Start the bid document receipt log before the takeoff

Why receipt timing belongs in the estimate file

A bid package often arrives in pieces: drawings, specifications, addenda, the bid form, and owner supplements. If the team records only the final folder, a later reviewer cannot tell whether the first quantity pass used a complete set or an early issue. The receipt log gives that history a fixed place.

It records when the package was received, who sent it, the package label, and the documents present at that moment. The log does not prove completeness; it makes the starting condition visible.

What the log should capture

Use one row for each package receipt and a linked row for each missing item. Capture the receipt time, source channel, package version, drawing sheet count, specification volume, addendum list, bid form, and the name of the person who checked the contents. Separate missing documents from unreadable files and superseded versions.

A missing geotechnical report affects the estimate differently from a drawing that arrived at the wrong scale. The review path should compare the receipt with the expected package, not with memory. The routine is easier to hand off through bid coordinator support.

How to handle partial and reissued packages

When a package arrives in stages, keep the original receipt and add a second receipt for the later material. Do not overwrite the first timestamp. The takeoff may start on the available scope, but each quantity should show which package version supported it.

A reissued package needs a reason code, a changed-sheet list, and a disposition for prior takeoff work. The estimator marks quantities as retained, revised, or held.

That history lets a second reviewer see the path without rebuilding the entire file. The evidence path is described in the bid package coverage map.

Review routine and handoff

At the daily review, compare new receipts with the missing-item list and the takeoff start record. Ask three questions: what arrived, what remains missing, and which takeoff activity is waiting. The answers belong in the log, not in a chat thread.

At bid close, the reviewer samples the first receipt, the latest receipt, and one reissued document. The sample should show a timestamp, an owner, a version, and a decision.

A disciplined estimate review still depends on project evidence, not on the template alone. For a broader review frame, use the AACE recommended practices.

Source notes

External reference: AACE International recommended practices. Background sources: GAO cost estimating guide and Census construction spending program.

Frequently Asked Questions