The pre-bid site visit: what the drawings won't tell you
Drawings show what to build. They almost never show what it will take to build it: the 12'-6" dock that won't take a 53' trailer, the only laydown yard being a shared gravel pad 300 feet from the work, the panel that isn't where the plans say it is, the clinic that stays open so every tie-in happens at night. Those are the things that decide whether a job makes money — and the pre-bid site visit is your one chance to find them before your number is locked. The free checklist above walks you through it and makes sure every finding lands in the estimate, an RFI, or your qualifications.
Before you walk
- Read Division 01 first. Site use, work hours, temporary facilities, phasing, and owner occupancy are usually spelled out there. The walk is to verify it, not to learn it.
- Read your trade's spec sections and the demo drawings. Mark the existing systems you'll tie into and the equipment "to remain."
- Print the checklist and mark items N/A that don't apply. Add your trade-specific items in the Trade-Specific section.
- Bring: tape measure, flashlight, camera or phone with plenty of storage, a ceiling-tile hook, the drawings (paper or tablet), and business cards for the sign-in sheet.
What to check on the walk
Access and work hours
Which gate is yours, what hours the site is open, whether the building stays occupied, delivery truck limits (height, length, turning radius, dock hours), elevator and hoist access, crane pick locations, and whether you'll need traffic control or a street-closure permit. An occupied building with night-only tie-ins can add a real premium to your labor — find out now.
Laydown, staging, and parking
Where material goes, how big the area is, how far it is from the work, and whether it's secured. Where crews park and who pays. Whether you can bring a conex or trailer. A long haul from laydown to the work area is labor you have to carry.
Utilities and temporary facilities
Source and capacity for temporary power, who pays for energy, temp lighting, construction water, toilets, and — critically — shutdowns: how much notice, what windows, and who operates the valves and breakers. Utility company work (new service, relocations) often has the longest lead time on the job.
Existing conditions
This is where the money hides. Pop ceiling tiles. Compare the panel schedules, equipment nameplates, and routing paths to the drawings. Note the make and model of existing fire alarm and BAS systems — proprietary systems mean sole-source programming. Record every discrepancy with a photo number.
Demolition
Confirm the extent of demo, what's "remove" versus "remove and reinstall," salvage the owner keeps, make-safe requirements before demo, and disposal of lamps, ballasts, e-waste, and refrigerant.
Hazards
Ask for the hazardous materials survey if it isn't in the bid documents. Look for suspect asbestos (floor tile, mastic, pipe insulation), overhead power lines, energized equipment near the work, confined spaces, fall hazards, and silica-generating work in occupied spaces. Find out what the site-specific safety program requires — orientation length, drug testing, and extra PPE all cost money.
Security, badging, and site rules
Badging and background checks can take a week and cost money per worker. Escort requirements in hospitals, schools, and secure facilities cut productivity. Infection control (ICRA), hot-work permits, and union or project labor agreements all belong in the estimate.
Questions to ask while you're there
The checklist has a section for these: Is the walk mandatory, and did everyone sign in? What's the RFI deadline and format? Is funding approved, and when are award and notice to proceed? What are the phasing and blackout periods? Bonding, insurance, OCIP/CCIP, prevailing wage? How are bids evaluated? Liquidated damages, retainage, and payment cycle? Write down the answer — and remember a verbal answer isn't binding until it's in an addendum.
The photo log: number everything
Photos from a site walk are only useful if you can find the right one three weeks later. The Photo Log tab records photo number, date, location, the direction you were facing, what it shows, and which checklist item or RFI it supports. Shoot a wide shot first, then the detail. Photograph nameplates, panel schedules, clearances with a tape in the frame, and any pre-existing damage — that last one protects you at closeout.
The pre-bid RFI log: every "Ask" becomes a numbered question
Anything on the walk marked Ask goes to the Pre-Bid RFI Log with the drawing or spec reference, who you sent it to, and when you need the answer. When an addendum answers it, record the addendum number — the status flips to Answered automatically, and answer-needed dates that pass with no response turn red. Record the dollar impact you carried for each answer so the estimate and the log agree.
Good pre-bid RFIs are short, cite the exact sheet and spec paragraph, ask one thing, and propose an answer: "Fire/smoke damper actuators on M-401 note 7 say 'power by Div 26,' but no circuits are shown on E-601. Confirm quantity, voltage, and circuiting responsibility." If you find several of these, map them on the scope responsibility matrix — it will show you every gap between trades at once.
After the walk: turn findings into your number
- Price it. Every Issue with a cost or schedule impact becomes a line in your estimate — premium time, extra handling, equipment, badging, escorts. Our estimate recap & bid proposal template has a place for each.
- Ask it. Every open question goes out as an RFI before the deadline.
- Qualify it. Anything still unanswered at bid time becomes a clear qualification or exclusion in your proposal — not a silent assumption.
- File it. Save the checklist, photos, and RFI log with the estimate. If you win, they're the start of the project record.
From bid to project
If you win the job, the site-walk photos and pre-bid answers are exactly what your superintendent needs on day one. Field PM keeps RFIs and change orders, photos, daily reports, and the budget in one project record your crew updates from a phone. Start a free 30-day trial — no credit card required.
Related free templates
- Scope Responsibility Matrix — furnish / install / connect by party, with automatic gap check
- Supplier RFQ Template — request material quotes with your delivery requirements spelled out
- Bid Leveling Matrix — level sub and supplier bids on equal scope
- Estimate Recap & Bid Proposal — roll it all into your number
- RFI Template — the formal RFI form once the job is awarded
- Browse all free construction templates
