What to send your estimator: the tender documents checklist

01The short answer

Send the complete tender package exactly as you received it, and answer three questions:

1. When does the tender close?
2. Which scope is yours? Hydraulics only, or also stormwater, civil drainage, gas, fire hydrants or fixtures supply?
3. Who supplies the fixtures and tapware? You, the builder, or PC items?

Everything below is what is inside a good package, and why each part matters to the price.

02Drawings

• Hydraulic drawings: every sheet, including details, schematics and schedules. Riser diagrams and plant schedules often hold items the plans do not.
• Architectural drawings: plans, sections, reflected ceiling plans and wet area elevations. They confirm fixture locations, ceiling voids and finishes, and they often show fixtures the hydraulic drawings leave out.
• Structural drawings: slab thicknesses, transfer levels and beams. They decide core hole sizes, penetration details and how pipes are supported.
• Civil and stormwater drawings if any drainage outside the building is in your package.
• Fire services and mechanical drawings where they connect to your work: hydrant and sprinkler supplies, condensate drains, tundishes.
• The drawing register, so every sheet and revision priced can be checked.

03Specification and contract documents

• The hydraulic specification. It sets pipe classes, testing, insulation, warranties and handover documents.
• The preliminaries and contract conditions: working hours, staging, liquidated damages, defects period.
• The tender form, schedule of rates or bill of quantities you must fill in, so the estimate comes back in that shape.
• All addenda and RFI responses issued so far, and any that arrive before close.

04Site information

• The geotechnical report. Rock and groundwater change excavation cost more than anything else below ground.
• Existing services information and surveys, especially on refurbishments and tight urban sites.
• Demolition or condition surveys on refurbishment work, and site photos where you have them.
• Anything about access: loading zones, crane availability, working-hour limits, occupied buildings.

05Your commercial settings

• The scope split between you, the builder and other trades, if the tender documents leave it open.
• Your supplier pricing. If you have trade pricing with a supplier, tell us and we can price materials at your rates.
• How your crews work: typical crew size, and any work you always subcontract, such as excavation or core drilling.
• The output you need: a lump sum, a schedule of rates, a full bill of quantities, or the builder's own form.

Your margin and risk allowance stay with you. We give you the cost, built up line by line, and you set the price.

06What can wait

You do not need everything on day one. If a document is missing, we price on stated assumptions and list them in the estimate, so you can see exactly what would change when the document arrives.

If the design is still early, with architectural drawings but no hydraulic design yet, you need a budget price, not a tender estimate. It is faster, cheaper, and honest about its accuracy.

07How to send it

• PDF, DWG or Revit are all fine.
• A download link (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or a tender portal invite) works better than large attachments.
• Email it to estimating@snzplumbingestimating.com.au or use the request form.

We come back within a few hours with a fixed fee and a turnaround, before any work starts. Your drawings are kept confidential and used only for your estimate.

08Related reading

• Outsourcing your plumbing estimating: how it works and when it pays
• How to check a hydraulic estimate before the tender closes
• Budget pricing for early-stage designs
• Hydraulic estimating service: how we work
• Request an estimate