State bid reference · CA

California: sitework estimating — bid and specification guide

California sitework packages need a controlled register of Caltrans standards where adopted, project special provisions and construction-stormwater documents. For a private project, the city or county approved grading and drainage drawings remain essential; Caltrans references are not a substitute for that local review.

Sitework Estimate provides remote, plan-based quantity takeoff support. This page does not establish a local office, completed local project, engineering approval or permit coverage.

Bid decisions to resolve before pricing

1. Freeze the applicable standards set

Source context: Caltrans maintains specification publications, standard plans and contract item codes, including implementation information for new standards. Read the agency resource.

Estimating application: Put the contract standards edition, standard-plan revisions and special provisions on the takeoff cover sheet. When comparing an addendum, check both geometry and changed bid-item descriptions.

Clarification to request: Is the bid using the adopted standards set or a newer publication that is not yet incorporated?

2. Measure stormwater work from the project documents

Source context: The State Water Board maintains a dedicated construction-stormwater program with permit documents and compliance resources. Read the agency resource.

Estimating application: Obtain the project SWPPP and approved erosion-control stages. Identify installed BMP quantities, replacement, sampling or treatment responsibilities and final stabilization without assigning a risk level from the county name.

Clarification to request: Which project documents establish the applicable stormwater scope and responsible parties?

3. Avoid treating grading design as a quantity assumption

Source context: Caltrans standard plans and specifications are published as separate but related contract resources. Read the agency resource.

Estimating application: Trace slope benches, keys, drains and pavement layers to the actual detail and geotechnical recommendation. If a detail is absent, issue a clarification instead of applying a generic California hillside or seismic allowance.

Clarification to request: Are the grading limits, geotechnical recommendations and detail revisions coordinated?

An addendum changes a pavement standard detail

Illustrative revision check; no California material rate or required thickness is assumed.

Save the original and revised detail identifiers.
Remeasure each changed pavement layer over its own limit.
Report the quantity delta separately from any changed testing or stormwater obligations.

The bidder can distinguish a measured material change from a newly assigned contract responsibility.

Source documents and limits

Sources checked 2026-10-16. The bid-review notes are our estimating interpretation of the linked resources. Confirm the contract edition, current amendments and project approvals before pricing.

A quantity takeoff records scope from supplied documents. It does not provide engineering design, a permit approval, a site investigation or an installation-ready machine-control model.

Documents needed for a California sitework takeoff

The project address establishes the review area, but the drawing set establishes the quantities. Put each of the following in a document register with its date, revision and author. Missing inputs should become a clarification or a stated allowance.

Input	What it resolves	If absent
Address, parcel and approving authority	Site limits, municipality, roadway and utility interfaces	Ask the designer to confirm jurisdiction; a postal city is insufficient.
Existing survey and proposed grading	Surface comparison, stripping and earthwork boundaries	Identify the missing surface; do not report a balanced site from plan area alone.
Geotechnical report and approved details	Undercut, material reuse, groundwater and conversion assumptions	Use a named, separate allowance pending design information; avoid county-wide soil factors.
Utility plans, profiles and sections	Pipe runs, depths, structures, bedding and restoration	List missing inverts, dimensions and connection limits for clarification.
Stormwater plans, permits and phasing	Temporary controls, permanent facilities, treatment and stabilization	Separate measurable installations from unresolved operating duration and responsibilities.
Bid schedule, specifications and addenda	Pay units, incidental work, exclusions and revisions	Keep measured quantities separate from unconfirmed payment assumptions.

Use the interactive pre-bid checklist to record scope gaps. For workbook structure and published quantity excerpts, review the sample takeoffs.

Local bid references with agency sources

These references address the named jurisdiction. Other municipalities can use different criteria and approval routes.

Choose the work package you need to measure

Use the technical service pages for measurement methods and inclusions. The local guide identifies document and jurisdiction questions; the work package defines the requested deliverable.

Send the drawings, revision list and intended bid scope for a project-specific proposal. Price, schedule and file deliverables are confirmed after document review.

Request a scoped takeoff quote