Straight answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Browse by topic—each section opens on its own so you can compare answers without losing your place. The Whole Process

Platform basics

What KNTRCTR is, who it's for, and how access works.

We've got a process for managing subs. Why switch to KNTRCTR?

You're not wrong to ask.

The real question is what happens to the details.

Which sub came in low but cost you on the back end? Which crew quietly killed it last quarter? Where does that information live right now?

Spreadsheets keep it scattered. Most platforms get the bid out and the award done, then hand the rest back to email. And almost none of them keep a real record of how each sub actually performed.

KNTRCTR keeps the whole thing in one place. Bids, award, kickoff, and reviews of the company that did the work. Next time their name comes up, you're not starting from scratch.

And no, you're not changing the world to use it. Most teams are up and running same-day, and your subs will like how easy it is to share their numbers.

Hit the demo button below. Quickest way to see if this is for you.

Most of my work is short-cycle jobs. Is this overkill?

It's actually the opposite.

Big projects get the attention. Kickoffs, debriefs, lessons learned. They need a system like KNTRCTR.

But so do the 2-day jobs. They cycle through fast. The sub did good work, or didn't. Got it done on time, or didn't. Then you're onto the next one and the details blur.

Run that pattern across a year and you've got a knowledge gap nobody's tracking. Even though those jobs are the bulk of what your business actually does.

KNTRCTR captures the small stuff in seconds, not meetings.

Hit the demo button on the banner below. We'll show you in 20.

What is KNTRCTR and how does it work?

It's the system of record for the subs you work with, and the way you get jobs out to them.

Send bid invites in a few clicks. Subs see the job, submit pricing, and you compare apples to apples in one view.

When you award, the job kickoff is there to organize the crew for the site. Every interaction builds a track record on the company that earned it.

Bid invites go out in minutes, not hours. Award decisions get made on data, not memory. The next time you're picking subs, you've got real history to pull from.

Reading this FAQ is helpful, but you should step on to our job site with a demo (below). Easier to show you than tell you.

Do Canadian contractors use KNTRCTR for tenders?

Yes. In Canada this work is often called tendering.

KNTRCTR runs the job and the project after you have the work — structured bids, comparison, and award — whether you call it a tender, a bid, or a job.

Ontario and GTA crews use the same workflow as teams in the US. On the site we say job for the posting and project for the larger package, so it reads in both markets.

How a job runs on KNTRCTR

What is subcontractor management software?

Subcontractor management software helps construction teams organize the companies they work with, invite them to bid, compare responses, coordinate handoff, and keep a record of who did what on each job.

Traditionally, a lot of that work happens through phone calls, email threads, spreadsheets, saved PDFs, and memory. That can get subs on site, but it does not always leave your team with a clean record for the next decision.

KNTRCTR does it differently. It gives contractors an easy construction bid management software workflow for posting jobs, inviting subs, comparing bids, awarding work, and running kickoff.

It also gives users tools to review subcontractors and see past history with each company, so future procurement decisions are based on performance, not just price or memory. That is why KNTRCTR also fits as construction procurement software for teams that want better subcontractor decisions over time.

Does KNTRCTR replace my estimating or project management software?

No. KNTRCTR focuses on bid organization and subcontractor performance tracking—not estimating takeoffs, project scheduling, or cost control.

It works alongside your existing estimating tools and project management systems.

Do I have to find new subcontractors to use KNTRCTR?

No. Most companies begin by inviting the subcontractors they already work with.

KNTRCTR strengthens existing relationships before expanding into new ones.

Can I upload my existing subcontractor list with a CSV?

Yes. KNTRCTR supports mass CSV upload so you can bring your existing subcontractor contacts into your network workflow.

Imported contacts can be organized into lists and used for faster invite workflows when posting jobs.

If a company is not registered yet, it can still be tracked as pending until they join.

Network, lists, and private jobs

Is this a public bid board?

No. Jobs are private by default. You control who gets invited.

This platform is about structured relationships, not blasting work into the open web.

Once you are in the system, in addition to inviting your existing subs (optional), you have the option to post a job as "Public." This only means it is public within the system and other KNTRCTR users can see the job. It is not posted on the open web.

Private vs public jobs

Is KNTRCTR free to use?

Lead contractors get a 30-day free trial, then a flat monthly subscription. No hidden fees, no commissions.

Subcontractors invited to bid can respond for free. No subscription required. If they subscribe, they get Rex AI on the draft, plus past work on their profile, Network visibility, and public jobs.

Who can post jobs on KNTRCTR?

Any verified user can post a job. You can invite your existing subcontractors, open it to the public, or build private lists.

How KNTRCTR compares

Where KNTRCTR sits next to the software you might already be running. Each answer links to the full comparison.

Where does KNTRCTR fit next to the software we already run?

There's a lot of software in construction, and most of it is good at something. The question isn't which tool is best. It's which tool does the job you're trying to do.

KNTRCTR runs the subcontractor decision end to end. Who bids, what is really in those bids, who gets the award, and how they performed once they were on site.

Some tools live next to that lane. Some overlap with a piece of it. Bid platforms stop at award, estimating tools stop at your number, and project management platforms start after the job is already won.

Two things none of them do: read the bids the way Rex AI does, catching what is buried in the attachments before you make the call, and carry a locked record of how each sub actually performed back into your next decision.

Read all comparisons

How is KNTRCTR different from BuildingConnected?

The biggest network in the game moves your bids at scale. KNTRCTR reads what comes back with Rex AI and remembers who delivered.

BuildingConnected has reach. An invite goes out and it reaches people. But once the bids land, the cross-check is on you: every attachment, every exclusion, every condition, read one bid at a time and held in your head.

KNTRCTR picks up there. Rex AI scans the whole field, then reads every attachment and lines them up against each other, so the exclusion one sub buried and another did not jumps out. Then the review at the end of the job is locked into the record, so next time that sub bids you already know how the last one went.

Read KNTRCTR vs BuildingConnected

How is KNTRCTR different from SmartBid?

SmartBid is strong on intake, prequal, and compliance. KNTRCTR gets the bids out, reads them with Rex AI, levels them, and keeps a record after the job closes.

If your headache is wrangling ITBs and chasing certificates, SmartBid handles that well. Where it runs out of road is after the bids are in. The proposals land, and the reading and the leveling are on you.

KNTRCTR gets the bids out from saved subcontractor lists, brings them back in a structured form against your scope, levels them side by side without losing the original number, and keeps the performance record going after the job closes.

Read KNTRCTR vs SmartBid

How is KNTRCTR different from PlanHub?

PlanHub is a marketplace for meeting new subs. KNTRCTR is for deciding on the ones you already run with.

There is real value in a room full of people you have not met yet, and that is what PlanHub is built for. But it is built for the introduction, not the long game.

KNTRCTR is about the crews you run with job after job. Find your subs wherever you find them. When it is time to decide who runs the job, and to remember how they did, that is the part KNTRCTR was built for.

Read KNTRCTR vs PlanHub

How is KNTRCTR different from Dodge Construction Network?

Dodge is project intelligence for finding work early. KNTRCTR is for deciding who builds it once you have got it.

Dodge points you at the work before it is even out to bid, and it has the database and the history to back that up. What it does not do is run your project once you are the one soliciting subs.

No structured bid form where your subs respond to your scope, no AI reading those bids for what is buried in them, and no record of how a sub performed after the job. Dodge is the front of the funnel. KNTRCTR is the decision on who you trust to build it.

Read KNTRCTR vs Dodge

Does KNTRCTR replace HCSS HeavyBid?

No. HeavyBid is where you build your estimate. KNTRCTR is where you build your partner decisions.

Forty years as the standard in heavy civil estimating does not happen by accident. If your estimators know HeavyBid, keep them in it. This is not a switch.

