Course outline
Reading the finish schedule, legend and finish plans
Flooring scope is defined by three documents that must agree: the room finish schedule (which finish goes in each room), the finish legend (what each code like CPT-1 or LVT-2 actually is), and the finish plans (where boundaries, patterns and transitions fall). Read them together before measuring anything, list every product code, and write down every conflict — a mismatch caught during bidding is a question; caught after award, it's an argument.
By Michael Reddy, IntelBid
After this lesson you can
- Read a room finish schedule and decode its flooring and base codes
- Cross-check the schedule, legend and finish plans for conflicts
- Turn conflicts into bidder questions or written assumptions
What are the three documents?
| Document | What it tells you | Where it usually is |
|---|---|---|
| Room finish schedule | Each room by number and name, with its floor, base, wall and ceiling finish codes and remarks | An interiors or architectural sheet, sometimes in the project manual |
| Finish legend (finish key) | What each code means: manufacturer, product, color, size, pattern, installation method | The same sheet as the schedule, or the first finish plan sheet |
| Finish plans | Floor plans showing finish codes, boundaries between materials, patterns, borders and transition locations | Interior finish plan sheets, with enlarged plans for toilets, lobbies and stairs |
The flooring takeoff guide explains why the schedule comes before the plan. This lesson is how to read it.
How to read a room finish schedule
| Room | Name | Floor | Base | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Lobby | PT-1 | — | See enlarged plan A-601 for border |
| 102 | Open office | CPT-1 | RB-1 | Quarter-turn installation |
| 103 | Break room | LVT-2 | RB-1 | |
| 104 | Toilet | PT-2 | PT-2 cove | Tile base, see detail 5/A-501 |
| 110 | Corridor | LVT-1 | RB-2 | LVT-1 in corridor, LVT-2 at break room |
A simplified example. Real schedules carry wall and ceiling columns too — read the floor, base and remarks columns first, then skim walls for anything that affects you, like wall tile that dies into your base.
- Floor and base codes point to the legend. Letters describe the material (CPT carpet, LVT luxury vinyl, PT porcelain tile, RB resilient base, SV sheet vinyl, RES resinous) and numbers separate products — but every architect uses their own abbreviations, so trust the legend, not habit.
- Remarks is where scope hides: patterns, borders, “see enlarged plan”, “by owner”, “existing to remain”, or a base that changes material.
- Blank cells and dashes need a decision: no base in a room with a finished floor is usually a mistake, not a gift.
What should you check across the three documents?
- List every product codeMake one list of every floor and base code in the schedule and every code in the legend. They should match exactly.
- Find codes that appear in only one placeA code in the schedule with no legend entry means you don't know what to price. A legend code used nowhere may belong to rooms missing from the schedule.
- Compare the schedule with the plans room by roomWalk the finish plans and confirm each room's tag matches the schedule. Plans often show a boundary or pattern the schedule never mentions.
- Check the enlarged plans and detailsBorders, inlays, stair nosings, thresholds and base details often live only on enlarged plans and detail sheets.
- Check the latest addendaAn addendum may reissue the finish plan but not the schedule, or the other way around. Make sure you're comparing the current version of each.
| Room | Floor | Base |
|---|---|---|
| 102 | CPT-1 | RB-1 |
| 103 | LVT-2 | RB-1 |
| 110 | LVT-1 | RB-2 |
- CPT-1 Carpet tile, 24 × 24 in, quarter-turn
- LVT-1 Luxury vinyl tile, corridors
- LVT-2 Luxury vinyl tile, break room
- RB-1 Rubber base, 4 in
Rooms you don't touch still matter
Rooms marked “existing to remain”, “by owner” or “not in contract” still affect you: they change where transitions fall, can mean protecting existing floors, and sometimes hide demolition that nobody assigned. Note them on your takeoff even though they carry no material.
What is a room finish schedule?
A table in the construction drawings that lists each room by number and name with the finish codes for its floor, base, walls and ceiling, plus remarks. The codes are defined in a separate finish legend.
What is the difference between the finish schedule and the finish legend?
The schedule says which finish code goes in each room; the legend says what each code is — manufacturer, product, color, size and installation. You need both to price a room.
What should I do when the finish schedule and floor plan disagree?
Ask a question through the GC before the bidder question deadline. If there isn't time, price the option you believe is intended and state that assumption in your proposal's qualifications.
Key points
- Schedule says where, legend says what, plans say how it's laid out — they must agree.
- List every code in both the schedule and the legend and reconcile them.
- Every conflict becomes a bidder question or a written assumption.
Documents on the bid
Drawings and specs from the invitation are filed on the bid in IntelBid, so the finish schedule and the latest addenda are in one place for whoever is estimating. File specification sections with a SPEC_ prefix and Auto Draft reads them alongside your takeoff when it builds the proposal.
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.