Get on the bid list early

A playbook for specialty contractors: spot permits in your trade as they're filed, find the builder or architect, and introduce yourself before bids go out.

Most trades hear about a job when the bid invite arrives, along with everyone else. This playbook gets you in front of the builder while the permit is still in review, when they’re lining up subs and a friendly call is welcome.

You’ll need about 20 minutes to set it up, then 10 minutes a day. Step 5 needs a paid plan and step 7 needs Professional.

1. Build a view of permits in your trade

Click All Records in the left sidebar, then set the filters across the top:

• Class: Trade, so you only see permits with trade work
• Status: Submitted for Permit, Permit Pending and Permit Issued. That’s the window when builders pick their subs.
• County / City: the area you serve
• Market: the building types you like, such as Multifamily or Retail
• More filters → Trade: your trade, such as Electrical, Plumbing or Roofing
• More filters → Value: skip jobs too small or too big for you

When it looks right, save it: next to Views click + New, choose Custom, set the same filters, name it (for example “Roofing, Orange County”) and click Create view.

Screenshot comingAll Records with Class set to Trade, Status set to Submitted for Permit / Permit Pending / Permit Issued, County / City set to one county, More filters open with Trade set to Roofing

2. Have new permits sent to you

Turn the same search into a Smart Feed so new permits come to you:

1. In the sidebar, next to Smart Feeds, click + New.
2. Choose Daily and set the same filters as your view: Class, Status, County / City, Market, Trade and Value.
3. Check the preview and click Looks right.
4. Under Send to, choose Add to a list (make one called “Bid targets”) and Email me.
5. Name the feed and click Create feed.

3. Pick the jobs worth a call

Each morning, open “Bid targets” and click through the new permits. Look at:

• The stage. Submitted for Permit and Permit Pending are the sweet spot: the builder is often still collecting bids. Permit Issued is the last window before work starts. See Project stages.
• Scope and Est. value on the Overview tab, to see if it fits.

Remove the ones you’ll pass on: select them and click Remove from list.

4. Find the builder or architect

Open the Contacts tab and look under Project Team for the builder (the general contractor). If no builder is listed yet, the architect or owner is your next best call: they often know who’s bidding it.

Click the company name to see every project that company appears on. A builder with several jobs in your area is worth a relationship, not just one bid.

5. Get a way to reach them

Click Enrich + next to the person you want, for a verified email and direct contact info (1 credit). Use Get mobile (10 credits) for the ones worth a phone call. To do the whole list at once, open it and click Enrich contacts.

See Contacts and enrichment.

6. Reach out before bids go out

Keep it short: who you are, your trade, and that you’d like to be on the bid list for that address. Ask when bids are due and who’s handling them.

Then open the project’s Timeline tab and use Add note, for example “Emailed Dana at the GC, bids due 11/20”. Your team sees the same notes.

7. Optional: let AI draft the emails

Needs Professional With your AI assistant connected, you can ask it to write first drafts for the whole list:

Look at my ClearTract list "Bid targets". For each project added this week,
get the project details and contacts. Draft a short email to the general
contractor: mention the address and what's being built, say we're a roofing
subcontractor based in Anaheim, and ask to be added to the bid list.
Keep each under 100 words.

Read every draft, fix anything that’s off, and send it from your own email.