Guide

The pre-bid walkthrough checklist

5 min read · Updated October 19, 2026

A good pre-bid walkthrough turns guesses into prices. Bidders who see the space price what's really there. Bidders who don't add contingency or exclusions to cover what they couldn't see. Here's a checklist for running one on a small commercial or tenant-improvement job: what to set up, what to show, what to say (and not say), and what to send afterward.

On TI and renovation work, the walkthrough matters even more than on new construction. The drawings show what's supposed to be there. The walkthrough shows what is: the panel with no open spaces, the ceiling tiles that crumble when you lift them, the slab that dips two inches toward the old drain.

Before the walkthrough

Schedule it so bidders can use it

• Hold it early in the bid period, so bidders have time to price what they saw and ask questions. A week or more before bids are due is a good target on small jobs.
• Put the date, time, address, where to meet and where to park in the bid request. The bid package builder has fields for all of it.
• Decide whether attendance is required or just recommended, and say so in writing.
• If you can only host one session, offer a second time slot or “by appointment” for bidders who can't make it.

Get the building ready

• Confirm access with the landlord or building manager: keys, alarm codes, escorts, elevator and loading dock use.
• Have a few ceiling tiles lifted (or a ladder on hand) in each area where work happens above the ceiling.
• Unlock electrical rooms, mechanical rooms, the roof hatch and the riser or sprinkler room.
• Clear a path to the electrical panels, water heater, main shutoffs and fire alarm panel.
• Turn the lights on. Seriously. Dark spaces get priced high.
• If the space is occupied, tell the occupants when bidders will be there and which rooms they'll enter.

Bring

• Printed drawings, or a tablet with the current set, and the addenda issued so far
• A sign-in sheet: company, name, trade, email
• A notepad or phone for a running question log
• A flashlight, a tape measure and a camera
• Any existing building information you have, such as old drawings, a recent survey, a hazardous materials survey for an older building, or equipment nameplate photos

During the walkthrough

Open with the ground rules (two minutes)

• Introduce the project, the bid documents and the bid due date.
• Say it plainly: “Anything we discuss today isn't part of the bid documents unless it's in a written addendum. Please send questions in writing by [date].”
• Point out site rules: working hours, occupied areas, parking, restrooms, and anywhere that's off limits.

Walk the route, area by area

Go in a logical order, usually outside in, then top to bottom in each room. At each stop, the list below covers what bidders need to see. Not every item applies to every job.

Site and access

• Where trucks unload, where materials can be staged, and where the dumpster can go
• Parking for crews, and any limits on street or lot use
• Path from the dock or door to the work area, including elevator size and protection rules
• Exterior work areas: storefront, signage locations, rooftop equipment, paving or concrete patching

Ceilings and above

• Existing ceiling type and condition, and whether tiles and grid can be reused
• Space above the ceiling: ductwork, piping, cable trays and how crowded it is
• Existing sprinkler heads and branch lines (fire sprinkler)
• Existing data and low-voltage cabling that needs to be removed or kept (low voltage)
• Structure above, for anything that hangs, like new units, heavy fixtures or supports (steel)

Walls and openings

• Walls to be removed, and what's in them: outlets, switches, plumbing, data
• Walls that stay, and the shape they're in, for painting and patching
• Rated walls and corridors (ask your design team which ones are rated)
• Existing doors, frames and hardware to reuse, rekey or replace

Floors

• Existing flooring to be removed, and what's under it
• Slab condition: cracks, dips, old trenches and patches, especially under future tile
• Floor boxes and core drills to be abandoned or reused

Electrical

• The panels serving the space: open spaces, apparent capacity and labeling (electrical)
• Where the service comes in, and whether a shutdown would affect other tenants
• Existing lighting and controls to remove, reuse or replace
• The fire alarm panel location, and who services it (fire alarm)

Mechanical and plumbing

• HVAC units serving the space, with nameplate photos if possible: age, type and zones (HVAC)
• Thermostat and control locations, and whether the building runs a central control system
• Water, waste and vent locations near new fixtures, and whether the slab will need cutting (plumbing)
• Water heater, shutoff valves and floor drains
• Roof access, if rooftop units or penetrations are involved (roofing)

Building rules

• Required building vendors, such as fire alarm, sprinkler, roofing or controls contractors
• Shutdown and hot work procedures, and how much notice they need
• Insurance certificate requirements for the landlord
• Noise, dust and after-hours rules in occupied buildings

Handle questions the right way

• Write down every question, word for word, with the bidder's name.
• Answer factual questions about what's visible (“yes, that's the panel for this suite”).
• Don't answer scope questions on the spot (“do we need to replace that?”). Say you'll answer in writing for everyone. A verbal answer to one bidder is a scope difference between bids.
• If a bidder points out something the drawings missed, thank them, write it down and put it in the addendum. That's exactly what the walkthrough is for.

After the walkthrough

• Decide whether to share the sign-in sheet. Some owners send it to every bidder so trades can coordinate. Others keep it private to keep bidding independent. Either way, keep a copy with the bid file.
• Issue a written addendum with every question asked and its answer, plus any scope changes. Send it to all bidders, including those who didn't attend.
• Share the photos you took, especially of panels, nameplates and above-ceiling conditions.
• If the walkthrough turned up a real unknown, like a slab you can't see under the carpet or a wall you can't open, decide how bidders should price it. A unit price or an allowance keeps everyone on the same number, and keeps that unknown from turning into a separate exclusion in every bid.
• Keep the question deadline. Late questions with late answers make bidders re-price in a hurry.

How the walkthrough shows up in the bids

When bids come back, look for walkthrough-related qualifications: “pricing assumes accessible ceilings”, “existing conditions to be verified”, “excludes concealed conditions”. A bidder who attended and still writes those is telling you something they saw worried them. Ask what it was.

A bidder who skipped the walkthrough may have priced it blind. Either they priced it low and are counting on change orders, or they priced it high to cover the unknown. You'll see both when you level the bids in the leveling sheet. A scope that spells out the edges, like the one in writing a scope of work subs actually price, gives everyone less to guess at, walkthrough or not.

Code and safety requirements vary by jurisdiction and building. Confirm requirements with your design team/AHJ and follow the building's safety rules on site.

General guidance, not legal, engineering or estimating advice. Check scope against your own plans, specs and contract, and confirm code questions with your design team/AHJ.

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