Introduction
Winning TxDOT work isn’t about guessing right. It’s about seeing where money flows and where competition thins out. Each month, we break down the data so contractors can spot quiet opportunities before everyone else notices.
Unique Bidders — Fewer competitors mean better odds.
Total Spend — More dollars means more work to win.
Single-Bidder Jobs — The quiet corners where one bid gets the job done.
August in a Snapshot
August was smaller than recent months but more concentrated. TxDOT let $508.2M across 194 projects in 86 counties, drawing 840 bids from 261 firms. Even with that much participation, there were still 18 single-bidder awards, a reminder that pockets of low competition can appear even in a busy month.
Where the Money Went
A few counties accounted for most of August’s dollars. Denton set the pace with a large cluster of work, while Webb, Harris, Gregg, and Leon each had single projects or small groups that carried real weight.
Top Counties by Total Spend:
Denton — 5 projects | 32 bidders | 30 unique bidders | $129.1M
Webb — 1 project | 4 bidders | $31.1M
Harris — 12 projects | 61 bidders | 28 unique bidders | $28.4M
Gregg — 2 projects | 12 bidders | 12 unique bidders | $23.2M
Leon — 1 project | 4 bidders | $21.3M
Bastrop — 3 projects | 11 bidders | 11 unique bidders | $19.3M
Takeaway: Denton had most of the money, but counties like Webb and Leon offered something just as valuable: high spend with very few competitors.
Where Bidders Had the Most Leverage
Spend per bidder shows how many dollars each participant was effectively competing for, a simple way to spot places where the odds tilt.
Top 5 Counties by Spend per Bidder:
Webb — $7.78M per bidder
Leon — $5.32M per bidder
Denton — $4.03M per bidder
Lavaca — $3.35M per bidder
Gregg — $1.93M per bidder
Takeaway: Webb and Leon stood out again with one job, few bidders, and solid paydays. These small counties often hide unusually favorable conditions.
Single-Bidder Jobs
There were 18 single-bidder awards in August, mostly scattered across rural counties. These were modest jobs, but they underscore a consistent pattern: low-density counties continue to hand out uncontested work that rarely shows up in the headlines.
For contractors looking to expand outward, these are the counties where small, reliable wins often stack up.
Competitiveness Rankings by County (August 2025)
Rank | County | Projects | Bidders | Unique Bidders | Single-Bidder Jobs | Spend |
1 | Webb | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $31.1M |
2 | Leon | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $21.3M |
3 | Denton | 5 | 32 | 30 | 0 | $129.1M |
4 | Bastrop | 3 | 11 | 11 | 1 | $19.3M |
5 | Lavaca | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $6.7M |
6 | Travis | 5 | 14 | 14 | 1 | $14.6M |
7 | Gregg | 2 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $23.2M |
8 | Houston | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $9.9M |
9 | Randall | 4 | 11 | 9 | 0 | $14.5M |
10 | Hidalgo | 4 | 11 | 8 | 1 | $6.2M |
11 | Dallas | 6 | 13 | 8 | 3 | $3.0M |
12 | Henderson | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $4.2M |
13 | Moore | 3 | 6 | 6 | 1 | $4.2M |
14 | Comanche | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | $673.3k |
15 | Burnet | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $10.7M |
16 | Lee | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $13.2M |
17 | Hemphill | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | $614.5k |
18 | Austin | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $12.8M |
19 | Harris | 12 | 61 | 28 | 0 | $28.4M |
20 | Williamson | 2 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $15.4M |
21 | Grayson | 3 | 8 | 8 | 1 | $3.4M |
22 | Willacy | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $5.1M |
23 | Tarrant | 11 | 31 | 26 | 1 | $10.8M |
24 | Ellis | 4 | 20 | 11 | 0 | $8.2M |
25 | Garza | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $2.9M |
26 | Fort Bend | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | $1.4M |
27 | Gray | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $3.3M |
28 | Rusk | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $2.5M |
29 | Titus | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $1.2M |
30 | Caldwell | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1.7M |
31 | Palo Pinto | 7 | 21 | 15 | 0 | $8.0M |
32 | Trinity | 3 | 6 | 6 | 1 | $1.5M |
33 | Collin | 7 | 29 | 22 | 0 | $10.8M |
34 | Jefferson | 3 | 10 | 9 | 0 | $4.4M |
35 | Live Oak | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | $677.0k |
36 | Nueces | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $3.5M |
37 | Nacogdoches | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $827.9k |
38 | Cameron | 3 | 18 | 11 | 0 | $4.3M |
39 | Guadalupe | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $3.7M |
40 | Brazos | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.9M |
41 | Smith | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $2.2M |
42 | Ector | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $2.9M |
43 | Gaines | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $698.7k |
44 | Kaufman | 10 | 41 | 32 | 0 | $10.9M |
45 | Hays | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $2.2M |
46 | Cherokee | 1 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $4.1M |
47 | Lubbock | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $3.2M |
48 | Hardin | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $556.1k |
49 | Reeves | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $520.7k |
50 | Parker | 3 | 19 | 12 | 0 | $3.1M |
12-Month Trends (Sept 2024 – Aug 2025)
Over the past year, TxDOT let $11.96B in work across 2,045 projects and 230 counties. Those jobs drew 8,670 bids from 540 firms. Even with that level of activity, there were still 165 single-bidder awards, clear reminders that opportunity often shows up where people aren’t paying attention.
