Electrical Estimating Methods, 4th Edition

CHAPTER 3 Before Starting the Estimate

In the competitive world of construction contracting an invitation to bid a project can mean the prospect of weeks of hard work with only a chance of bidding success. It can also mean the opportunity to obtain a contract for a successful and financially beneficial project. It is not uncommon for the contractor's bidding schedule to include multiple bids lost for every successful one that goes to contract. The successful comprehensive bid depends heavily on estimating accuracy and thus the preparation, organization, and work that goes into estimating a project. After all, nobody really wants the project that was won due to errors or omissions in the estimate.

OBTAINING BID DOCUMENTS

The first step in starting the estimating process is to obtain copies of the bid documents; plans, addenda, and the project manual in its entirety. Long past are the days when the general contractor (GC) provides only the trade's drawings and specifications and requests a comprehensive bid covering all of the work. This is especially true for the electrical scope of work, which has an almost continual interface on the project. It is essential that the bidding electrical estimator obtain a full set of the bid documents.

For a major portion of commercial projects, bid documents are hosted on an ftp or File Transfer Protocol site, where they can be viewed and downloaded for estimating purposes. The electrical contractor can then decide which drawings, if any, ...