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Estimating & Scopes.

Pre-construction craft — writing tight scopes, unit pricing, takeoffs, and tender submissions that turn vague allowances into hard numbers GTA builders can build on.

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Estimating & Scopes Articles

Estimating

Pre-Construction Planning: Getting Accurate Scopes Before Tender

The quality of a bid is decided long before the number is written. When a GC hands trades clear drawings, defined finishes, and honest site information early, the estimates come back as hard numbers instead of padded allowances. This article walks through the pre-construction inputs that produce accurate scopes: complete documents, a site walk where it matters, and answered RFIs before pricing closes. We explain how FAIME uses good pre-con to give GTA builders estimates they can actually carry to a contract, and why the cheapest place to solve a scope gap is at the estimating table — never in the field after the work has started.

FAIME Construction TeamMay 2026
7 min read →
Estimating

Scope Writing: The Document That Prevents the Argument

Most jobsite disputes are not disagreements about quality — they are disagreements about what was promised. A well-written scope of work ends that before it starts by stating clearly what is included, what is excluded, and where the responsibility lines fall. This article shares how FAIME writes scopes that protect both sides: specific inclusions, explicit exclusions, defined units and assumptions, and language a PM can hold a crew to. We cover the exclusions GCs most often forget to confirm and why a tight scope actually speeds a project up by removing ambiguity. A clear scope is the cheapest insurance a construction contract can buy.

FAIME Construction TeamApr 2026
6 min read →
Estimating

Unit Pricing: Building Estimates That Scale With the Project

Lump-sum numbers hide risk; unit pricing exposes it in a useful way. When work is priced per square foot, per door, or per linear foot, both the GC and the sub can see exactly how scope changes move the cost — and change orders stop being a fight. This article explains how FAIME structures unit pricing for GTA trades, why transparent units build trust with repeat clients, and how volume on multi-unit programs earns real efficiencies that flow back to the builder. We also cover the assumptions every unit price rests on, so nobody is surprised when conditions differ. Clear units make estimates that scale cleanly as a project grows.

FAIME Construction TeamMar 2026
6 min read →
Estimating

Takeoffs and Tender Submissions: Winning Work the Right Way

A strong tender submission is part math and part communication. The takeoff has to be accurate, but the proposal also has to make it easy for the GC to say yes — clear scope, clean pricing, and the compliance documents already attached. This article covers how FAIME approaches takeoffs and tenders for GTA work: methodical quantity takeoffs tied to the drawings, pricing that reflects real field conditions, and submissions that anticipate the questions an estimator will ask. We explain why the most competitive bid is not always the lowest one, and how a professional, complete submission signals the reliability that wins repeat work long after the first project closes.

FAIME Construction TeamFeb 2026
7 min read →
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