What to send for a commercial electrical bid

Put the current documents in one packet

Send the drawing set, electrical specifications, available equipment schedules and relevant addenda. Include the project city, property type, bid due date and a contact who can answer scope questions. If a drawing has been revised, identify the current issue so the discussion starts from the same information.

• Current architectural and electrical drawings, with revision dates
• Electrical specifications, equipment submittals and available service information
• Addenda, requested alternates and known exclusions
• Bid deadline, proposed construction dates and the project contact

Identify what is changing in the space

A new tenant can bring different lighting, kitchen equipment, mechanical loads or workstation needs. List the equipment being added, moved or retained. Manufacturer information is more useful than a general appliance description when a connection must be planned.

For an existing building, share available panel schedules, prior electrical drawings and utility correspondence. Records help establish the starting point; site conditions still need review. Do not open electrical equipment or remove covers to gather photographs.

Explain how the building will stay in use

Describe occupied areas, business hours, deliveries and restrictions on access. Identify which equipment or services the project team needs considered during a shutdown. Work outside normal hours, temporary power and phased installation must be assessed and agreed for the particular job.

• Areas that remain occupied and the authorized access contact
• Known shutdown windows and tenant or landlord requirements
• Access to electrical rooms and proposed equipment routes
• Other trades working in the same ceilings, rooms or trenches

Ask what the electrical price includes

Compare proposals against the same drawings and requested work. Clarify equipment supply, installation, controls interfaces, testing, labeling, permits and utility coordination. Identify trenching, penetrations, firestopping and finish repairs separately where they involve other trades.

A design question, an equipment selection and a site condition are different kinds of open item. Record who will resolve each one and whether its answer may change price or scheduling. An estimate based on an assumption should make that assumption visible.

Keep utility work and procurement visible

Where the project changes electrical service or metering, identify the serving utility and share its existing correspondence. Use that utility’s current planning requirements; another property’s process or equipment approval should not be assumed. Confirm equipment availability before building the installation sequence around a delivery date.

For public works, include the bid requirements

Send the awarding agency, solicitation, qualification requirements, reporting requirements and due date with the drawings. Ai Builders Electric holds CSLB license #1033090 and DIR registration #1000060370. Request current documentation for the project; registration alone does not establish that every solicitation requirement has been met.

Official planning references

• SCE building, renovation and project planning
• LADWP service requirements and specifications
• California DIR contractor registration

These references help with planning. The property, proposed equipment, serving utility and contract determine the requirements for an individual project.