Course outline
Module 11 · Capstone: bid the Amazon Distribution job 4 min
Capstone part 1: read the Amazon Distribution package
The capstone bids one real package end to end: a distribution center office area in St. Louis with three concrete floor finishes — polished concrete, sealed concrete and an epoxy coating. In part 1 you download the drawings, takeoff and specs, inventory every finish, find where each is specified, list the requirements that carry cost or risk, and write your bidder questions. An answer key follows so you can check your work.
By Michael Reddy, IntelBid
After this lesson you can
- Inventory the finishes, quantities and specification sections in a real package
- Spot the requirements that carry cost, schedule or qualification risk
- Write bidder questions for missing or unclear scope
The job
| Project | SAMPLE — Amazon Distribution (office and support areas) |
| Location | 5300 N Hanley Rd, St. Louis, MO |
| Type | New construction, open shop |
| Invited by | Summit Construction Group and Keystone Builders (sample GCs) |
| Your trade | Concrete floor finishes and fluid-applied flooring |
This is a practice project
The drawings and specifications are adapted for training, and the GCs are fictional. Treat them exactly like a real bid anyway — that's the point.
Download the package
- Quantity takeoff with finish plans (PDF) — the colored finish plan, the scope-of-work table and the finish schedule.
- A second takeoff format (PDF) — the same quantities presented differently, as another estimator might hand them to you.
- Specification: fluid-applied flooring, EPX-01 (PDF)
- Specification: interior concrete polishing, PC-01 (PDF)
Your tasks
- Inventory the finishesFrom the scope-of-work table and finish plan, list every floor finish code with its area and perimeter. Uses reading the finish schedule.
- Match each finish to its specificationFind the section that governs each code — and notice where each one lives in the project manual. Uses bid packages.
- List cost and risk requirementsRead Parts 1–3 of each spec and write down anything that costs money, affects schedule, or could disqualify you. Uses reading flooring specifications.
- Write your bidder questionsAnything missing, unclear or contradictory becomes a question for the GC before the question deadline.
- Make the bid decisionScore the job with the bid-or-no-bid worksheet. Be honest about the qualification requirements.
Check your work: scope inventory
| Code | Finish | Area | Perimeter | Specified in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC-01 | Polished concrete — lithium-silicate densifier, protective treatment, burnished | 10,861 SF | 1,035 LF | Section 03 3565 — in Division 03, not 09 |
| SC-01 | Sealed concrete | 3,692 SF | 662 LF | No specification section in the package |
| EPX-01 | Epoxy floor coating with slip-resistant aggregate | 533 SF | 230 LF | Section 09 6700 — Fluid-Applied Flooring |
Two traps in the inventory
Polished concrete is specified in Division 03 (Concrete), so an estimator who only reads Division 09 misses its gloss, mockup and qualification requirements entirely. And SC-01 has no spec section at all — only a finish-key line — which is exactly the kind of gap that needs a bidder question, not a guess.
Check your work: cost and risk requirements
| Requirement | Where | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Gloss performance: SOGV 40 and MLGV 25 at 60°, at least 3 readings per area bounded by column lines | 03 3565 | A measurable standard you must hit — more polishing passes if you miss |
| On-site mockup of about 50 SF, polished at least 30 days after the pour | 03 3565 | Extra mobilization, and a schedule dependency on the concrete pour |
| Applicator: manufacturer's letter plus 5 similar projects completed in the last year | 03 3565 | Qualification risk — you may not be eligible without it |
| Pre-installation meeting; HEPA dust extraction; slab protection until possession | 03 3565 | Meeting time, equipment, and protection costs that can run long after you finish |
| Temporary heat to at least 50°F; work only between 40°F and 95°F | 03 3565 | Winter work depends on the GC providing heat |
| Epoxy: moisture and alkalinity testing before coating | 09 6700 | Testing cost, and a mitigation risk if results exceed limits |
| Beginning installation means you accept the substrate | 09 6700 | Inspect and give written notice of problems before you start |
| Slip aggregate: 23 mils at the scrubber dump, 12 mils elsewhere | 09 6700 | Two build-ups to price, not one |
| Three 4 × 6 inch samples; applicator with 5 years' experience; two-year warranty against delamination | 09 6700 | Submittal cost, qualification check, warranty exposure |
| Materials stored 48 hours before installation; temperature held 48 hours before through 72 hours after; no traffic for 48 hours | 09 6700 | Schedule time and a conditioned-space dependency |
Check your work: bidder questions
- SC-01 has no specification section. Please confirm the sealer product, number of coats, and whether a slip-resistant additive is required in wet rooms.
- Is polished concrete (Section 03 3565) part of the flooring package, or carried by the concrete contractor?
- The finish key also lists PC-01 at the security entry and break room — please confirm those areas are included in the 10,861 SF.
- Who provides slab protection between completion of polishing and the tenant's possession?
- Who performs moisture and alkalinity testing for EPX-01, and what limits apply if results are high?
- Please confirm the location and extent of the 23-mil slip-resistant area at the scrubber dump.
Key points
- Read every division that names your finishes — polished concrete lives in Division 03.
- A finish with no specification is a question, not an assumption.
- Performance, mockup, qualification and protection requirements all carry cost.
In IntelBid · Sample project → Bid Docs
The same package is in your sample project
Every IntelBid trial starts with this exact job loaded as a sample project: the same takeoff and both specification PDFs are already in Bid Docs, with Summit Construction Group and Keystone Builders attached as the two GCs. The sample GCs use reserved example addresses, so nothing you send from it ever reaches a real inbox.
Try it in IntelBidA 5-minute guided tour on a sample project — nothing touches real data. New to IntelBid? You'll start a free trial first.
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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.