PREPARE YOUR QUOTE REQUEST
What can your current
drawings support?
Send the available project information and state the decision you need the estimate to support. The scope should match both the document detail and the estimate purpose.
| Document | Helps define | Does not establish by itself |
|---|---|---|
| PFDs | Process arrangement and early scope context | Detailed installed quantities |
| P&IDs and line lists | Systems, line identifiers, valves and instrument relationships | Complete dimensional pipe routing |
| Dimensioned layouts and isometrics | Piping routes and detailed component quantities where defined | Missing support or specification details |
| Equipment list and vendor scopes | Equipment tags and supplied package boundaries | All associated contractor installation work |
| Single-line diagrams and cable schedules | Electrical distribution and circuit requirements | All cable routing lengths without layouts |
| Specifications and bid instructions | Materials, execution requirements and package boundaries | Unverified existing conditions |
A preliminary budget is different from a detailed bid
Early information can support a scoped preliminary assessment, but that does not turn it into a fully measured installation estimate. Record assumptions and allowances, then identify which documents are needed to refine them.
Estimate class is not a universal accuracy guarantee
AACE's classification guidance connects estimate class with the maturity of key scope-defining deliverables. Class alone does not establish an estimate's quality or a fixed accuracy range. A claimed percentage should not replace a project-specific assessment of uncertainty and risk.
Include revisions and the bid deadline
List the current drawings and addenda and identify any documents due later. State whether your required date is for the estimating proposal, the takeoff or the final priced package. This avoids a delivery commitment based on a different interpretation of the request.
Clarify how pricing will be used
Tell the estimating team whether you need quantity-only support, a subcontract tender, an internal construction budget or a procurement comparison. Include location, trade boundaries, any client pricing format and the available execution constraints.
Ready to scope the assignment?
Share the current drawing folder and list the missing documents. You do not need to describe incomplete information as final; the proposal should explicitly address what can be estimated from the available set.
Primary references: AACE Guide to Cost Estimate Classification Systems and 18R-97 process-industry guidance. The applicable classification guidance depends on the project sector; 18R-97 is not a universal industrial-building standard.