What should I read first in an electrical bid package?
Read the documents that set the rules before you count anything: the instructions to bidders and the bid form, then the addenda, then Division 0 and 1, then the Division 26 specs, and only then the drawings, starting with the legends, one-lines and schedules. Most expensive surprises are in the front-end documents and on other trades' sheets, not in the device counts.
A reading order that catches the expensive things first
1
Instructions to bidders and the bid form
Bid date and time, how to submit, bid security, and the alternates, unit prices and allowances you must fill in. Anything the form asks for that you can't price is an RFI.
2
Addenda
Read every addendum before the original documents, so you don't price a sheet that has been replaced. Keep a list of what each one changed.
3
Division 0 and 1
Bonds, insurance, wage requirements, liquidated damages, schedule and phasing, closeout and warranties. They apply to every line of the estimate.
4
Division 26 specs, then 27 and 28
Start with the general requirements section, then the product and execution sections. Note required products, approved manufacturers, testing, and who supplies what.
5
Drawing index, legends and general notes
Check the sheet list against what you received, and learn the symbols before you count them.
6
One-lines, panel schedules and equipment schedules
The distribution and the equipment carry the big-ticket items. Compare the mechanical equipment schedule with the electrical one.
7
Other trades' sheets
Site and civil, architectural reflected ceiling plans, mechanical and plumbing. Look for power, lighting and connections that never appear on the electrical sheets.
8
Then count
Only now start the takeoff, with a running list of questions, exclusions and RFIs beside you.
Questions estimators ask
Why read the specs before the drawings?
Because the specs decide what the drawings mean: which products, which wiring methods, who supplies the equipment, and what testing and closeout cost. A count made before reading them often has to be redone.
What do estimators miss most often?
Front-end terms in Division 0 and 1, mechanical equipment power and controls, site and utility work, and scope that sits only on another trade's drawings.
Can software read the package for me?
It can read it with you. Bidprobe reads the whole package, specs, drawings, bid form and addenda, and lists the scope gaps, conflicting documents, risky terms and RFIs worth sending, each tied to the sheet or spec section it came from. Most reviews come back in 5 to 15 minutes. You still read it and decide.
Let the review read it with you.
One free bid check on every new account, no card required. Most checks come back in 5 to 15 minutes.