PC Bidding and Estimating 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A bid depository system is primarily used to:
- Store completed project drawings
- Coordinate subcontractor bids to prevent bid shopping (Correct answer)
- Calculate final project costs
- Submit bids electronically to the owner
Correct answer: Coordinate subcontractor bids to prevent bid shopping
A bid depository system collects and holds subcontractor bids until a set time to prevent bid shopping and promote fair competition.
Question 2: When estimating conduit installations, which measurement unit is most commonly used for material takeoff?
- Square feet
- Linear feet (Correct answer)
- Cubic yards
- Board feet
Correct answer: Linear feet
Conduit is measured in linear feet during takeoff, as it is a linear product installed along defined pathways.
Question 3: A contractor wins a bid but discovers a significant math error after contract signing. Under most public bidding laws, the contractor:
- May withdraw without penalty if reported within 24 hours
- Must perform the work at the bid price or forfeit the bid bond (Correct answer)
- Can submit a change order to correct the error
- Is entitled to a contract price adjustment automatically
Correct answer: Must perform the work at the bid price or forfeit the bid bond
Under most public bidding laws, a contractor is bound to the submitted bid price; failure to perform results in forfeiture of the bid bond.
Question 4: What is the standard industry unit for pricing electrical panel installation labor?
- Per linear foot
- Per square foot of floor area
- Per circuit breaker or per panel unit (Correct answer)
- Per ton of equipment
Correct answer: Per circuit breaker or per panel unit
Electrical panel labor is typically priced per panel unit or per circuit breaker installed, reflecting the actual work content.
Question 5: Which document obligates a contractor to enter into a contract and provide performance and payment bonds if awarded the project?
- Performance bond
- Bid bond (Correct answer)
- Letter of intent
- Notice to proceed
Correct answer: Bid bond
A bid bond guarantees that the bidder will enter into the contract and furnish required bonds if their bid is accepted.
Question 6: In electrical estimating, 'pulling wire' labor hours are most accurately determined by:
- Total square footage of the building
- Wire gauge, conduit size, and run length (Correct answer)
- Number of electrical panels in the project
- The number of licensed electricians on the project
Correct answer: Wire gauge, conduit size, and run length
Wire pulling labor depends on wire gauge, conduit diameter, run length, and number of bends, all of which affect difficulty and time.
Question 7: What is a 'plug number' in electrical estimating?
- A budgetary allowance for undefined or incomplete scope (Correct answer)
- The amperage rating of a receptacle circuit
- A labor rate applied to plug-in equipment
- The number of outlets on a single circuit
Correct answer: A budgetary allowance for undefined or incomplete scope
A plug number is a budgetary allowance inserted into an estimate for scope that is not yet fully defined or designed.
PC Bidding and Estimating 3
A bid depository system is primarily used to: