Many contractors face difficulties when it comes to construction paperwork. Numerous reports, and permits together with other certificates and documents required for hassle-free construction operations make top managers of the building companies crazy. Nevertheless, most documentation is quite transparent and free from ever-changing standards if you have an idea about its peculiarities.
That is why it is recommended to find out more about all the necessary construction documents even if you count on contractor quoting software only. While having helpful insights, you can correct any scenario and prevent risky situations due to the immediate reactions. For example, a missed permit can be replaced with a new document timely if the general contractor understands where the paperwork gap takes place.
The Main Construction Paperwork Challenges
There are various types of construction documentation. It can start with the invitation-to-tender letter and finish with preliminaries or other contract items. Each paperwork stage has its own peculiarities to take into consideration. It goes without saying that most specific moments are compensated with the help of modern construction bidding software. It means that there are many templates for reports, official letters, bid invites, and other forms of tender procedures.
This way contractors can count on error-free paperwork and sped-up documentation flows. Additionally, all the specialists in the team understand what type of document is required for this or other construction phases. Nevertheless, diving into the paperwork routines and official documentation is a must if you would like to be a competent contractor.
1 – Invitation to Tender Letter
This is the document that is sent to the contractor to inform him/her about the invitation to the tender. While you are invited to the tendering process of the project, it is necessary to provide timely feedback. But first read all the details presented in the letter. Usually, the potential client can specify some interesting details you should know from the very beginning. Additionally, pay attention to the customer’s contacts. Any queries should be raised and solved in paper form. Be ready for the official letters sent and received.
Note that some tenders obtain alternative proposals. For example, the top-priority participants of the tendering process are ones who can offer some alternative design solutions or the architect’s visualization map from scratch).
2 – Instructions to the Tender Document
This is one of the most common pre-contract amendments. These are introductory conditions that should be taken into account by the tender’s parties. This way the contractor can get some additional questionnaires to provide additional information about the company, the team of specialists, possible loads, pricing, etc.
The scoring mechanism can also be discussed in the pre-contract stage. The instructions to the tender document can contain also the following data entries essential for fruitful cooperation:
- Schedules of the site visits;
- Specific services for subcontracting in the context of the project;
- Other details for tender query submission.
3 – Post-Tender Interview Documents
These are some kinds of diaries that cover all the procedures, tendering process steps, issues, and other moments presented from the beginning of the tender and up to its end. In most cases, this is the way to monitor how the instructions were followed by the participants and potential executors of the construction tasks. The tip for result-driven contractors is to note that the split between specified pricing and quality of bid should be absolutely confirmed.
This way the post-tender interview documents can contain such data entries as scoring criteria according to the specification of the project, percentage of broken down and other issues, the quality sections with results, and other subsections with the performances.
It is worth noting that various forms of the construction contract can identify the project information and all the paperwork itself differently. Remember that each tendering process is unique as well. Pay attention to the details and use only high-quality modern bidding and estimating software to simplify your work and reduce the risks of errors.
