Steel Bid Day Checklist: The Last 48 Hours
A steel bid should be done 24 hours before it's due, with the last day saved for addenda, scope and price checks. At T-48 hours, the takeoff is finished and priced. At T-24, every addendum is logged and the scope letter is written. At T-2, you're only confirming the number, the exclusions and the delivery method. Everything after that is just risk.
Most bid-day advice is written for general contractors receiving bids. This one is written from the steel sub's side of the table, where the GC wants your number by 2pm so they can carry it by 3, the last addendum dropped yesterday at 4:45, and your estimator is still counting embeds. Use the timed checklist below, and print the condensed version at the end.
What has to be done 48 hours before a steel bid?
Think of T-48 as "pencils down on quantity." By this point:
The takeoff is complete. Every sheet reviewed, not just the S-sheets. Lintels on architectural elevations, embeds in concrete details, stair and rail scope, misc items in the general notes. If you're still finding steel at T-24, you'll be finding it at T-2 too.
Quantities are extended and priced. Weight by section, tonnage totals, material priced against a current quote, labor applied, coatings and freight in. You should be able to say the number out loud, even if it's going to move.
You've checked the takeoff against itself. A few quick sanity checks catch most big misses:
- Tonnage per square foot of floor area against similar past jobs. If a 3-story office is coming in at half your usual pounds per square foot, look again.
- Piece count by section on the typical floor times the number of floors, against your total.
- Columns: count on the plan against the column schedule.
- Any section that shows up once on the whole job. Typo, or a real one-off?
Open questions are written down. Anything you assumed goes on a list. That list becomes your clarifications and exclusions.
Bid documents are pulled. Bid form, required bonds, insurance requirements, the GC's subcontract form if they sent it, and their bid instructions. Read the instructions now. Some GCs want a breakdown by building or by phase, alternates priced separately, or a specific form filled out. Finding that out at 1:30pm is how bids get rejected.
If your takeoff is the thing that usually runs late, that's the step to speed up. Upload the set to SteelFlo and every steel callout on every sheet gets boxed and counted, so day one goes to review, not counting. The first 3 takeoffs are free.
T-24 hours: addenda, RFIs and the scope letter
The day before the bid is for the paperwork that protects the number.
Log every addendum. Number, date, sheets affected, what changed. Then check each one against your takeoff. An addendum that reissues 6 structural sheets needs a sheet-by-sheet comparison, not a skim of the narrative. Clouded revisions are helpful, but architects don't always cloud everything. Our guide to handling drawing revisions in steel estimating covers how to compare sets quickly.
Close or document RFIs. If you asked a question and got no answer, your assumption goes in the scope letter. Don't leave it open.
Write the scope letter. This is the most important document you'll send after the number. At minimum it says:
| Section | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Documents | Drawing list with revision dates, spec sections, and every addendum by number |
| Inclusions | What you're furnishing, fabricating and erecting, by spec section |
| Exclusions | What you're not doing, stated plainly |
| Clarifications | Assumptions you made where the documents were unclear |
| Alternates | Each alternate priced separately |
| Pricing basis | How long the price is good for, and any escalation terms |
| Schedule | Lead times for shop drawings, material and fabrication |
Our steel bid scope letter guide has a full template. The common exclusions for a steel package are worth reviewing every time: field touch-up painting, fireproofing, metal deck (if it's not yours), concrete fill, anchor bolt setting, survey and layout, permits, bonds if not required, and premium time.
Check what counts as structural steel. AISC 303, the Code of Standard Practice, defines what's normally included in structural steel and what isn't. Many contracts adopt it by reference. If the specs or the GC's form say otherwise, it goes in the scope letter.
Confirm material pricing. Call your service center or mill rep for a current price and an honest lead time. Write down who you talked to and when the price expires.
T-2 hours: final numbers, escalation and exclusions
By two hours out, you shouldn't be changing quantities. You should be confirming the number and the terms.
Final number review. Walk through the summary with a second set of eyes: material, shop labor, coatings, freight, erection, equipment, engineering and shop drawings, bonds, overhead, profit. Check that alternates aren't double-counted in the base bid.
Escalation. Steel prices move. The BLS producer price index for steel mill products was 381.2 in August 2026 (1982 = 100), and the AGC reported steel mill product prices up 16.9 percent year over year in its June 2026 data. Check the current figures before you bid. If the job won't release material for months, protect yourself: either carry an escalation allowance, limit how long your price holds, or attach an escalation clause tied to a published index. Our post on steel price escalation clauses has sample language and how to tie it to the PPI.
