Estimating and Bidding Flashcards
7 cards from real CC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Estimating and Bidding flashcards as text
Which document would a contractor use to request clarification on ambiguous plans or specifications before submitting a bid?
Answer: Request for Information (RFI)
A Request for Information (RFI) is the formal process a contractor uses to ask the designer or owner for clarification on unclear or conflicting information in the bidding documents.
When estimating labor costs, which factor accounts for the fact that workers are not 100% productive every hour they are on site?
Answer: Labor efficiency or productivity factor
A labor efficiency or productivity factor adjusts estimated labor hours to account for time spent on breaks, setup, minor delays, and other non-productive activities during the workday.
What is 'bid peddling' in the construction industry?
Answer: A subcontractor lowering their price after the GC wins, to take work from competitors
Bid peddling is when a subcontractor, after learning the GC won the project using another sub's price, offers a lower price to take that work away from the original subcontractor.
Under prevailing wage laws (Davis-Bacon Act), which projects require contractors to pay workers prevailing wages?
Answer: Federally funded or assisted construction projects over $2,000
The Davis-Bacon Act requires payment of locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits on federal government construction projects and federally assisted construction contracts exceeding $2,000.
In construction estimating, 'labor burden' refers to:
Answer: Additional costs beyond base wages, such as taxes, insurance, and benefits
Labor burden includes all costs beyond the worker's base wage, such as payroll taxes (FICA, FUTA), workers' compensation insurance, health benefits, and retirement contributions.
A contractor who discovers a significant error in their bid after opening but before contract award should:
Answer: Immediately notify the owner in writing and request withdrawal or correction
When a contractor discovers a material error in their bid after opening, most jurisdictions allow withdrawal of the bid upon prompt written notice to the owner before the contract is executed.
Which estimating method calculates project costs based on a historical cost per square foot or unit from similar past projects?
Answer: Square-foot or parametric estimating
Square-foot or parametric estimating uses cost-per-unit data from completed similar projects to quickly estimate a new project's cost during early planning stages.