What is a scope breakdown in construction?
A scope breakdown is the scope of work for a project organized by trade and CSI division, so each subcontractor can see exactly what they are pricing. Folio's Scope Breakdown reads the indexed drawing set and writes the scope of work by trade and CSI division. The result is the starting point for the estimate and for the bid packages sent to subcontractors in Bid Leveling.
How does Folio write a scope of work from drawings?
Folio starts from the drawing set indexed by Drawing Intelligence, including the drawing notes library. It identifies the work shown on the sheets and organizes it by trade and CSI division into a scope of work the team can review and edit. Each scope line can then be priced in Estimate or packaged for subcontractors in Bid Leveling.
THE OLD WAY
Scope written by hand is scope with gaps.
The scope of work gets written from memory and a read of the drawings, trade by trade, usually under a bid deadline. Items shown on a detail sheet but not called out in the notes get missed. Items that belong to two trades get priced twice or not at all.
Subcontractors then price what they were sent. A gap in the scope becomes a change order after award, or a bid that comes in too low to win.
Folio writes the scope from the drawings so the team reviews a complete draft instead of starting from a blank page.
WHAT FOLIO DOES
From indexed set to priceable scope.
Scope of work by trade and CSI division
Folio reads the indexed drawing set and writes the scope of work organized by trade and CSI division, ready for the team to review and edit.
Why it matters: Subcontractors price a scope they can read. Organizing it by trade is what makes it priceable.
Built from the drawings and their notes
Scope Breakdown works from the sheets and the drawing notes library that Drawing Intelligence created, so the scope reflects what is on the sheets, including the notes.
Why it matters: Notes are where scope hides. Reading them with the sheets is how the gaps get closed.
Feeds the estimate and the bid packages
Each scope line can be priced in Estimate with your own unit prices and grouped into bid packages for subcontractors in Bid Leveling.
Why it matters: One scope, used for both the number and the sub pricing, means the two agree.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Built for the people who do this work.
The Senior Estimator
Reviews and edits the draft scope rather than writing it from scratch, then prices it in Estimate.
The Precon Manager
Uses the scope by trade to build the bid packages and invite subcontractors in Bid Leveling.
The Project Executive
Reads the scope before the number goes out to see what the team is committing to.
of GC capacity spent on bids they will not win
FMI Research
lower productivity growth in construction than other industries since 1964
McKinsey Global Institute
lost annually to poor preconstruction productivity
FMI 2023
FAQ
Common questions
Send subs a scope they can price.
Bring a drawing set. We will show you the scope of work Folio writes from it.
Or email us at connect@joinfolio.ai