Review Plans, Scope, and Specifications Before Estimating

A. Finished-Project Specification

Quantity: one controlled pre-estimate package containing a completed active document register, a verified scale and sheet inventory, a scope map, an exclusion list, a responsibility list, a prioritized clarification log with recorded responses, and one approved pre-takeoff review summary, produced from one complete residential bidding package.

B. Review Deliverable Schedule (Component Schedule)

Deliverable	Quantity	Basis	Contents	Preparation / Purpose
Active document register	1	Section E, Steps 1–5	Sheet or section, title, date, revision, status	Confirms every document is present, current, and non-conflicting
Scale and sheet-verification record	1	Section E, Step 6	Written dimension used, scaled result, discrepancy if any	Confirms scale reliability before any scaled measurement is used later
Scope map	1	Section F, Steps 8–15	Site, architectural, structural, MEP, and specification scope by area and system	Identifies shown-but-not-narrated, narrated-but-not-shown, and required-but-not-assigned work
Responsibility list	1	Section G, Steps 16–18	Owner, contractor, subcontractor, supplier, utility, municipal, designer	Assigns responsibility for demolition, protection, temporary work, permits, testing, inspections, cleanup, closeout
Exclusion and allowance list	1	Section G, Steps 19–20	Allowances, alternates, unit prices, deferred selections, provisional work, explicit and proposed exclusions	Separates fixed scope from allowance, alternate, and excluded work
Clarification log	1	Section H, Steps 21–29	Document reference, issue, estimating impact, question, classification, priority, response	Tracks every open question from identification through resolution
Pre-takeoff review summary	1	Section I, Step 30	Confirmation that all deliverables are complete and authorization to proceed is obtained	Final gate before Chapter 3 takeoff begins

C. Document Review Sequence

• Site and logistics documents: site plan, grading plan, utility plan, access, property limits, and logistics information.
• Architectural documents: plans, elevations, sections, schedules, details, and finishes.
• Structural documents: foundations, framing, connections, and special inspections.
• MEP and specialty documents: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, fire, low-voltage, and specialty documents where included in the package.
• Specifications: products, standards, submittals, testing, warranties, installation, and closeout requirements for every system reviewed above.
• Non-substitution rule: do not review a specification section without locating and reviewing the drawings it governs, and do not review a drawing without locating its corresponding specification section.

D. Clarification Classification and Priority Schedule

Field	Type	Basis
Document reference	Input	Exact sheet, section, schedule, or detail supporting the clarification
Issue	Input	Specific inconsistency, ambiguity, or omission identified
Estimating impact	Input	What cannot be quantified or priced until the item is resolved
Question	Input	Specific, answerable question directed at the correct recipient
Classification	Input	RFI, owner, supplier, subcontractor, code, inspector, or internal assumption
Priority	Input	Based on cost, scope, safety, schedule, and risk
Response and conversion	Input	Recorded answer, or the approved assumption, allowance, alternate, unit price, exclusion, or contingency used when no answer is received

E. Preparation — Document Receipt and Verification

1. Obtain the invitation, bid instructions, scope narrative, plan set, specifications, addenda, schedules, reports, alternates, selections, and submission forms. Confirm every listed component of the bidding package has actually been received.
2. Record receipt date, bid due date, site-visit date, question deadline, delivery method, required forms, bonds, signatures, and acknowledgments. Enter these on the Bidding Package Control Record in the Review Conventions section above.
3. Create the active document register. List every sheet or specification section with its title, date, revision, and status.
4. Confirm all sheets and specification sections listed in indexes are present. Cross-check the plan index and specification table of contents against the actual document set.
5. Identify duplicate, superseded, missing, unreadable, resized, or conflicting documents. Remove superseded documents from the active set while preserving them in the archive.
6. Verify drawing scales against written dimensions. Select one known written dimension per drawing type, measure it at the stated scale, and record any discrepancy on the scale and sheet-verification record.
7. Read title blocks, legends, general notes, abbreviations, revision clouds, and addendum references. Note any abbreviation or symbol that is not defined in the legend.

F. Document Review and Scope Mapping Procedure

1. Review site, grading, utilities, access, property limits, and logistics. Mark boundaries, easements, and access constraints on the scope map.
2. Review architectural plans, elevations, sections, schedules, details, and finishes. Cross-reference each schedule against its corresponding plan and detail.
3. Review structural foundations, framing, connections, and special inspections. Note any special inspection requirement and its responsible party.
4. Review plumbing, electrical, HVAC, fire, low-voltage, and specialty documents where included. Confirm which MEP systems have complete design documents versus allowance-level information.
5. Review specifications for products, standards, submittals, testing, warranties, installation, and closeout. Cross-reference each specification section against the drawings it governs.
6. Identify work shown on drawings but omitted from the narrative. Record each instance on the scope map as shown-but-not-narrated.
7. Identify work specified but not clearly shown. Record each instance on the scope map as narrated-but-not-shown.
8. Identify work required for a complete installation but not assigned. Record each instance on the scope map as required-but-not-assigned.

G. Responsibility, Exclusion, and Allowance Procedure

1. Define owner, contractor, subcontractor, supplier, utility, municipal, and designer responsibilities. Record each on the responsibility list by scope item.
2. Identify demolition, protection, temporary work, permits, testing, inspections, cleanup, and closeout responsibilities. Assign each to a specific party on the responsibility list.
3. Identify owner-furnished, contractor-installed and owner-furnished, owner-installed items. Record each with its exact designation.
4. Identify allowances, alternates, unit prices, deferred selections, and provisional work. Record each on the exclusion and allowance list with its stated basis.
5. List explicit and proposed exclusions. Record explicit exclusions as stated in the documents and proposed exclusions identified during this review, kept in clearly separate columns.

H. Conflict Identification and Clarification Procedure

1. Compare dimensions, schedules, notes, sections, and details for inconsistencies. Record each conflict with the specific documents compared.
2. Flag missing dimensions, undefined assemblies, ambiguous products, incomplete schedules, and uncoordinated systems. Add each to the clarification log.
3. Identify site conditions requiring a visit, survey, test, investigation, or owner information. Add each to the clarification log with the required action.
4. Write each clarification with document reference, issue, estimating impact, and specific question. Use the fields defined in Section D.
5. Classify questions as RFI, owner, supplier, subcontractor, code, inspector, or internal assumption. Assign the classification field for every clarification log entry.
6. Assign priority based on cost, scope, safety, schedule, and risk. Rank clarifications so the highest-impact items are submitted first.
7. Submit questions before the required deadline and record responses. Enter the submission date and the response, or its absence, for every clarification log entry.
8. Convert unresolved items into approved assumptions, allowances, alternates, unit prices, exclusions, or contingency. Record the conversion decision and its basis for every clarification without a response by the question deadline.
9. Update the document register and scope map after every response. Reflect each resolved clarification in both records before proceeding.

I. Closeout — Pre-Takeoff Review Summary

1. Prepare the final pre-takeoff review summary and obtain approval to proceed. Confirm the document register, scope map, responsibility list, exclusion and allowance list, and clarification log are complete, and record the name and date of the person authorizing takeoff to begin.