Steel takeoff RFIs: what to ask before bid day
A steel takeoff turns up questions: missing sizes, conflicts between plans and schedules, unclear connection design responsibility, misc. metals with no owner. Good pre-bid RFIs get answered in time and protect your price. The ones that don't get answered should become written, priced assumptions.
- Missing information
- Conflicts
- Scope splits
- Writing RFIs that get answered
When to send them
Most bid invitations set a deadline for questions. AIA A701-2018, the standard Instructions to Bidders form, defaults to at least seven days before bids are due and four days for the last addendum. Projects often change those dates, and as a subcontractor you'll usually send questions through the GC, who needs time to forward them. Practical rules:
- Send questions as soon as you find them, not in one batch on the last day.
- Group them by sheet so the design team can answer in one pass.
- Track the question deadline on your bid calendar the day the invitation arrives.
Pre-bid questions in A701 are formally "requests for clarification or interpretation." Most people just call them RFIs.
The steel RFIs that matter most
| Category | Typical question | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Missing sizes | Members without sizes, "similar" references that don't resolve, missing column schedule | You can't price what isn't defined |
| Conflicts | Plan tag vs. schedule vs. detail; spec finish vs. drawing note | Different bidders price different answers |
| Connection design | Which connections are AISC Option 1, 2 or 3? Where are the design loads and transfer forces? LRFD or ASD? | Engineering, material and review cycles |
| Misc. metals scope | Lintels, embeds, rails, supports: Division 05 or another trade? | The most common cause of scope gaps |
| Finishes | Galvanizing, primer type, fireproofing compatibility, intumescent by whom, AESS category | Big cost swings |
| Coordination | Deck openings, MEP supports, elevator rails, equipment dunnage | Items on other disciplines' sheets |
| Erection | Access, laydown, crane restrictions, phasing, existing structures | Erection cost and schedule |
Connection design questions deserve special care. AISC 303-22 requires the engineer of record to designate an option for each connection and, for Options 2 and 3, to provide loads (including transfer forces), the service or factored basis and the design method. If those aren't there, an RFI isn't nitpicking. It's what the Code says should be there.
Know the precedence rules before you ask
Some conflicts are already answered by the contract. Check first:
- The contract's order of precedence in the general or supplementary conditions.
- AISC 303, if it's incorporated. For buildings it says design drawings govern over specifications, written dimensions govern over scaled ones, and structural design drawings govern over architectural, electrical, mechanical and other drawings.
Even when a rule resolves the conflict, it can be worth an RFI on a high-dollar item. A rule tells you who wins a dispute, but it doesn't tell you what the designer intended.
How to write an RFI that gets answered
- One question per RFI. Multi-part questions get partial answers.
- Reference precisely: sheet, grid, detail and spec paragraph.
- Describe the conflict in one or two sentences.
- Propose an answer. "Please confirm beam B-7 at grid D/4 is W14x22 per the schedule on S-301, not W12x19 as tagged on S-201." A designer can confirm in a word.
- Attach a marked-up snippet of the sheet if the system allows.
Weak: "Please clarify connections." Strong: "S-001 note 12 says connections not shown are designed by the fabricator's engineer, but no beam reactions are shown on S-201 to S-204. Please provide reactions or confirm connections may be designed for 50% of the uniform load capacity per AISC Manual tables."
Track every question against takeoff rows
Each RFI should point to the takeoff rows it affects. When the answer comes back, in an addendum or a Q&A log, you update exactly those rows.
| RFI | Sent | Question | Answer | Rows | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Mar 3 | B-7 size: schedule W14x22 vs. tag W12x19 | Add. 2: W14x22 | 44 | Closed |
| 02 | Mar 3 | Reactions for delegated connections | — | 300–360 | Open → assumption |
| 03 | Mar 4 | Exterior lintels galvanized? | Add. 2: yes | 400–418 | Closed |
Illustrative.
Unanswered questions become priced assumptions
Many questions won't be answered before bid day. Turn each open RFI into a clear assumption in your proposal:
- "Beam B-7 priced as W14x22 per schedule on S-301."
