Sales Toolkit for Excavation and Site Work Contractors: Win Work From Builders and GCs
Excavation and site work contractors win work from builders and general contractors by reaching them before the excavation and site work package is awarded, sending a bid that is easy to compare and following up as the build moves. The window runs from about 10% before construction starts to the start of construction, with the last realistic approach at about 10%. Builtie, a sales automation platform for construction trades, counted 3,331 excavation and site work projects inside that window across 25 markets on October 9, 2026 and finds each builder's decision maker; this toolkit has the timing, copyable bid and follow-up templates, and where the work is.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
How excavation and site work contractors win work from builders and GCs
- Find the projects early, on building permits: most private excavation and site work is awarded by the builder or general contractor without a public bid.
- Call inside the window: from about 10% before construction starts to the start of construction, with the last realistic approach at about 10%.
- Reach the person who buys excavation and site work. The general contractor or developer awards excavation and site work first, often before the building permit is issued, because it starts the schedule.
- Send a bid that is easy to compare: scope, price and validity, exclusions, allowances and a schedule tied to the build.
- Follow up when the build moves, not on a timer, and ask for the builder's next project when this one is decided.
When excavation and site work gets picked
Builtie times excavation and site work from about 10% before construction starts to the start of construction, with the last realistic approach at about 10%. That is before or right at permit issue, so the projects to watch are the ones about to be permitted.
Tap a stage. The highlighted stage is where excavation and site work is typically awarded.
The window is a share of the build, so its dates depend on how long the build runs. Builtie's own estimate sets the build length from the declared construction value on the permit; in weeks after construction starts:
| Declared value | Window opens | Window closes | Last realistic approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| $250k to $1M (7-month build) | 3 weeks before the start | the start | week 3 |
| $1M to $5M (13-month build) | 6 weeks before the start | the start | week 6 |
| $5M to $25M (20-month build) | 9 weeks before the start | the start | week 9 |
| $25M to $100M (30-month build) | 13 weeks before the start | the start | week 13 |
Check one project: the award window calculator takes a trade and a stage (or months since the permit was issued) and says whether excavation and site work is before, inside or past its window.
Bid cover note template
Send this with the price. It answers the questions an estimator asks before comparing bids: what is in, what is out, what is an allowance, and when you can start. Replace everything in [brackets].
Subject: [Project address]: Excavation and site work price from [Your company] Hi [First name], Attached is our excavation and site work price for [project address], based on [drawings / specification, revision and date]. Scope: excavation, [shoring,] grading and site servicing per civil drawings [sheets]. Price: $[amount] [plus tax], valid until [date]. Excludes: rock removal unless listed; contaminated soil disposal; dewatering beyond [limit]; survey and layout unless listed. Allowances: disposal at $[rate] per load; [number] days of dewatering. Schedule: Excavation and site work is usually decided before construction starts. We can hold [crew / production slot] for [weeks or dates] if we hear back by [date], and will confirm again when the geotechnical report is in and the permit date is near. Why us: [show equipment availability, soil and shoring experience, and how quickly you can mobilize]. One question: [the one thing that would change the price, such as a spec choice or a phasing date]. [Your name] [Company] | [phone] | [email]
Three-touch follow-up and a LinkedIn note
Three emails, each tied to the project rather than to a calendar: the first a few days after the bid, the second when the geotechnical report is in and the permit date is near, the third before the window closes at about 10% of the build. The LinkedIn note is for the estimator or project manager you have not met.
Subject: Re: [Project address]: excavation and site work price Hi [First name], Checking the excavation and site work price for [project address] reached you and reads clearly. If anything in the scope or the exclusions does not match your other bids, tell me and I will line it up so you are comparing like for like. [Your name] | [phone]
Subject: [Project address]: excavation and site work schedule Hi [First name], I see [project address] is moving: the geotechnical report is in and the permit date is near. That is usually when excavation and site work gets decided. We are still holding [crew / production slot] for [dates]. Can I get 10 minutes this week to confirm the scope, or is there a revision I should price? [Your name] | [phone]
Subject: [Project address]: releasing our excavation and site work slot Hi [First name], We will release the [crew / production slot] we held for [project address] on [date] unless you need it. If excavation and site work has been awarded, no problem: what is your next project, and when does it go out to price? [Your name] | [phone]
Hi [First name], saw [Company] has [project address] in the works. We do excavation and site work for builders and GCs in [city] and price to your schedule. Worth a look before excavation and site work is awarded? [Your name]
Where excavation and site work projects are open now
| Market | State or province | Projects in the award window |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | New York | 877 |
| Austin | Texas | 850 |
| Miami-Dade | Florida | 405 |
| Calgary | Alberta | 364 |
| Nashville | Tennessee | 169 |
| Seattle | Washington | 116 |
| Los Angeles | California | 115 |
| San Antonio | Texas | 78 |
3,331 excavation and site work projects were inside the award window across 25 markets in the United States and Canada on October 9, 2026: 3,096 new buildings and 0 renovations or alterations. Every market: excavation and site work leads by city.
More for excavation and site work contractors
- Sales automation for excavation and site work contractors
- How to find clients for excavation and site work contractors
- How to find excavation and site work projects
- How to get more excavation and site work jobs
- New construction projects for excavation and site work contractors
- CRM for excavation and site work contractors: what to track
- Excavation and Site Work construction leads by city
- The award window calculator
- Construction sales email templates
- Sales toolkits for every trade
Plans
Builtie's Starter plan is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds the LinkedIn and email outreach you run yourself. Opening a project spends one credit, and the decision makers, emails, phones and AI call script inside it are included. Your monthly credits reset at each renewal, and extra credit packs are valid for 30 days. The free trial runs 7 days with 10 projects. Custom, where Builtie's team runs the outreach for you, starts from CAD $1,500 a month on top of a Growth seat.
Frequently asked questions
How do excavation and site work contractors win work from builders and general contractors?
By finding projects early on building permits, reaching the builder or general contractor while the excavation and site work package is still open (from about 10% before construction starts to the start of construction, with the last realistic approach at about 10%), sending a bid that states scope, exclusions, allowances and schedule, and following up as the build moves.
When is excavation and site work awarded on a new building?
Builtie times excavation and site work from about 10% before construction starts to the start of construction, with the last realistic approach at about 10%. The general contractor or developer awards excavation and site work first, often before the building permit is issued, because it starts the schedule.
What should an excavation and site work bid cover note include?
The drawings and revision it is based on, the scope (excavation, [shoring,] grading and site servicing per civil drawings [sheets]), the price and how long it holds, what it excludes, the allowances, and a schedule tied to when excavation and site work is decided.
How should I follow up on an excavation and site work bid?
Three touches tied to the project: a few days after sending, when the geotechnical report is in and the permit date is near, and before the window closes at about 10% of the build. If the package is gone, ask for the builder's next project.
Is Builtie a CRM?
No. A CRM stores the contacts and deals you already have. Builtie is sales automation: it finds the projects from building permits, times each one to your trade's award window, finds the decision maker and runs the LinkedIn and email outreach. Most customers keep their CRM or job-management tool for the work they win.
What does Builtie cost?
Starter is $79 per seat per month (CAD) for 20 projects; Growth is $99 for 50 projects and adds LinkedIn and email outreach. There is a 7-day free trial with 10 projects.