When filling out bid forms make sure: The numbers and the words match! (6,000,000 and six million) All the blanks are filled in. All the required signatures are accounted for. It may sound simple, but it does happen!
Mike Rowe
Monthly Archives: July 2010
Notes on Drawings…
July 28, 2010 – 6:00 am
On some plans, I wonder why the architect and engineer even bothered drawing a set of plans based on the number of notes they have included. There can be more work located in the notes than what is shown on the drawings! Estimator should notate on the plans which notes they have included or excluded [...]
Questions At Bid Time
July 26, 2010 – 6:00 am
Questions at bid time are an important component of the estimating and bidding process. The questions are usually posed in written form to the architect or owner unless there is a pre-bid meeting where questions are asked as a part of the overall presentation. These questions are asking for clarification on the scope for the [...]
Addenda are a Pain
July 23, 2010 – 6:00 am
I am seeing more projects that go out to bid with at least one addendum. Addendums are becoming the norm instead of an occasional thing. Sometimes the changes are clouded on the drawings, other times the changes are issued on new drawings. Sometimes there are simple changes to the specifications, other times entire spec sections [...]
Be Careful Where You Are
July 21, 2010 – 6:00 am
One way that you can really mess up an estimate is by assuming that the floor to ceiling height is all the same. Checking the sections of the building really comes into play when you are working off of the mechanical, plumbing and electrical drawings. When you are routing the pipe or conduit you really [...]
Reading Incomplete Drawings…
July 19, 2010 – 6:00 am
When taking-off a set of drawings, it’s important to verify the completeness of the plans. Countless times I have seen drawings that look 100% complete, until I started looking at the layout of the each system. It’s very important to follow the systems to ensure that you are taking-off a complete system and nothing more [...]
Lawyer Speak
July 16, 2010 – 6:00 am
An estimator is a true jack of all trades. Not only do we have to know how the job is going to be built we also have to know what the contract has to say. Contracts are not written in conversational English instead it is written in legal speak. Before signing a contract you have [...]
The Cleansing Recession
July 14, 2010 – 6:04 am
Is This Really Possible In Construction? The economists call the recession that is underway a “cleansing” recession. This is a polite way of saying “thinning the herd” of the weaker firms or putting the poor business operators out of business. But is a cleansing recession really possible in our industry? I would like to think [...]
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic – What It Takes To Be An Estimator!
July 12, 2010 – 6:00 am
The estimator is the life blood of business, especially in construction. We have our counterparts in other industries. These are economists and actuaries to name two other occupations. All three deal in reliably forecasting (estimating) costs before they are actually incurred. There are many basic and advanced skill sets involved in estimating. The basic skill [...]
Thrill of the hunt
July 9, 2010 – 6:00 am
The other day I was talking with a long time estimator. We were discussing why, after all these years, he is still doing estimating. He said it was all in the thrill of the hunt. The estimate was the preparation for the hunt and bid day was the hunting trip. And when the final numbers [...]