Exclusions, one more time. Read your scope letter against the bid form. If the GC's form says "all Division 05" and you're only bidding 05 12 00 and 05 50 00, that has to be explicit.
Delivery. Confirm how the GC wants the bid (email, portal, fax still exists) and who it goes to. Send it early, then call to confirm it arrived. Keep the sent email.
What if an addendum lands on bid day?
It happens on a lot of jobs. You have three options, and which one you pick depends on what changed.
Option 1: Price it fully. If the addendum is small (a few revised details, a schedule change, one sheet) and you've got hours, re-take off the affected sheets and adjust. This is the best outcome, and it's only possible if your takeoff is organized by sheet so you know what to remove and what to add.
Option 2: Price it with a clarification. If the change is real but you can't fully quantify it in time, carry an allowance and state it: "Addendum 4 received at 11:20am on bid day. Pricing includes an allowance of $X for revised framing on S-201 and S-202, to be adjusted upon review." The GC can carry that.
Option 3: Exclude it and say so. If an addendum reissues half the structural set two hours before the bid, sometimes the honest answer is "Bid is based on documents through Addendum 3. Addendum 4 not reviewed." That's not ideal, but it's better than guessing.
What makes option 1 possible is speed on the re-takeoff. If a revised set drops the morning of the bid, you can re-run the PDF in SteelFlo and compare the counts by section against your original takeoff. Every changed count points back to boxes on specific sheets, so you know where to look. That's minutes of comparing instead of hours of re-counting.
Some habits that make bid-day addenda survivable:
- Keep your takeoff by sheet, so a reissued sheet can be swapped out cleanly.
- Ask the GC early if more addenda are expected. They often know.
- Have the scope letter template ready with an "addenda received" line you can update in seconds.
For broader workflow habits, see how to organize steel bids and how to speed up steel bidding.
Printable steel bid-day checklist
Copy this into your bid folder. Check every box.
T-48 hours
- Takeoff complete on every sheet (S, A, and any others with steel)
- Lintels, embeds, stairs, rails and misc items captured
- Quantities extended, material and labor priced
- Sanity checks done (lb/sq ft, typical floor × floors, column schedule)
- Assumptions list started
- Bid form, bond and insurance requirements, GC instructions read
T-24 hours
- Every addendum logged and checked against the takeoff
- RFIs closed or assumptions documented
- Scope letter written: documents, inclusions, exclusions, clarifications, alternates
- Scope checked against AISC 303 and the specs
- Current material price and lead time confirmed (name and date noted)
T-2 hours
- Number reviewed by a second person
- Alternates separated from base bid
- Escalation handled (allowance, price hold period, or clause)
- Exclusions match the bid form
- Bid sent, receipt confirmed, sent copy saved
For the full pre-bid process before these 48 hours, the steel estimating checklist covers everything from receiving the invitation to bid.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should a steel takeoff be finished before a bid?
Aim to finish the takeoff and pricing at least 48 hours before the bid is due. That leaves a full day for addenda, the scope letter and a price review. If the takeoff is still running the day before, everything else gets squeezed.
What should a steel bid scope letter include?
It should list the documents and addenda you bid from, your inclusions, exclusions and clarifications, alternates priced separately, how long your price holds, and lead times. Reference the AISC Code of Standard Practice where your scope follows it.
How do I handle an addendum that arrives on bid day?
Price it fully if it's small and you have time, carry a stated allowance if you can't fully quantify it, or exclude it in writing if it's too big to review. Always state in the scope letter which addenda your bid includes.
Should I include escalation in a steel bid?
If material won't be bought for months, yes, in some form. You can carry an allowance, limit how long your price holds, or attach an escalation clause tied to a published price index. Check current steel price trends before you decide.
How can I speed up the takeoff before bid day?
Use software that finds and counts the steel on the drawings so your time goes to review and pricing. With SteelFlo's takeoff software, you upload the PDF set and review boxed callouts on every sheet, and a revised set can be re-run and compared by section.
Bottom line
Bid day goes wrong when quantity work leaks into the last 24 hours. Finish the takeoff early, spend the last day on addenda and scope, and keep the final two hours for checking the number. If counting is what usually pushes you late, try one bid with the takeoff done in SteelFlo and see how much of the scramble goes away.