How to Bid an Acoustical Ceiling Project

Bidding acoustical ceiling work is straightforward once you have a system. It's also easy to lose money on if you miss details. We've bid hundreds of commercial ceiling projects — here's the process we follow and the mistakes we see other subs make.

Step 1: Read the Spec Before the Drawings

Start with Division 09 51 00 (Acoustical Ceilings). The spec tells you what products are acceptable, what substitution rules apply, and what the contractor is responsible for. Many subs jump straight to the reflected ceiling plan and start counting tiles. That's backwards.

The spec will tell you:

• Acceptable manufacturers and specific products
• Grid type and finish (is it standard white Prelude, or is there a specialty grid?)
• Seismic bracing requirements (big cost factor in California)
• Mockup requirements (some specs require a full-size ceiling mockup for architect approval)
• Submittals — shop drawings, product data, samples, LEED documentation

Step 2: The Takeoff

Measure ceiling areas from the reflected ceiling plan (RCP), not the floor plan. The RCP shows ceiling heights, soffits, bulkheads, and transitions that affect your quantities. Key items to count:

• Ceiling tile — square footage by type. Don't assume the whole floor is one tile. Read the RCP legend.
• Grid — main runners, cross tees, wall angle. Add 10% waste for cuts.
• Hanger wire — one hanger per 16 SF is standard (4-foot spacing on 4-foot runners). Confirm spacing in the spec.
• Seismic bracing — count compression posts and splay wires per the code or spec. In California, this can add $0.50–$1.50/SF.
• Perimeter conditions — linear feet of wall angle. Include soffits, columns, and any ceiling-height changes.
• Specialty items — hold-down clips, fire-rated clips for rated assemblies, access panels, light fixture support.

Step 3: Pricing Materials

Get distributor quotes for the specified products. Don't use list prices — distributor pricing varies and project-specific quotes reflect actual cost. Get quotes from at least two distributors.

Things that change material cost significantly:

• Tile edge type — tegular tiles cost more than square-edge
• Tile size — 2×2 grid requires more cross tees than 2×4
• Specialty tiles — NRC 0.70+ tiles cost 2–3× basic mineral fiber
• Grid finish — black, chrome, or wood-look grid can be 2–4× white

Step 4: Pricing Labor

Labor productivity for acoustical ceilings depends on ceiling height, obstruction density, and tile type. Rough benchmarks for an experienced crew:

• Standard T-bar at 9–12 feet — 120–180 SF per man-day
• Standard T-bar at 14–20 feet — 80–120 SF per man-day (scaffold time)
• Wood grille/plank — 40–80 SF per man-day
• Metal ceiling — 60–100 SF per man-day
• Baffles — 15–30 units per man-day

These are installed, complete, ready-for-inspection numbers. Your actual rates depend on crew skill, site conditions, and how much other trade coordination is happening overhead.

Step 5: Scope Gaps — Where Bids Go Wrong

The most common scope gaps in acoustical ceiling bids:

• Seismic bracing — excluded from the bid, but required by code. This is the #1 scope gap we see.
• Fire-rated assemblies — rated ceilings require specific clips, hold-downs, and sometimes specific tile orientation. More labor than a standard ceiling.
• Scaffold/lift rental — who provides it? If you need a scissor lift for 16-foot ceilings, that's $200–$400/day.
• Above-ceiling coordination — ductwork, sprinkler heads, and electrical boxes that haven't been installed yet. If other trades are behind, your crew is standing around.
• Protection of finished work — if your ceiling goes in before the floor finish, you may need to cover finished tiles during other trades' work. Clarify in your proposal.
• Mockup — building a 10×10 ceiling mockup for architect review costs $500–$1,500 in labor and materials. Don't absorb this without pricing it.

Step 6: Write a Clear Proposal

Your proposal should include:

• Specific products you're bidding (manufacturer, product name, catalog number)
• Square footage by area or ceiling type
• What's included and what's excluded — spell it out
• Timeline — how many working days for your scope
• Assumptions — "based on unobstructed access," "other trades complete above ceiling," etc.

The clearer your inclusions and exclusions, the fewer arguments during the project. We've seen subs lose thousands because their proposal said "acoustical ceiling per plans" without specifying that seismic bracing was excluded.

Common Mistakes

• Bidding from floor plans instead of reflected ceiling plans
• Using list prices instead of distributor quotes
• Forgetting waste factor (10% is standard, 15% for small or irregular rooms)
• Not visiting the site before bidding — existing conditions matter
• Underestimating perimeter work — soffits, bulkheads, and curved walls eat labor