Top 5 Counties by Total Spend:
Travis — $2.21B
Harris — $1.04B
Dallas — $1.02B
Brazos — $701.5M
Denton — $534.4M
Top 5 Counties by Unique Bidders:
Denton — 106
Collin — 104
Harris — 93
Travis, Bexar — 85
Tarrant — 81
Top 5 Single-Bidder Hotspots:
El Paso — 10
Dallas — 6
Nueces — 5
Grayson — 4
12-Month Takeaway
Texas works the same way every year: big metros carry the volume, rural counties carry the margin. The smartest contractors use both. You win consistency by chasing the metros and profitability by showing up where almost no one else does.
County Competitiveness: Last 12 Months (Sept 2024–Aug 2025)
Rank | County | Projects | Bidders | Unique Bidders | Single-Bidder Jobs | Spend |
1 | Travis | 44 | 196 | 85 | 3 | $2.2B |
2 | Dallas | 49 | 182 | 72 | 6 | $1.0B |
3 | El Paso | 29 | 80 | 32 | 10 | $161.5M |
4 | Dallam | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | $25.9M |
5 | Harris | 76 | 359 | 93 | 2 | $1.0B |
6 | Grayson | 24 | 86 | 51 | 4 | $288.7M |
7 | Brazos | 31 | 114 | 65 | 1 | $701.5M |
8 | Culberson | 3 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $127.6M |
9 | Collin | 50 | 203 | 104 | 3 | $351.4M |
10 | Nueces | 27 | 94 | 57 | 5 | $118.4M |
11 | Kenedy | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $61.6M |
12 | Webb | 18 | 61 | 46 | 3 | $134.7M |
13 | Galveston | 15 | 67 | 41 | 2 | $152.9M |
14 | McLennan | 28 | 136 | 74 | 1 | $406.0M |
15 | Denton | 48 | 240 | 106 | 1 | $534.4M |
16 | Moore | 8 | 19 | 18 | 3 | $42.2M |
17 | Deaf Smith | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $46.8M |
18 | Bexar | 51 | 228 | 85 | 2 | $262.6M |
19 | Hidalgo | 28 | 107 | 59 | 1 | $273.2M |
20 | Madison | 6 | 26 | 20 | 0 | $184.5M |
21 | Montgomery | 26 | 112 | 60 | 3 | $127.5M |
22 | Kleberg | 8 | 32 | 23 | 0 | $181.6M |
23 | Sterling | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $22.8M |
24 | Kaufman | 33 | 138 | 69 | 3 | $126.8M |
25 | Williamson | 16 | 81 | 56 | 1 | $182.0M |
26 | Cochran | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $28.9M |
27 | Ochiltree | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $28.8M |
28 | Gregg | 11 | 54 | 36 | 2 | $69.0M |
29 | Bastrop | 13 | 72 | 57 | 2 | $97.0M |
30 | Hood | 5 | 17 | 17 | 2 | $28.2M |
31 | Tarrant | 46 | 183 | 81 | 3 | $95.5M |
32 | Reeves | 7 | 28 | 16 | 0 | $70.6M |
33 | Hutchinson | 3 | 10 | 9 | 1 | $19.3M |
34 | Glasscock | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $8.4M |
35 | Rusk | 5 | 14 | 13 | 1 | $26.1M |
36 | Armstrong | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $19.9M |
37 | Maverick | 5 | 13 | 12 | 1 | $22.6M |
38 | Menard | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $11.3M |
39 | Lipscomb | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $18.7M |
40 | Parmer | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $29.7M |
41 | Robertson | 7 | 37 | 17 | 0 | $59.9M |
42 | Upton | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $13.7M |
43 | Bowie | 18 | 68 | 43 | 3 | $36.7M |
44 | Erath | 11 | 45 | 37 | 2 | $39.7M |
45 | Cass | 8 | 27 | 20 | 2 | $21.1M |
46 | Montague | 5 | 22 | 12 | 0 | $35.5M |
47 | Terrell | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $17.1M |
48 | Brooks | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | $6.9M |
49 | Jefferson | 38 | 150 | 80 | 3 | $53.9M |
50 | Bosque | 5 | 16 | 13 | 1 | $16.6M |
