When a Request for Proposal (RFP) comes in, Tocci’s Planning + Cost Engineering team kicks into high gear.

Tammi Gott: RFPs are a collaborative effort by many departments, but the Planning + Cost Engineering (P+CE) team plays a critical role in delivering a winning proposal. P+CE evaluates the scope of the project and then prepares estimates and construction schedules.

Bidders are typically invited to a walk-through of the construction site with the owner and often subcontractors. During a site visit, our cost engineers hear the owner’s vision for the project and learn project-specific requirements.

A subcontractor walk-through is usually a bit more laid back. Our Tocci team can take photos and subs may point out information/conditions to factor into a bid. The information from these walk-throughs is continually referenced throughout the life of the project. In short, it’s a huge advantage to see the actual site and be able to visualize the final structure when compiling the budget. Here’s a short list developed by P+CE on the benefits of site walk-throughs.

Primary Benefits:

• Encourages collaboration and conversations with clients and architects that might not occur during a meeting in a conference room
• Validates the accuracy of the drawings and observes existing conditions
• Identifies the elements that are most important to the owners and/or subs
• Offers the opportunity to ask questions and removes the guesswork from the bidding process

Secondary Benefits:

• Learn who is the competition bidding on the project
• Road trip, fresh air, and time away from the desk
• When we’re lucky, Joe Ferolito buys lunch!