Common Questions.

Which Trades Do You Cover?

Six trades: HVAC and mechanical, plumbing, electrical, roofing, general construction, and masonry. Each one has its own tuned keyword filter so you only see bids relevant to what you actually do, plus a Miscellaneous catch-all in the live feed for related public work that falls outside the six.

Which States Do You Cover?

Basic and Pro both cover the full 12-state US Census Midwest region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, covering every county, state agency, and city portal we monitor, plus federal opportunities with place-of-performance in any of these states. The Free plan covers one state you choose (any of the 12), switchable anytime. All 12 states are live, with coverage deepening as we add sources.

Is There a Free Plan?

Yes. Sign up free and browse a limited version of the live feed. You'll see bid titles, agencies, locations, and the exact deadline (date and time) for one state you choose (any of the 12, switchable anytime). Free accounts can also save and track up to five bids. Upgrade to Basic or Pro any time to unlock full descriptions, source links, and weekly email delivery; Pro adds the procurement contact the agency listed, when provided.

What Plans Do You Offer?

Three:

• Free: browse the live bid feed for one state you choose (any of the 12, switchable anytime), one device.
• Basic ($29.99/mo): bids across all 12 Midwest states for your trade, emailed weekly, with full details (exact deadline, solicitation #, full description & source links) and up to 10 saved bids.
• Pro ($69.99/mo): everything in Basic, plus the procurement contact the agency listed, when provided, plus downloadable Bid Brief PDFs and similar-bid suggestions.

How Often Will I Get Emails?

Once a week. Basic and Pro members get a single weekly digest every Monday with your top matching bids (ranked by trade fit, location, and how recently they posted) across all 12 Midwest states; Pro’s digest also includes the procurement contact the agency listed, when they name one, so you can reach the right person directly instead of a switchboard. When an agency doesn’t publish a contact, you still get its name and the official listing, so you’re never at a dead end. Prefer none? Turn bid emails off entirely anytime in your account settings.

The free plan is browse-only on the website, with no email delivery, so you can see what we cover before you subscribe.

Can I Select Multiple Trades?

Yes. Every trade is included on every plan. Pick as many as you bid on; there's no extra charge and no cap. It's handy if you're a general contractor or run a multi-trade outfit. Free accounts browse the feed; Basic and Pro get matching bids for all your selected trades by email every week.

Can I Use My Account on More Than One Device?

Yes. Your plan sets how many devices can be signed in at the same time: Free is 1, Basic is 5, and Pro is 10, enough to cover the office computer, your phone, and crew members in the field. If you reach the limit, just sign out a device (you can do it from any signed-in device in Settings → Logins & Devices) and sign in on the new one. Need your whole crew signed in at once? Pro covers 10 devices.

Can I Save and Track Bids I'm Pursuing?

Yes. Save any bid to your pipeline, then move it through stages (Interested, Bidding, Submitted, Won, and Lost) and keep private notes on each one. It's a simple way to manage everything you're chasing in one place. Free accounts can track up to five bids, Basic up to 10, and Pro unlimited.

How Do I Cancel?

Cancel yourself any time from Manage Subscription on your account, which opens the secure Stripe billing portal. There are no cancellation fees. Cancelling stops future renewals and takes effect at the end of your current billing period, so you keep access until then; the current period is non-refundable and isn't pro-rated. The unsubscribe link in our emails only stops the emails, it does not cancel a paid plan.

Can I Upgrade or Downgrade My Plan?

Yes, any time, and it's self-serve. Change your plan from Membership in your account Settings (or from Manage Subscription in the Stripe billing portal). Upgrades take effect right away; a downgrade applies without an extra charge and your new rate bills on your next cycle.

Do You Offer Annual Billing?

Yes. Basic and Pro can be billed monthly or yearly, and paying yearly saves up to about 30%. You choose your billing period when you sign up. Plans renew until you cancel; cancelling stops future renewals, and the current period, including a yearly term, is non-refundable and isn't pro-rated.

How Current Is Your Data?

We check our highest-volume sources every couple of minutes and the rest of our 250+ Midwest sources throughout the day, so new bids usually appear in your feed the same day they’re posted.

What Are the Different Feed Views?

The live feed has a few lenses. Latest (the default Bids view) shows the newest public bids matched to your trade and states. My Network shows bids and posts shared by the members you’re connected with. Community is posts from across the network: showcases, questions, wins, and updates. The Pro Lounge is a Pro-only filter of the top-scoring bids for your trades. Anyone can browse the feed; posting and reacting in Community is for paid members, and the Pro Lounge is Pro only.

How Accurate Are the Deadlines and Details?

We pull bid data directly from official government procurement sources. We tidy formatting for readability (for example, fixing ALL-CAPS titles and adding a plain-English summary) but never change the substance of a solicitation. Every bid includes the issuing agency's name and a link to its official listing, so you can verify any detail directly with the agency.

That said, government agencies sometimes amend deadlines (addenda), cancel solicitations, or publish updates we may not see immediately. Always verify the deadline with the issuing agency before you bid This is true of every aggregator, including this one, and is standard contractor practice anyway.

If you see an inaccuracy, contact us and we'll look at it right away.

Do You Take a Commission on Posted Jobs?

No, never. Jobs & Bids never takes a commission, finder’s fee, or cut of any job. Pro membership is a flat monthly or yearly subscription, and that is the only thing we ever charge. When a member posts a job and another member responds, you message and connect right here on Jobs & Bids, then contract directly; we never touch the money.

Are Member-Posted Jobs Verified by Jobs & Bids?

No. Member-posted jobs are submitted by other members and are clearly badged “Member-posted · verify independently.” They are kept separate from our government bid data. We screen submissions for offensive content and review them before they appear, but we do not vet, guarantee, or endorse the poster, the work, or the terms. Always verify a member, license, insurance, and scope independently before you contract or pay.

Can I See a Sample of What I'd Get?

Yes. See a sample bid card, or browse the live feed. Free preview shows enough to confirm relevance; subscribers get full descriptions, source links, and much more, and Pro adds the procurement contact when the agency provides one.