Nov 9 bid board adds 48 new jobs while residential spending drops 5.4%
The federal bid board now shows 5,083 open construction solicitations, and 2,432 of them close this week. Meanwhile the newest Census number says homebuilding money is shrinking. If you price work, that means public bids are where the volume is right now.
New to bid on
Since Thursday, Nov 5, 48 new construction solicitations have been posted, and the busiest states are tied at four each: NJ, CA and VA. The mix runs from roofing to HVAC to a runway paving job, so there is something for most trades.
- Federal Aviation Administration, road paving at IAH (Houston Bush) Airport, TX. Closes January 14. Small business set-aside (SAM.gov)
- Veterans Affairs, replace perimeter security fence, Fayetteville, AR. Closes December 17. SDVOSB set-aside (SAM.gov)
- Agricultural Research Service, MSB lab floor coating repairs, Glenside, PA. Closes December 12. Open to all (SAM.gov)
- Navy, gutter cleaning and maintenance services, Colts Neck, NJ. Closes December 11. Local area set-aside (SAM.gov)
- Energy, RF roof replacement project, Princeton, NJ. Closes December 10. Open to all (SAM.gov)
- Veterans Affairs, light remodel of Building 17, OR. Closes December 9. SDVOSB set-aside (SAM.gov)
- Forest Service, Halfmoon Ranch House HVAC installation, Cochise, AZ. Closes December 7. Small business set-aside (SAM.gov)
The number that moved
Residential construction spending came in at $861.2B in September, down from $910.2B the month before. That is a drop of 5.4% in one month, and 8.8% lower than a year ago. The source is the U.S. Census Bureau, through FRED. The figure is a seasonally adjusted annual rate, so it is a pace, not a monthly total.
Here is what that means for bidding this month. Fewer new homes and remodels mean more crews chasing the same private jobs, and that squeezes margin. Public work looks steadier by comparison. The chart at the top of this page shows open solicitations climbing from 3,232 in September to 5,083 now. If your backlog is thin on the residential side, put more hours into federal bids. The next read on homebuilding comes November 18, when Housing Starts and Building Permits are both due.
Three worth two minutes
- Commercial pullback led to lower construction planning in October, Construction Dive. Weaker data center and warehouse planning pulled the Dodge Momentum Index down 9% for the month, so do not count on those projects to fill next spring.
- HITT breaks ground on NASA fabrication center in Texas, Construction Dive. The $300 million contract is shared among seven firms, which tells you the subcontract work gets spread around too.
- Fluor wins EPC contract on $4B Kentucky data center campus, Construction Dive. Early work has already started, so if you are local, call the GC this week and not next month.
Today, pick two of the bids above that fit your trade and your state, and start the takeoff before the weekend. Sealed deadlines in early December come up faster than you think.
