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DEFINITIONS:
bid package = drawings (architectural, structural, mechanical & electrical plans and
details) plus the project manual
construction = assemblage of a variety of materials in order to bring about an
architectural or engineering design.
construction bid = an offer to perform specific work for a specified price.
good bid =
submitted by a reputable and dependable contractor
no omitted items
accurate quantities and price-outs
realistic completion time allowances
practical methods planned for any problem items
appropriate markup
properly executed bid forms with bond, insurance and alternative bids.
price = amount of compensation for the contractors labor, material, equipment and
profit.
project manual= book consisting of:
invitation to bid
requirements
instructions to bidders
bid forms
bond forms
experience qualification forms
contract form (the agreement)
standard clauses
labor law
miscellaneous laws, rules & regulations
taxes, permits, licenses & inspections
general and special conditions
environmental protection
temporary facilities and utilities
technical specs pertaining to trades and subcontractors
take off = the activity of determining quantities from drawings and specifications
GENERAL BIDDING STRATEGIES
Everyone wants to produce the low bid, win the contract and take responsibility for
construction. The goal is to do the work and make money in the process. There are two
ways to look at bidding and bidding strategy. The short view or get the contract first and
worry about the details later is for inexperienced bidders. Some details cannot be foreseen
or planned and must rely on field decisions, but this should be the exception and not the rule
when bidding. An expert bidder will try to use the long run strategy of incorporating longrange planning into the details of the bid as early in the process as possible.
Project Manual
The Project Manual is also known as the Specifications Book or Spec Book. In reviewing
the spec book, another check list will help you cover all the important items that you should
be looking for. Again, not all items will be checked for all projects.
It is suggested that the specifications in the Project Manual be reviewed first. After the specs
have been reviewed and notes taken, attention should then focus on the drawings. Studying
the specs first can direct your attention in what to look for when you review the drawings.
However, everyone has their own way of doing things and whatever way works best for you
is the method you should use. Make note of any discrepancies between the Project Manual
and the drawings and get them clarified before submitting your bid.
Scope of Work: Everyone goes to the part of the spec book that covers their particular
scope of work. This part is important, of course, but it is not the only section that will influence
your bid. Carefully review the scope of work paying particular attention that you only bid on
the work relative to your own scope of work.
General Conditions: Careful attention should be paid to the General Conditions. There
may be costs associated with conforming to the General Conditions in the spec book.
Inattention to the costs related to the General Conditions will cut into, or possibly eliminate,
your profit when you have to comply with them as part of your contract.
Instructions to Bidders: Ignore this section at your peril. Important detailed information is
included in these instructions. If you are not bidding as the General Contractor, you will still
be held to the definitions, interpretations, rules and procedures that are enumerated in this
section of the project manual. Special attention should be given to the formalities of date,
time and place of the bid opening. Note: If you are bidding as a sub-contractor, the
contractor you are giving your quote or bid to needs enough time to incorporate your quote
into his bid.
Information Available to Bidders: This section has instructions on how to get extra
information that you may need or find useful. Environmental research that you either could
not obtain on your own or would be too expensive to obtain on your own is an example of the
type of information that is available to bidders from the owner or architect. Reports on core
sampling would have important information to anyone doing in-the-ground work.
Wage Rate: If the project is funded by the government, note what wage rates you will need
to pay your employees and what monthly paperwork might be required.
Bid Forms: The organization accepting the bids will expect you to use the forms they put
into the spec book. This makes the task of opening and recording bids easier and fairer to
the owner as well as all those submitting bids. If you are a subcontractor, you should discuss
with the general contractor how he might like to have a bid broken down. Dont assume that
they want to see information presented in the same way you want to present it.
Addenda: Project Manuals are often written with corrections and additional information put
into the addenda of the book. It may contain questions and answers from earlier meetings
that were added at the last minute before printing. This information has been added for a
reason and is important. It may have been too difficult to add it by rewriting the whole book
so it was added at the end. Instructions in the addenda will indicate where the information
applies.
Special Conditions: Take note of any special conditions noted in the project manual that
may affect your working hours, the documentation you need to provide, and anything else
that might affect your price. Many projects are being bid now that follow the USGBC LEED
Guidelines. You need to understand how this might affect your scope of work such as the
materials you might need to use, sequences you might need to follow and documentation
you might need to provide. If you are unfamiliar with any of the terminology in the Project
Manual, get it clarified prior to submitting your bid.
Payment Terms: Understand what the payment terms are to the general contractor. If you
are bidding as the general, understand what you need to submit to get payment and what the
timeframe is between submitting your invoice and getting paid. Most projects pay monthly.
You might need to carry 30-45 days between the time you submit your invoice and when you
receive payment. Understand these terms prior to submitting your bid.
Another form of Addenda is Bid Bulletins. This is also information that came to light after
the Project Manual was compiled. Bid Bulletins also contain important, pertinent information.
Questions: If you have any questions about any part of the bid documents or the pre-bid
meeting you attended, ask a clarifying question and submit the question to the contact
person in writing. If you think you will have several questions, make a Query List. The
query list is a compilation of your questions and should be submitted all at one time. It will be
more efficient for you and the person answering your questions. Be sure that you ask your
questions well in advance of the deadline for asking questions. Questions and the answers
are distributed to all the bidders so that everyone is on the same footing. In order to get the
information out to everyone, a deadline for questions is established as part of the bidding
process.
Estimate Worksheet or Take-Off Sheet: Detailed information should be gathered first on a
general spreadsheet and then a separate spreadsheet should be used to prepare a
summary. This will help to organize the information and make preparing the bid easier. The
detail sheet should be broken down by categories of work and material with space for the
costs of each, leaving room for totals. The summary worksheet will have the totals only,
labeled by categories in the scope of work. See Example 2
ALL OF THE DETAILS OF AN ESTIMATE ARE TOO NUMEROUS FOR THIS WORKSHOP
AND ARE NOT INCLUDED HERE.
Example 1
Date of visit:
Address
Distance from business
General weather conditions
Access roads
Site conditions
Adjacent Structures
Obstructions
Soil data
Soils report available?
From:
Water available
Electric available
Telephone service
Sewage/Portajohns
Garbage/Dumpsters
Gas
Other Comments:
ESTIMATING WORKSHEET
Example 2
Job
Date
Page #
Estimated by
Description
Qty
Unit
Materials
Unit Price
Labor
Total
Example 3
ACME CONSTRUCTION
Date _________________________________ Bid # ____________________________
Project _________________________________________________________________
Project Address __________________________________________________________
Owner __________________________________________________________________
Contact Person_________________________ Phone # __________________________
Owner Address ___________________________________________________________
BIDDING
Division(s) ___________________________ Sections ____________________________
Summary of Work _________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Addendum noted __________________________________________________________
Base Bid ________________________
Special Information:
ALTERNATE #1 ________________________
ALTERNATE #2 ________________________
ALTERNATE #3 ________________________
ALTERNATE #4 ________________________
ALTERNATE #5 ________________________
Bid Bond Included
Taxes Included