GC Confidence Breakdown: What They Need from Subs Right Now

If you want to know how the market is really moving, you don’t ask Wall Street. You ask the folks running bids every week. General contractors have a front-row seat to what’s happening in commercial construction: which jobs stall, which ones fly, and how owners are feeling about the next few quarters.

Our GC Survey Report gives a grounded look at that confidence level. It’s not a formal “index,” but it paints the same picture: steady work, tighter deadlines, cautious investment, and a constant fight against friction.

We've got the key data insights, showing what this means for our subcontractors.

GCs Are Busy, but They’re Not Bullish

Most GCs are handling 1–15 bids per week, a sign of steady volume but also steady pressure. They’re not overwhelmed, but they’re not relaxing either. Bid counts suggest owners are moving ahead with projects but keeping a close eye on cost and timing.

External indicators echo this. ABC’s national Construction Backlog Index has hovered in the six-to-nine-month range over the last year, which economists call “cautiously optimistic.” In plain terms: money is moving, but no one wants surprises.

GCs are operating exactly that way. They want predictable partners, reliable numbers, and fewer question marks.

Tech Attitude: Open Enough to Try, Not Excited Enough to Buy

GCs describe themselves as open but cautious with software. Early adopters exist, but they’re not the majority. Teams want to save time, but they don’t want more tools piled onto their stack.

That mindset tells us something important:
Subs should not expect GCs to adopt new platforms just to read a bid or collaborate more smoothly. Everything you send needs to “just work” in email.

Confidence, for GCs, is tied to clarity. Not integrations.

GCs Are Watching Margin and Schedule Like Hawks

The survey made it crystal clear what drives GC decisions:

• Profit margin (~29%)
• Schedule lead time (~24%)
• Relationship (~24%)
• Resource availability (~18%)

Project size barely registered. What mattered was:
Can this contractor keep us on schedule, and can we trust their number?

This lines up with national confidence indicators. Contractors expect ongoing labor shortages, price fluctuations, and owner pressure for leaner schedules. If a subcontractor reduces risk in those two categories, they rise to the top.

Their Biggest Pain Points Tell You Exactly Where to Stand Out

GCs said their hardest problems are:

• Accurate cost estimation
• Time pressure
• Competitive pricing
• Messy data
• Scope clarity

These challenges aren’t abstract. They’re what cause rework, surprise RFIs, and last-minute fire drills.

Subs can build confidence fast by removing these headaches. That means:

• Clean scope write-ups
• Clear assumptions and exclusions
• Schedule-safe alternates
• Lead-time flags
• Predictable follow-ups

Clarity lowers their stress. Lower stress increases your win rate.

Email Still Runs the Construction World

GCs overwhelmingly rely on email for updates, version control, and bid communication. Even firms with project management software end up forwarding threads around internally. Hybrid storage is the norm, which means files wander.

This affects confidence more than people admit. When information is spread across inboxes and desktops, GCs trust subs who make things easy to find.

Practical reality: If your email is clean, your bid looks clean. That shapes their belief in your execution.

GC Confidence Isn’t Just About the Market. It’s About Who Makes Their Life Easier.

When GCs talk about confidence, they’re not only thinking about the economy. They’re thinking about the subs who keep them moving.

Subs who win consistently are the ones who:

• Reduce risk
• Communicate cleanly
• Stay predictable
• Make decisions easier

The survey shows GCs don’t expect perfection. They expect clarity.

Where Riffle Helps Subs Project Confidence

Riffle streamlines the exact behaviors GCs say win more work. Our platform helps subs:

• Organize ITBs and avoid missed opportunities
• Keep versions straight
• Maintain a clean thread for every project
• Send complete, consistent bid packets
• Follow up without guessing at timing

These habits make subs look dependable in a busy GC inbox. And dependable partners get invited back first.

What This Means for Subcontractors

If you understand what shapes GC confidence, you can tailor your process to match:

• Make bids unmissable
• Keep documents clean and consistent
• Offer schedule-safe options
• State assumptions plainly
• Follow up predictably
• Protect their time

These small habits stack up and affect how every GC reads your number.

If you want a workflow that makes those habits automatic, that’s what Riffle is built for.

Join the waitlist at rifflecm.com.

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