The Importance of Site Visit Before Quoting.
Steps to follow to make a successful site visit before bidding.
As a first step, it is necessary for bidders to carefully study all the documentation sent by the buyer in their bid.
The following figure summarizes some aspects that should be examined during the site visit.
The Importance of Site Visit Before Quoting in Construction Projects
The study of this documentation is critic and must be examined in its entirety before we arrange the visit to the future construction site.
From this study, a series of questions arise that must be resolved or raised during the site visit.
We should carry the site visits out with experienced personnel who can detect every detail that may affect the performance parameters of the personnel and the resources to be used during the execution of the work.
The buyer must issue a certificate stating that the bidder has made the site visit. This document must be attached to the bid.
Failure to submit this certificate will cause the bidder’s rejection offer.
Conditions to be reviewed during the visit
Site Access
How far will the project staff have to travel from the area where they are staying to the construction site?
Are the access roads passable and properly maintained?
Type of soil at the site
What are the characteristics of the soil at the construction site
Is it low or muddy and hard to drain, or is it high and dry?
How high is the water table, is the water level stable or variable?
The climatic condition of the site
To assess the impact of the climate factor on task performance, the following questions need to be answered:
What are the historical weather records of the site?
Does the period in which we execute the work coincide with the rainy, windy, or snowy season?
What are the climatic differences on the construction site compared to the areas where the bidder’s personnel usually work?
Height of the working level
We should review the height above ground level at which we will perform each job to determine, for example:
How much will the execution times increase because of the handling of materials, the movement of equipment and personnel to access the work plane?
Observe if we must add hours for scaffolding assembly.
Location of the work – The Importance of Site Visit Before Quoting
When the work is executed within a plant in operation, we must adjust the yields.
The reform or extension of a plant in operation implies entering and to work in the property of a plant in operation.
Therefore, each activity that is developed in the sector must be agreed with the client. This causes deviations in yields.
The yields to carry out a task are also linked to the characteristics of the plant in operation.
It is not the same to work inside an oil refinery that has sectors with a risk of fire or explosion, as to work in a low-risk chemical process plant.
When executing extensions or reforms in operating plants, the estimator must test:
The number and type of joints to be made between new and existing pipelines.
How time-consuming is coordinating activities with the client expected to be?
What delays may be caused by preparing daily work permits, etc?
Union’s Influence
Evaluate the historical behavior of the local union.
Find out, for example, how many people of the union’s labor pool or in the region are to be employed according to the union agreement.
Location of workshops
Observe which are the places foreseen for the location of workshop, materials, and equipment and how far they are from the site of carrying out of the work.
Other aspects to observe
Does the project have a very demanding construction schedule?
If yes, please ask if it is necessary to work at night.
Is the detail of the preliminary engineering to quote sufficient, or is it necessary to start a round of consultations?
Investigate whether subcontractors, experienced personnel, or assistants are available in towns near the worksite.
To accomplish all these tasks, it is essential to read carefully the specifications, or the documentation provided by the purchaser before making the site visit.
Check the following article on how to inquire about the purchaser in the pre-bidding process.
The Importance of Site Visit Before Quoting – Calculate Man Hours