HeavyBid quote management lives on the estimator side of the desk. Your subs are not logging in and bidding to you through it, they are emailing a number or sending a PDF. With KNTRCTR your subs bid to you in a structured form, and if you have an old-school sub who will not sign up, you enter their bid yourself. The number still flows into your estimate.

HeavyBid remembers what they quoted. KNTRCTR remembers how they showed up.

Read KNTRCTR + HeavyBid

Does KNTRCTR replace B2W?

No. B2W sharpens the number you send up. KNTRCTR sharpens the call on who is hitting the site.

A unified cost database that keeps a whole estimating team consistent is hard to build and harder to replace. If your estimators run B2W, keep them in it.

Sub and vendor quotes feed into that estimate, but they get there the old way, emailed in or PDF over, then worked into your pricing. KNTRCTR sits around the estimate, not on top of it: structured bids against your scope, Rex AI reading the attachments, leveling, award, kickoff, and the review record after.

Read KNTRCTR + B2W

Do we still need Procore if we use KNTRCTR?

Yes. Procore runs the job to the finish line. KNTRCTR lines up the right crews before it starts.

Procore does have a bid management module, and for a firm all-in on Procore that is a tidy path from award into execution. But plenty of teams run Procore for project management and never turn the bidding module on, or pay for it and barely touch it.

Run your project in KNTRCTR, let Rex AI read the field, level the bids, make the call. Then hand the awarded job into Procore to run to the finish line. You keep Procore for what it is best at.

Read KNTRCTR + Procore

Rex AI

How KNTRCTR's AI assistant is implemented in your bid workflow.

What is Rex in KNTRCTR?

Rex is KNTRCTR's AI bid intelligence assistant. It helps your team review bid submissions faster by organizing pricing signals, scope coverage, attachment findings, and past-work context into one structured read.

Rex is not a separate tool you have to bolt on. It is built into the job review flow where award decisions already happen.

How does Rex help with award decisions?

Rex does the first-pass analysis so your team can spend more time on judgment and less time on manual scanning.

It flags what needs attention, highlights risk/reward signals, and gives you a clearer shortlist for deeper review. Rex is for analysis only - all decisions are yours.

What happens in Stage 1 (Quick Scan)?

Stage 1 scans the full bid field and quickly surfaces outliers, missing responses, provisional/conditional amount signals, and early watch-list signals.

It is designed to answer: what needs attention first before your team dives into bidder-level detail.

What happens in Stage 2 (Deep Dive)?

Stage 2 analyzes one bidder in depth, including scope alignment, attachment evidence, commercial signal (including unit pricing and provisional amounts when present), and reliability context.

It is designed to answer: what is this bidder's risk/reward profile before award.

What is Rex Chat and when should I use it?

Rex Chat is a job-scoped assistant for follow-up questions after Stage 1 and Stage 2.

Use it to pressure-test assumptions, ask specific bidder comparisons, and get focused next-step guidance without leaving the job context.

Does Rex read attachments?

Yes. In deep-dive workflows, Rex can analyze supported attachment content and include relevant findings in the bidder-level review.

This helps teams connect pricing and scope decisions to documented evidence, not memory.

Does Rex use leveled totals, unit rates, and provisional amounts?

Yes. When comparing prices, Rex uses the effective comparison price: the leveled total when leveling is on, otherwise the raw bid amount.

Rex also accounts for unit-priced bid expectations and provisional / additional amounts, including whether conditional items are included in the total.

That keeps Rex's commercial read aligned with what your team sees in bid review. Rex is for analysis only - all decisions are yours.

Does Rex replace estimators or project managers?

No. Rex is an assistant for structured analysis, not an autopilot that awards work.

Your team remains accountable for final decisions, trade-offs, and commercial judgment.

Can I give Rex directions on what to look into?