- "Connection design priced on the basis of 50% of uniform load capacity where reactions are not shown (RFI 02 unanswered)."
- "Exterior lintels priced hot-dip galvanized; interior lintels shop primed."
That doesn't make the issue go away. It makes clear what you priced, so if the answer comes back differently after award, it's a visible change rather than an argument.
Bid-day reality
- Don't hold your number waiting for an answer. Price the most likely answer and state it.
- If two answers have very different costs, consider pricing one as an alternate.
- Watch the last addendum for answers to other bidders' questions. They often affect you.
After award
Unanswered bid-stage questions often come back as detailing RFIs. Keep your bid-stage RFI log in the job file so the project manager and detailer can see what you assumed and why. It's also the record that supports a change order when the answer differs from your assumption.
Where RenderDraw fits
Many RFIs come from noticing that two sheets disagree. RenderDraw's AI takeoff flags items it can't confirm for review instead of guessing, and keeps the source on every row. That helps you find questions early, while there's still time to ask.
Member counts off the drawings, with the sheet attached.
RenderDraw's AI takeoff proposes steel member counts and lengths from plans, framing plans and schedules, links every row to its source, and sends low-confidence items to your estimator before the handoff to pricing.
- Counts and lengths by member. Proposed from the drawings and kept tied to the framing plan or schedule they came from.
- Uncertain items flagged. Items the AI can't confirm go to review instead of being guessed.
- Addenda through the same review. Send the changed sheets through takeoff and review, then reprice the members that changed.
- Your estimator decides. Connections, erection, coatings, risk and margin stay your call.
Test it on a real steel package
Send one structural set, ideally with an addendum. Sample files stay private while RenderDraw assesses the request. No obligation.
RenderDraw does not publish accuracy percentages or time-saved claims. Test it on your own plan set.
Questions estimators ask.
When should I send RFIs on a steel bid?
As soon as you find the issue, grouped by sheet, and before the question deadline in the instructions to bidders. AIA A701-2018 sets a default of at least seven days before bids are due, but many projects set their own deadline, and subcontractors often have to send questions through the GC even earlier.
What are the most common steel RFIs?
Missing member sizes, plan-versus-schedule conflicts, missing connection design loads, unclear connection design responsibility (AISC Option 2 or 3), misc. metals scope by division, finishes and fire protection, and supports for other trades.
What if an RFI isn't answered before bid day?
Turn it into a priced assumption in your proposal, for example "Beam B-7 priced as W14x22 per schedule on S-301; plan tag W12x19 disregarded." That defines what you priced and makes any later change visible.
Which governs when plans and specs conflict?
Check the contract's order-of-precedence clause first. Where AISC 303 applies to a building, it states that design drawings govern over specifications, written dimensions govern over scaled ones, and structural drawings govern over architectural and other trades' drawings.
How do I write an RFI that gets answered?
One question per RFI, with sheet, grid and detail references, a short description of the conflict, and a proposed answer the designer can accept or reject. Yes-or-no questions get answered faster.
Can RenderDraw help find RFI items?
RenderDraw's AI takeoff flags low-confidence and unclear items for review, with the source on every row, which surfaces many of the questions you'd otherwise find late. Request a free sample takeoff.
Flags you can turn into RFIs.
RenderDraw flags unclear and low-confidence items during takeoff, with the sheet reference for each.
- Upload the plans, specs and schedules, plus an addendum if you have one.
- RenderDraw reviews the set and the scope you want tested.
- We follow up with extracted quantities, flagged items and next steps.
Related tools and guides
Keep reading on renderdraw.com
Sources and further reading
- AIA Contract Documents: Summary of A701-2018, Instructions to Bidders
- AISC 303: Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges
- AISC Toolbox Talk: Requirements for Connections (what the EOR must provide, PDF)
- CSI MasterFormat (Division 05 scope organization)
Figures marked as rules of thumb are starting points, not standards. Check the current edition of any code or standard your project specifies, and use your own historical production rates where you have them. Sources checked 2026-11-01.