State bid reference · VA

Virginia: sitework estimating — bid and specification guide

Virginia bids can combine VDOT road work, local site-development approvals and state construction-stormwater requirements. Keep those responsibilities separate so that utility, frontage and stormwater quantities are measured against the right drawings rather than a single statewide specification label.

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. Read the supplements with the base VDOT book

Source context: VDOT provides its Road and Bridge Specifications alongside supplements and other technical guidance. Read the agency resource.

Estimating application: Record the base edition and applicable supplemental documents before matching quantities to the bid schedule. Do not infer that a private site is paid under VDOT rules because its access road connects to a state route.

Clarification to request: What do the proposal and special provisions say is included in each road-work pay item?

2. Identify the stormwater program authority

Source context: Virginia DEQ publishes construction general-permit information and guidance for the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program. Read the agency resource.

Estimating application: Ask which authority administers the project and obtain the accepted erosion and stormwater plans. Separate temporary sediment controls from permanent treatment facilities and record each construction phase.

Clarification to request: Which authority approved the current plans, and have revisions changed the stabilization or facility scope?

3. Coordinate the county package with road acceptance work

Source context: VDOT technical resources cover road and bridge construction; local development documents may add a separate approval layer. Read the agency resource.

Estimating application: For a subdivision or campus, compare frontage work, site roads and utility crossings by owner. Track restoration, testing and turnover separately when the bid packages divide those responsibilities.

Clarification to request: Where does the private civil package stop and the road acceptance or utility-owner package begin?

Campus sitework with a public-road entrance

Illustrative boundary review, not a claim of completed local work.

Identify the entrance work governed by the road contract.
Measure internal utilities and drainage using the accepted site plan.
Assign temporary controls and final stabilization to phases and responsible packages.

The estimate avoids double counting the entrance while leaving the stormwater handoff explicit.

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 Virginia 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