Yes. AI Checks are standing questions your company sets once, and Rex answers them on every job. Teams use them for the things they always want confirmed, such as how each bid compares to the internal budget, or whether a quote includes taxes.

You write the check in plain language and Rex works out where the answer lives. If it needs a document, Rex says it is waiting on a deep dive rather than guessing.

Answers keep pace with the review. Every check is answered again after each deep dive, so if a document changes the answer, Rex updates it and marks it as changed rather than leaving a stale read on the page. Evidence from your first deep dive still counts when Rex re-answers after your fifth.

Rex reports the answers in their own section, one answer per check, so you can see exactly what each one turned up rather than hunting for it in a wall of text. Company administrators control the list, since these shape the analysis the whole team reads.

Do my own instructions change the rest of Rex's analysis?

No, and that is deliberate. Rex writes its analysis first, then answers your checks against it. A check produces its own answer and cannot quietly reshape the findings your team relies on.

The same limits apply to a check as to everything else Rex does: it will not name a winner, leave out evidence it found, coach negotiation tactics, or identify the company behind another firm's review. If a check asks for one of those, Rex answers whatever part it legitimately can and says plainly what it will not do.

Rex is for analysis only - all decisions are yours.

Jobs, bids & workflow

From award through kickoff, messaging, and who pays for what.

What happens after a job is awarded?

All bidders are notified by email about the decision. The awarded company knows they won, and everyone else knows the job is decided.

The job stays in one workspace on KNTRCTR: scope and attachments, bids, and the job discussion thread.

After award, Job Kickoff is a dedicated space for start-of-work handoff.

The job moves through clear stages (for example awarded, in progress, completed).

When the work wraps, peer reviews and performance history stay tied to that job and that company, so your next award isn't based on memory alone.

No more relying on scattered updates when you award the next sewer, grading, or utilities contract.

What is Job Kickoff?

After a job is awarded, Job Kickoff is a shared space for the lead contractor and the awarded sub to get aligned before and during start of work.

Both sides can share important documents, work through a mutual checklist, and leave notes—so insurance, contracts, site contacts, safety items, and handoff details sit in one place on the job record instead of scattered across inboxes and folders.

It works alongside the job's Discussion tab: kickoff for structured handoff and files, discussion for ongoing conversation—both tied to the same job.

The job workspace

Can our team members work on the same job together?

Yes. You can add your own company teammates to a job's crew at any point—while bids are open, right after award, or when you're deep into kickoff. There's no single "right" moment: bring the right people in when you need them.

Multiple team members can be on the same job; each person you add sees that job on their own dashboard. Everyone uses their own login—no shared passwords.

That flexibility means estimating and procurement can hand off cleanly, or you can line up the crew before award and expand the team after—to start Job Kickoff with everyone who needs to be in the room.

Can I organize multiple jobs under one larger project?

Yes. KNTRCTR lets you group related jobs into Projects so a larger site, phase, or contract does not turn into a pile of disconnected requests.

For example, you might post separate jobs for excavation, trucking, utilities, and concrete, then group them under the same Project on your dashboard. That gives your team a cleaner view of who priced what, who was awarded, and who was on site.

It also keeps the history documented for the future. If you ever need to look back at a specific project, you can return to that Project view and see the subcontracted jobs tied to that work instead of digging through every job one by one.

Projects and the dashboard

Can I use KNTRCTR to manage supplier quotes as well?

Yes. There is no reason you can't use KNTRCTR to organize and compare supplier quotes the same way you manage subcontractor bids.

Invited suppliers can bid free. When you set clear bid expectations (scope, inclusions, exclusions, delivery, and terms), their responses come back in one unified format.

That makes it much easier to compare supplier quotes side by side, avoid gaps in scope, and keep your decision-making consistent across projects.

What is unit pricing on a bid expectation?

On a quote Bid Expectation, job posters can turn on Create Quantity and set the quantity needed, plus an optional unit of measure (for example Sq Ft or Linear Ft).

