Decide which kind of construction lead you need
A homeowner asking about an addition, a general contractor inviting subcontractor bids and a federal solicitation are different opportunities. They have different decision makers, documents, schedules and costs. Choose the work you can deliver before paying for access to more names or projects.
Write down your project type, territory, approximate job size, estimating capacity and the stage at which you need to hear about the work. A project that is already awarded may be useful for a supplier or specialist trade, but it is not the same as a homeowner ready to request an estimate.
Match the source to the work
| Your target | Sources to evaluate | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Homeowner remodeling or additions | Referrals, your website, local search and suitable homeowner lead services | Decision maker, scope, location and whether the job fits your business |
| Commercial subcontracting or general contracting | Project databases, plan rooms and direct bid invitations | Project stage, trade package, documents, deadline and the party receiving the bid |
| Federal opportunities | SAM.gov contract notices and the issuing agency's instructions | Notice type, requirements, amendments and the submission process |
Avoid judging every source by inquiry count alone. A commercial database can surface a project to research without introducing you to a buyer who asked to speak with you. A paid homeowner inquiry can still be shared, unreachable or outside the work you want.
Compare project-data subscriptions on the same scope
ConstructConnect's pricing page, checked November 11, 2026, lists Project Intelligence Professional from $199 per month per market and seat. It describes an annual contract with annual or quarterly terms. Coverage and seat count matter; this is not an all-market, unlimited-user price. The separate Takeoff products on that page are not the same purchase as access to project leads.
At a displayed monthly equivalent of $199, twelve months is $2,388 before any other applicable charges. That is arithmetic using the advertised starting amount, not a quote for your configuration or a right to cancel after a short test. Check the chosen order for the actual price, billing schedule and renewal terms.
Dodge's own pricing explanation says its price is customized around geography, users and product scope. Obtain a comparable written offer rather than treating a third-party price estimate as a current rate. We have not obtained an account-specific quote from either provider.
Before subscribing, ask to see examples in your trade and territory. Check whether the package includes the documents, contacts and project stages you need, and whether the information arrives early enough for your estimating process. Do not adopt a vendor's claims about a competitor as an independent comparison.
Use federal notices for the right purpose
SAM.gov Contract Opportunities contains federal procurement notices, including solicitations and other notice types. Anyone can search without an account; an account adds functions such as saving searches and following updates.
Read the notice itself, its attachments and any amendments. Search access does not establish that your business meets the requirements or will receive an award. Keep the submission deadline, required documents and questions process in your project log rather than relying on a database summary alone.
Qualify a bid before spending estimating time
Use a short decision sheet for each opportunity:
- Does the work fit your services, territory and crew capacity?
- Do you have the current drawings, scope and relevant amendments?
- Who is the customer, and who receives the proposal?
- What requirements and terms need review before you bid?
- Is there enough time to price the work properly?
- What will the estimate cost your business to prepare?
Count subscription fees and estimating time alongside other acquisition spending. For an illustrative example, $600 of allocated access cost and $400 of estimating time make $1,000 of acquisition cost. One won project would carry that $1,000 cost; no wins means there is no cost-per-win result to report. These are chosen figures, not expected conversion rates.
Keep homeowner inquiries distinct from bid opportunities
For residential work, make it easy to describe the project, location and timing. Record how the person found you and whether the inquiry became an estimate and a job. Avoid combining those results with commercial bid invitations in one conversion percentage.
Your own website can explain the projects you handle, show genuine work and help a prospective customer decide whether to contact you. Review our construction website approach if those details need a clearer structure. A website build does not guarantee projects or replace a bid-qualification process.
Checked: November 11, 2026. Prices are dated public statements with scope limits, not account offers. No subscriptions, bids or outreach were made. Recheck provider terms and the actual solicitation before acting.