How to Track Win Rates by General Contractor
Most low voltage contractors know their overall win rate. Far fewer know their win rate with each general contractor. That number tells you which relationships are worth your estimator's time, and which GCs are only using you to check their numbers.
Why win rate by GC matters
Some GCs award you work regularly. Others send invitation after invitation and never award anything. Without tracking, every ITB looks the same, and your estimators spend equal time on both.
What to track for every bid
- The GC's name
- The project name and type
- Your bid amount
- The outcome: won, lost, or no decision
- If you lost, why: price, scope, relationship, or unknown
How to calculate it
Win rate by GC = jobs won from that GC ÷ jobs bid to that GC. Track bid value too, so you can see whether a GC awards you large jobs or only small ones.
How to use the numbers
After a few months of tracking, patterns show up fast. GCs with strong win rates get priority on your estimators' time. GCs who rarely or never award you work get a closer look before you price their next invitation, or a polite decline.
Do this without a spreadsheet
BidSignal tracks every bid outcome and shows your win rate and submitted bid value by GC over time, so you know who's worth bidding for before the next ITB arrives.