Bidders then enter a unit rate. KNTRCTR multiplies rate × quantity to calculate the line total, so everyone prices against the same quantity.

Leave Create Quantity off if you want a simple lump-sum quote line. Unit pricing is optional and can be edited later on the job.

If the poster later changes the quantity, existing bids keep the quantity they were submitted against. Adjustments for the new quantity belong in bid leveling.

What are provisional or additional amounts on a bid?

Provisional / additional amounts are costs a bidder adds that were not listed in the poster's Bid Expectations—for example allowances, contingencies, or extras.

Each item can include a label, amount, multiplier, optional description, and a Conditional flag when the cost may not apply.

They appear separately from the poster's Bid Expectations in bid details and side-by-side comparison, so the pricing structure stays clear.

What does “Conditional” mean on a provisional amount?

When a bidder marks a provisional amount as Conditional, they are saying that cost may not apply.

Conditional amounts stay visible to the job poster, but they are not included in the bidder's submitted total by default.

During bid leveling, the poster can include or exclude each conditional item in that bid's leveled total to compare best-case and worst-case scenarios before award.

How is a bidder’s total calculated?

By default, the Total Bid Amount is auto-calculated from quote Bid Expectation responses (lump sum or unit rate × quantity), plus non-conditional provisional / additional amounts.

Bidders can optionally override that calculated total with a manual final amount—useful for simple bids or when their own worksheet drives the headline number.

If the poster did not set quote expectations, manual total entry is available by default so bidders can still submit a straightforward price.

Can I level my subcontractor bids in KNTRCTR?

Yes. KNTRCTR includes bid leveling for job posters so you can normalize subcontractor bids line by line before award.

Bid leveling keeps the original bidder response visible while you enter separate leveled values for comparison.

You can level quote expectations (including unit rate and quantity on unit-priced lines), level provisional / additional amounts (amount, multiplier, and include/exclude), add bid adjustments as increases or decreases, and add leveled notes under Pricing, Scope, and Timeline.

The leveled amount is calculated from the original bid amount, plus or minus expectation-leveling differences, plus or minus provisional leveling differences, plus or minus bid adjustments.

Bid leveling is poster-side only and locks once the job is awarded.

Can I exclude a bid expectation when submitting a bid?

Job posters can mark individual bid expectations as Must Answer. Those require a direct answer or Exclude from bid with a reason before submit.

Optional expectations can be left blank. Bidders can still exclude them with a reason (up to 200 characters) if they are out of scope.

If a bidder skips an optional row, Rex AI may fill it from attachments when the poster runs a deep dive. Answering in-app where possible still gives the most accurate comparison.

If a Must Answer response or a required exclusion reason is missing, KNTRCTR blocks submission until it is fixed.

How can I invite my existing subcontractors to bid on a job?

You can invite existing subcontractors directly, invite by subcontractor lists, or use mass CSV upload to bring in your current contacts first.

Once your network is organized, posting a job and inviting your known subcontractors takes only a few clicks.

This keeps your existing relationships intact while making bid invites faster and easier to manage.

How Network and invites work

Can I export a job for my records?

Yes. Job posters (your company’s management team on that job) can download an archive from the job page for filing or offline reference.

Open the job from your dashboard. Near the bottom of the job page, next to Delete Job, use Export Excel or Export PDF.

Export Excel downloads a single `.xlsx` spreadsheet with worksheet tabs that match the job page—Details, Discussion, Viewers, Bids, Kickoff, and Performance—so you can open it in Excel or Google Sheets and flip through each section.

The Performance worksheet includes that job’s completed peer reviews and manual bidder reviews.

Export PDF downloads a printable PDF with the same sections laid out for paper or a shared drive.

Attachment files themselves are listed in the export (names and links); the download is the job record, not a zip of every uploaded file.

Do subcontractors need to pay?

No. Invited and existing subcontractors can bid for free. They can create a free account and respond to your jobs at no cost.

