Groundwork
B-0039 posts

How-To

Field and office procedures, written the way the work is actually done.

How-To

AIA G702/G703 Pay Applications, Explained

What the Application and Certificate for Payment actually requires, line by line, and where GCs typically get the schedule of values wrong.

2 min read

How-To

How to Write an RFI Owners Actually Answer

A vague RFI gets a vague answer, three weeks late. Here's how to write one that gets a usable answer the first time, without burning a cycle.

2 min read

How-To · Takeoff

The 12-Point Takeoff Accuracy Checklist

A 12-point pre-bid accuracy checklist: verify scale per sheet, enforce count-once, audit units, overlay revisions, reconcile exports, and find scope gaps.

5 min read

How-To · Takeoff

Assemblies: Why They Beat Raw Quantities

What an assembly is, the materials-plus-labor-plus-waste anatomy, a worked drywall partition example, organizing a library by CSI division, and arm-and-draw.

5 min read

How-To · Takeoff

The Electrical Count Takeoff Guide

How to run an accurate electrical count takeoff: read the symbol legend, count devices by type, measure home runs and conduit, and reconcile panel schedules.

5 min read

How-To · Takeoff

How to Do a Concrete Takeoff: Slabs, Footings, Rebar

A practical concrete takeoff method: slabs from SF to CY, footings by the linear foot, piers, rebar weight, waste and order rounding, with a worked example.

5 min read

How-To · Takeoff

The Takeoff-to-Excel Workflow, Done Right

What a bid-ready export contains, naming conventions estimators wish everyone used, batch exporting multi-sheet sets, and when CSV beats XLSX.

5 min read

How-To · Takeoff

The Addendum-Day Playbook: Revisions Without the Panic

An addendum three days before bid day need not blow up your estimate. Version discipline, sheet overlay comparison, clouding, and re-measuring only deltas.

5 min read

How-To · Takeoff

How to Do a Drywall Takeoff, Step by Step

A step-by-step drywall takeoff: measure wall runs, convert LF to SF, deduct openings honestly, then run board, stud, track, fastener, and mud math.

5 min read

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