51 | Cameron | 11 | 46 | 27 | 1 | $34.2M |
52 | Nacogdoches | 11 | 43 | 34 | 2 | $27.9M |
53 | Goliad | 6 | 18 | 14 | 0 | $33.1M |
54 | Nolan | 6 | 26 | 22 | 0 | $51.1M |
55 | Franklin | 4 | 14 | 14 | 2 | $10.7M |
56 | Martin | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $11.3M |
57 | Lubbock | 19 | 74 | 47 | 1 | $51.6M |
58 | Hill | 11 | 45 | 30 | 1 | $32.3M |
59 | Smith | 23 | 120 | 68 | 1 | $71.7M |
60 | Hopkins | 15 | 53 | 45 | 3 | $23.5M |
61 | Leon | 4 | 17 | 12 | 0 | $25.0M |
62 | Eastland | 4 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $18.3M |
63 | Ector | 24 | 95 | 52 | 2 | $34.9M |
64 | Briscoe | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $7.7M |
65 | Concho | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $15.3M |
66 | Fort Bend | 18 | 70 | 46 | 1 | $43.4M |
67 | Angelina | 22 | 103 | 61 | 1 | $56.3M |
68 | Taylor | 18 | 82 | 51 | 2 | $30.5M |
69 | Crockett | 3 | 19 | 17 | 0 | $30.4M |
70 | Ward | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $17.5M |
71 | Henderson | 14 | 68 | 58 | 2 | $33.6M |
72 | Austin | 9 | 44 | 31 | 1 | $26.8M |
73 | Liberty | 9 | 37 | 25 | 0 | $42.6M |
74 | Sabine | 7 | 25 | 20 | 1 | $16.9M |
75 | Brazoria | 14 | 64 | 32 | 1 | $26.3M |
76 | Lamb | 6 | 20 | 17 | 0 | $27.5M |
77 | Matagorda | 6 | 32 | 28 | 0 | $43.2M |
78 | Hale | 10 | 29 | 25 | 0 | $38.3M |
79 | Grimes | 6 | 33 | 23 | 0 | $35.1M |
80 | Hunt | 19 | 98 | 68 | 2 | $34.5M |
81 | Hudspeth | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | $752.7k |
82 | Scurry | 6 | 17 | 11 | 0 | $16.5M |
83 | Lamar | 20 | 72 | 43 | 3 | $15.6M |
84 | Delta | 7 | 22 | 20 | 2 | $9.6M |
85 | La Salle | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | $2.5M |
86 | Baylor | 5 | 22 | 16 | 1 | $11.3M |
87 | Jim Hogg | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $5.5M |
88 | Jones | 4 | 17 | 16 | 0 | $22.0M |
89 | Wichita | 15 | 60 | 40 | 1 | $27.3M |
90 | Wheeler | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $14.9M |
91 | Gillespie | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $9.2M |
92 | Brewster | 6 | 14 | 13 | 1 | $8.5M |
93 | Brown | 13 | 60 | 46 | 3 | $14.6M |
94 | Howard | 6 | 22 | 19 | 0 | $23.7M |
95 | Hemphill | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | $1.2M |
96 | Orange | 13 | 59 | 49 | 2 | $20.1M |
97 | Frio | 4 | 17 | 14 | 0 | $17.2M |
98 | Randall | 8 | 24 | 17 | 0 | $20.7M |
99 | San Patricio | 11 | 37 | 29 | 2 | $11.5M |
100 | Parker | 10 | 46 | 34 | 1 | $20.3M |
Acting on August’s Signals
Start with the counties that offered both money and space: Webb, Leon, and Denton. They were the easiest places to stand out.
Treat August’s 18 single-bidder awards as a hint. When a county gives you one uncontested project, it often gives you more.
Don’t ignore midsized markets. Harris and Gregg didn’t lead the month, but they offered steady work without overwhelming competition.
Use spend-per-bidder as your quickest filter. It tells you where each bid had the most weight without needing a deep dive.
Track the counties that don’t move much month to month. Stability is its own kind of opportunity.
Opportunity usually shows up where money and competition don’t match. Bidlo helps you see those mismatches, the places where showing up matters more than guessing right.
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