Course outline
Bid packages, plan rooms and addenda: what arrives with an invitation
A commercial invitation to bid points you to a bid package: the drawings, the project manual (specifications), the GC's bid form or scope sheet, and any addenda. You usually get it from a plan room such as PlanHub, BuildingConnected or Procore, or from the GC's own file share. The flooring scope lives mostly in the finish plans, the finish schedule and Division 09 of the specifications.
By Michael Reddy, IntelBid
After this lesson you can
- List what a complete bid package should contain
- Find the flooring scope in the drawings and specifications quickly
- Handle addenda and pre-bid questions without missing a change
What's in a bid package?
| Document | What it tells a flooring sub |
|---|---|
| Invitation to bid | Project name and location, bid due date and time, how to submit, pre-bid meeting details and the GC contact. |
| Drawings | Floor and finish plans, enlarged plans, details for transitions, stairs and base, and demolition plans on renovation work. |
| Finish schedule and legend | Which product goes in which room. The single most important sheet for flooring, often on the finish plans or an interiors sheet. |
| Project manual (specifications) | Products, installation requirements, testing, warranties, submittals and attic stock. Flooring lives mostly in Division 09. |
| Bid form or scope sheet | How the GC wants your number broken out — base bid, alternates, unit prices — and sometimes a scope checklist to confirm. |
| Addenda | Changes issued during bidding. Each one can add, remove or change scope. |
| General and supplementary conditions | Contract terms that flow down to you: insurance, retainage, payment, schedule and cleanup. Skim them before you price. |
Where does flooring live in the specifications?
Specifications are organized by CSI MasterFormat divisions, and flooring is almost entirely in Division 09 — Finishes. Sections you'll often see:
| Section | Usually covers |
|---|---|
| 09 05 61 | Common work results for flooring — often moisture testing and substrate preparation. Read it first; slab responsibility hides here. |
| 09 30 00 | Tiling (ceramic and porcelain) |
| 09 65 13 | Resilient base and accessories (rubber base, transition strips) |
| 09 65 16 | Resilient sheet flooring |
| 09 65 19 | Resilient tile flooring (VCT, LVT) |
| 09 67 00 | Fluid-applied flooring (epoxy and resinous systems) |
| 09 68 13 | Tile carpeting (carpet tile) |
| 09 68 16 | Sheet carpeting (broadloom) |
Plan rooms and bid platforms
Most commercial invitations now arrive through a platform rather than an email with attachments. PlanHub, BuildingConnected and Procore host the documents: the GC invites you, and you view or download from their site. Some GCs still share files through their own links.
- Download the full set, not just the flooring sheets. A note on a demolition plan, a detail on an architectural sheet or a line in Division 01 can change your scope.
- Expect relayed emails. Platform invitations often come from a no-reply relay address rather than the GC's estimator, which breaks inbox rules — the invitation management guide explains why.
- Check for updated files before you submit. Platforms add addenda to the same project page, so your first download can be out of date by bid day.
Addenda: the change you didn't see
An addendum is a formal change to the bid documents issued during bidding: a product substitution, a revised finish plan, a moved bid date, an answer to a bidder's question. Addenda are numbered, and most bid forms ask you to acknowledge each one.
- Track every addendum numberKeep a running list per project. If the GC's bid form mentions Addendum 3 and you only have 1 and 2, stop and find 3.
- Read each one for flooring impactMany addenda don't touch your scope. Some quietly swap a carpet tile, add rooms, or move moisture mitigation onto the flooring contractor.
- Re-price before the deadlineAn addendum issued the day before bids are due still binds everyone. Update the takeoff, not just the total.
- Acknowledge them in your proposalList the addenda your price includes by number. If one arrives after you submit, send a revised proposal or a written note that your price excludes it.
Pre-bid meetings and bidder questions
Many projects hold a pre-bid meeting or site walk and set a deadline for bidder questions. Questions go through the GC to the architect, and answers come back as an addendum so every bidder gets the same information.
Ask early and in writing. If the finish schedule and legend disagree, or the specs put moisture remediation on you with no slab data, a question gets an official answer. If there's no time for one, write your assumption into your qualifications — Module 7 covers how.
What is a plan room in construction?
A plan room is where bid documents are hosted for bidders to view and download. Today it usually means an online platform such as PlanHub, BuildingConnected or Procore, or a GC's own file-sharing site. Physical plan rooms still exist but are rare.
Do I have to acknowledge addenda on a subcontractor proposal?
GCs usually expect it and many bid forms require it. Listing the addenda your price includes, by number, also protects you if a later addendum changes the scope.
Where do I find flooring in the specifications?
Mostly in Division 09 — Finishes, in sections for resilient flooring, carpet, tile, fluid-applied flooring and flooring preparation. Also check Division 01 for general requirements and Division 03 for slab moisture and flatness.
Key points
- The finish schedule and Division 09 define most of your scope — but read Divisions 01 and 03 too.
- Search the specs by keyword; section numbers vary by project.
- Track addenda by number, re-price for each one, and list them on your proposal.
The whole bid package on the bid
IntelBid files invitation attachments on the bid automatically and keeps the plan-room link with it. Later emails in the same thread, like addendum notices, land on the same bid instead of getting lost in the inbox.
Start your free trialEvery trial starts with a sample project loaded, so you can try this before connecting anything.
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About the author. Michael Reddy builds IntelBid, bid management software for commercial flooring subcontractors. These lessons come from the bid desk: how the work is priced, won and paid for.