Build a bid file index before the estimate review

Start from the documents in hand

Open the bid folder and list what is actually there, not what the invitation says should be there. Include the invitation, the drawing set, the specifications, every addendum, the bid form, the subcontractor quotes, and the pre-bid meeting notes. Note the file name and the date received beside each item.

A document that exists but cannot be located is the same as a missing document during a review. Sort the list by document type, then by revision. Keep the original issue and each later revision visible instead of deleting older files, because the reviewer may need to see what changed.

If a document arrived by email and never reached the shared folder, add it now and record the source. The index is a map of the real folder, not an aspirational checklist. Flag the gaps in a separate column.

A missing geotechnical report, an addendum referenced but not received, or a specification section that stops mid-division deserves a clear mark. The cost estimator service page describes the handoff pattern this index supports, and the bid folder access guide explains who should be allowed to change it. The AACE recommended practices call for a documented estimate basis, and this index is the first page of that basis.

Give every file one stable entry

Use one row per controlling file with columns for document type, title, revision, issue date, received date, and storage path. Add a short status such as current, superseded, or missing. Keep the row order stable so people can learn where to look.

A reviewer should be able to find the current mechanical specification in the same place on every bid. Name the person who confirmed each entry. A file name alone does not prove that the document is the issued version, and a date alone does not prove that it was read.

Initials and a confirmation date are enough for most bids. If an entry changes, add a new row or a dated note rather than overwriting the old one.

Tie the index to the estimate

Reference the index from the estimate summary so every major cost line can trace back to a document. A steel line should point to the structural drawings and the governing specification section. An allowance line should point to the owner instruction that created it.

That reference turns a review question from where did this number come from into which document supports it. Mark which documents were used for quantities and which were used only for scope. The distinction matters when a reviewer asks why a wall count includes a change that appears in an addendum.

Record the addendum number beside the affected takeoff rows. The index then becomes a bridge between the document set and the estimate, not a separate filing exercise. Keep the index on one page when the bid is small.

A large project may need a second page for quotes and alternates, but the first page should still show the controlling set. If the list grows past two pages, group it by division or package and keep the current status at the top. Length is less important than a consistent structure, and a consistent structure is what makes the index usable under deadline pressure.

Run the index check before review

Before the review meeting, compare the index against the folder one more time. Confirm that every current row has a file, every superseded row is marked, and every missing row has an owner and a due date. This check takes ten minutes and prevents the meeting from becoming a file hunt.

Assign it to the person who prepared the estimate, not the reviewer. Ask two questions of each entry. Is this the version the bid is priced from, and who confirmed it.

If either answer is unclear, mark the entry open and keep it visible in the review. A clean index with ten confirmed rows is more useful than a long index with no status. The goal is certainty about the controlling set, not completeness for its own sake.

Write the check result beside the review date, even when the result is clean. A short note such as index checked, no missing sheets is enough. If the check found a gap, describe the gap and the action taken before the review started.

That record shows the reviewer that the file set was tested rather than assumed. It also gives the next bid a concrete example of what a clean check looks like.

Keep the index after the bid

Save the final index with the submitted estimate and note the submission time. If the bid is awarded, the index becomes the starting point for the handoff to operations. If the bid is lost, it still explains what the team priced and which documents were available.

A later change order or claim can depend on that record, so keep the file with the estimate rather than in a personal folder. Add a short lesson at the bottom after the bid closes. Note which document caused the most confusion and what the team will change next time.

That note is more useful than a general review survey because it points to a specific file, revision, or missing receipt. Over several bids, the index becomes a reliable template rather than a one-time form.

Frequently Asked Questions