UNION CITY – Barry Short lives most of his life on the road – from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the California coast and high desert of Arizona.

By Lisa Cole, Graniterock Asst. General Counsel

It's bid day. You're the prime contractor's lead estimator. Subcontractor bids are flying in from every angle. Your fax machine and email inbox have completely filled up. In the last half hour, you scramble to find the low bids for each scope of work, re-check your numbers, list your subs, and submit your bid.

A few minutes later, you find out you're low, and the agency is going to award you the work.

Can you rely on the prices your subs supplied you with today?