If they subscribe, they get Rex AI on the draft, can share past job experience and qualifications, get discovered on the Network, and bid on public jobs. Subscription is optional for bidders.

Lead contractors subscribe to post jobs and build their network; bidders can participate for free when invited.

How do I get notified about new jobs?

You'll receive email notifications and in-app alerts when a company you follow posts a request, or when you're directly invited to bid.

Can I communicate with other users inside the app?

Yes — KNTRCTR has built-in messaging for each job so you can discuss details, ask questions, or share files directly.

Discussion stays on the job

Trust & security

How your data is handled and why this beats the inbox.

Can I use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for added security?

Yes. Once you've registered your account, you can turn on Multi-Factor Authentication from your settings.

Click the wrench icon in the top-right corner of the app to open Settings, then select Security & MFA to set up an additional verification method.

This adds an extra layer of protection on top of your password whenever you sign in.

Is my data private?

Yes. Your jobs, performance records, and internal reviews are controlled by your company.

You decide what is visible and what remains internal.

Can I export the reviews my company left on subcontractors?

Yes. Peer reviews are part of each job’s exportable record, so you can keep a copy outside KNTRCTR.

Open the job from your dashboard. Near the bottom of the job page, use Export Excel or Export PDF (available to your company’s management team on that job).

In the download, open the Performance section. It includes completed peer reviews for that job—who reviewed whom, overall rating, written comments, and review status—plus any manual bidder reviews tied to that job.

Export job by job when you want an offline archive of how you rated the companies you worked with. Your company still controls what stays internal vs. what contributes to a subcontractor’s public score on KNTRCTR.

How is this different from using email?

Email does not track who viewed your request. Email does not standardize bid expectations. Email does not preserve performance history.

Job Discussion and Job Kickoff keep conversation and handoff on the job—so fewer lost attachments and fewer "which thread was that?" moments.

KNTRCTR turns scattered communication into a structured and searchable record.

How do reviews work?

After a job is completed, both parties are asked to leave a review.

As the lead contractor, you choose whether your review stays internal to your company or rolls into that subcontractor's public score on KNTRCTR. Making it public does not publish your full written review for everyone to read; it feeds into their average so other companies hiring or working with that company can see how they are rated overall.

Subcontractors who subscribe can open that shared written feedback, and they get Rex AI on the draft so they can check the next bid before they send.

Full walkthrough: https://www.kntrctr.com/reviews. For primes: https://www.kntrctr.com/reviews/for-prime-contractors. For subcontractors: https://www.kntrctr.com/reviews/for-subcontractors.

Can I choose whether the other company can read my review?

Yes. When you complete a peer review, you'll see a Share this review with [company] checkbox.

If that box is on, your written review can be shown to the reviewee once review visibility rules are met.

If that box is off, the reviewee does not see your written review.

When does review editing get locked?

Review editing is locked once both parties submit their reviews, or when 90 days have passed from the review request date.

After lock, you can still contact KNTRCTR support to request a temporary unlock for corrections.

What happens if a shared review is sent to a free bidder?

If a company shares a review with a free-bidder account, KNTRCTR sends an in-app and email notification that feedback was shared.

The free bidder is prompted to subscribe to view the shared feedback. That same subscription includes Rex AI on the draft.

Account & support

Billing, feedback, and getting help.

How do I reactivate my subscription?

If you've previously cancelled your subscription and want to reactivate it (and didn't delete your account), you can find a "Reactivate Subscription" link in the footer of our main landing page. Simply click the link, enter your email address, and you'll be redirected to complete the reactivation process. You'll get a fresh 30-day free trial when you return!

Note: If you previously deleted your account entirely, you'll need to register again and start from scratch with a new account.

Can I request a feature or report a bug?

Absolutely. Email us at admin@kntrctr.com or call/text 705-706-7014. We want to hear from you.

Still stuck?

Email, call, or send a note. We answer within one business day.

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