b'Clarifying Bids&Proposals By Doug Richardson The bidcrickets. T told me to su incompatible materials heybmittogether, On anew constructionaorder for the cost andwrongslopes,wrongdetails, recentchange project for the Department oftheywouldpresentittothespecifications from one or more the ly-aNavy,Ibidafu IdheredDepartment of the Navy.systemstogether,conflicting E.P.D.M.with polyisocya statements from plans and speci-system n insulationwithtaperedThe answerfications, and bad roofing prac-urate crickets. As usual, I was scram We were informed by the gen- tices. bling to get the bid out on timeeralcontractorthattheNavyLike it or not,are specifiers. we and bid it based upon the archi rejectedourchangeorderWe must interpret documents and la contract tectural p ns only.because we had signed atry andmake sense of what the Thearchitecturalroofplanstating that we accepted all theowners really want. stated specificallythe cricketsdrawingsandspecifications.We must protect ourselves at that were to be sloped 1/2 inch perUpon review and calcu ofall times from the lack-lationsof knowlfoot, 8out from the parapetthe structuralplan,showededgeofroofingfromother feetroofit walls. I received the contract foragreater than 1 per inchgroups. slope/4 the project and proceeded ahead.per foot.This is aI learned the lesson MyoriginalproposalstatedEven though the archite hard way and will not repeat. Be ctural that I had bid the project accord roofsh stated thatsuretoalways planowed and ing to plans and specifications.the crickets be sloped 1/2 inchclarify what you The contract I received from theperfoot they turnedus down,aredoing ona general contractor tied me into allstating that we had all the docu- projectand drawings and specifications formentstocatchthismis don\'tassume take signed the job. Ithe contract andahead of time and should have{that owners, gen-proceeded with subidthejobaccordingly.OfIeral contractors, archi-bmittals. course,ifwe hadthe\\eels or other trades know whbidat Job startjob correctly,wewould ,1ou aredoing. Be specific in the Before starting the project thehave priced ourselves out\\ \'material you are using and general contractor wanted us toof the contract. This was a\'/howyouareinstalling embe inspectthemetalroofdecktocostly mistake or inter- ____th andcareful when make sure everything was readypretation onpart.JI=yousignatract myconfor us to start the roofing work.9athatsimplystates Uponinspection, I noticed thatThe solution~:::i .,.;;\\!~l!!i"""~~~~ you bid atal spec-totherean extreme amount ofFrom that moment on weilication (i.e. 07535, was slope in the root deck.now review our bids and con- 07600 etc ) After doingsomefield mea tractsmuchmore closely.WeII thissaves one contrac-story surements I discovered that thenow include aof our pro- tor from mak the same mistake copying roof slope was at least 1/2 inchposal with ascope ofI did, then it was worth the paper complete perot or greater. Therefore 1/2workandwhatisexactlyand ink. loinchper foot crickets werenotincluded, excluded and installed.Doug Richardson, Sun Com-going to work.needed to useWe willamercial Roofs, Inc., Dallas, is an Wenot signcontract unless inch 3/4-to-1per foot crickets toour proposal is accepted as anestimatingspecialistandan get the water off the roof.attachment and made atrac- MRCABoardDirector.MRCA conIto the general contrac tual part of the contr welcomes articles aboutexpe-statedact.the tor that I had bid the job with 1/2As many of you know, when weriencesof roofingcontractors, inch per loot crickets, as the roofbid construction projects, manyincluding successes and lessons plan showed, and that there wastimes thespecificationlearned. plans and an additional charge for the biggerare wrong. They may encounter 9'