Using bid templates

If you build similar bids repeatedly — parking lot grading, driveway paving, utility trenching — templates eliminate the repetitive setup. A template captures line items, formulas, variables, and cost codes. Apply it to a new bid and you start with a complete structure, ready to fill in the site-specific numbers.

Creating a template

1. Build a bid with the line items, formulas, and variables you want to reuse — or open an existing bid that represents a good baseline
2. Click Save as Template from the bid menu
3. Name the template descriptively (e.g., 'Residential Driveway — Standard' or 'Commercial Grading — Full Scope')
4. The template is saved and available for future bids

Applying a template

When creating a new bid, click Apply Template before adding line items. Select a template from the list and Gradeworks populates the bid with all the template's line items, variables (with placeholder values), and formulas. Fill in the variable values for the new job — area, depth, distance — and the formulas calculate everything.

You can apply multiple templates to the same bid. Apply a "Grading" template, then a "Paving" template, then a "Mobilization" template — each adds its line items without removing previous ones. This composable approach lets you build complex bids from simple, maintainable templates.

Maintaining templates

Templates don't update automatically when you change a bid that was created from them. To update a template, open it from Settings > Templates, make your changes, and save. Existing bids created from the old version are unaffected — they keep the values they had when the template was applied.

Templates vs. duplication

Templates and bid duplication serve different purposes. Templates provide a generic starting structure with placeholder values — best for new bids where the customer and site are different. Duplication copies an entire bid including actual values — best when the new job is very similar to a specific past job and you just need to adjust a few numbers.