.

Our guide to in-house vs outsourced tender estimating goes deeper on when hiring makes more sense than outsourcing.

What does a landscape tendering service do?

A landscape tendering service is an outside estimator that prices commercial landscape tenders on behalf of a subcontractor. It takes the tender package, measures the scope, prices it and hands back a tender the subcontractor submits under their own name.

A complete service covers each stage of the tender:

1. Quantity takeoff. Every scope item measured off the drawings and itemised line by line. See quantity takeoff.
2. Priced bill of quantities. The quantities structured into a BOQ and priced against your supplier and labour rates. See priced bill of quantities.
3. Tender submission. The scope of works, inclusions, exclusions and clarifications, in the builder's own format where one is issued. See tender submission.
4. Scope and contract review. The risk clauses checked before you sign. See scope and contract review.
5. Variation pricing. Changes measured and priced once the job is running. See variation pricing.

What stays with you is the commercial decision: the margin, whether to submit, and the relationship with the head contractor.

How do you choose who to use?

Choose the option that prices landscape the way you would, at a cost that matches how often you tender. Ask these questions before you send anyone a drawing set:

1. Do they price to my rates or theirs? A price built from someone else's database is not your price.
2. Is landscape their core trade? Soils, planting schedules, establishment periods and hardscape bases are where generalists miss scope.
3. What exactly do I receive? Ask for an example: an itemised takeoff, a priced BOQ you can edit, and a clarifications list.
4. Is the fee fixed and quoted up front? You should know the cost and the delivery date before you commit.
5. Who else sees my pricing? Confidentiality should be in writing, including when two of their clients bid the same job.
6. Am I locked in? Per-tender help should not need a contract.

How does Tendr help?

Tendr is an Australian estimating and tendering consultancy for commercial landscape subcontractors, based in Melbourne and pricing tenders Australia-wide from the drawings. You send the tender package; we measure the quantities, price them to your rates and hand back a submission-ready tender.

• Your rates, your margin. We measure and structure the BOQ, then price it against your supplier costs and labour rates. The margin call is always yours.
• What you receive. An itemised quantity takeoff, a priced bill of quantities in Excel, a scope of works with inclusions and exclusions, and a clarifications list. If the builder issued a pricing schedule, we complete it in their format.
• Fixed fee, quoted up front. The fee depends on the size of the drawing set and the trades in scope. We confirm it and the turnaround before you commit, and there is nothing to pay until you approve.
• Takeoff only, if you prefer. Plenty of clients want measured quantities only and price the job themselves.
• Confidential. Your rates, suppliers and margins are covered by a confidentiality agreement and never shared between clients.
• No lock-in. Pay per tender, or set up an ongoing arrangement if you bid regularly.

Landscaping is our core trade, and we also price civil, concreting and demolition packages. Read more about Tendr.

What should you send to get started?

To get a tender priced, send the full tender package and the closing date. The more complete the package, the faster and more accurate the quote for the work.

1. The landscape drawings, including planting plans, details and sections.
2. The landscape specification and any plant schedule.
3. The builder's pricing schedule or tender form, if one was issued.
4. Any addenda or tender queries issued so far.
5. Your current rates, or the rates sheet you want the job priced to.

Our checklist of the documents needed to price a landscape tender lists what to chase if the package is incomplete.

Frequently asked questions

Who can help me with commercial landscape tendering?

An in-house estimator, a freelance estimator, a general construction estimating firm, or a specialist landscape tendering service such as Tendr. A specialist measures the takeoff, prices it against your own rates and returns a submission-ready tender, so you get the help without hiring.

What does a landscape tendering service actually do?

It measures the quantities off the tender drawings, builds and prices the bill of quantities, writes the scope with inclusions, exclusions and clarifications, and completes the builder's pricing schedule. You review the price, make the margin call and submit under your own name.

Will an outsourced estimator use my rates?

A good one will. Your supplier costs, labour rates and margin are what make the price yours, so the estimator should measure and structure the work, then price it against your rates. Ask this before you send any drawings, because some services price from their own databases.

Can I get help with just the takeoff?

Yes. Many landscape subcontractors only want the measured quantities and price the job themselves. Tendr offers a takeoff-only service for this, with the fee reduced to match, and the full priced tender is available when you need it.

Is my pricing kept confidential if I outsource tendering?

It should be, in writing. At Tendr your rates, suppliers and margins are covered by a confidentiality agreement and never shared between clients. If two clients ask us to price the same tender, we tell both and let them decide.

How do I get started with Tendr?

Book a call, email [email protected] or call 0487 028 339 with the tender package and closing date. We quote a fixed fee and confirm the turnaround before you commit, and there is nothing to pay until you approve the quote.

Key takeaways

• You need tendering help when winnable tenders arrive faster than you can price them properly.
• The options are an in-house estimator, a freelancer, a general estimating firm, a specialist landscape tendering service, or software you run yourself.
• Whoever you use should price to your rates, know landscape as a core trade, and quote a fixed fee up front.
• A specialist service returns the takeoff, priced BOQ, scope and clarifications; you keep the margin call and the submission.
• Tendr prices commercial landscape tenders Australia-wide, to your rates, for a fixed fee with no lock-in.