Drawings and Plans

Drawings and plans are the engineering or architectural documents issued as part of a works bidding package that show the physical dimensions, layouts, structural details, and other design information that a contractor must price during bidding and build to during construction. They are the visual counterpart to the written technical specifications.

What are Drawings and Plans in Procurement?

In a works contract - roads, bridges, buildings, water systems, power plants - the bidding document includes a set of drawings that depict what is to be built. These typically range from location and layout plans, through civil and structural drawings, to mechanical and electrical schematics. The drawings define the geometry and physical scope that underpins the quantities in the boq. Taken together, the technical-specifications, the BOQ, and the drawings form the complete technical definition of the works.

Under design-and-build or EPC contracts - governed by forms such as the fidic-yellow-book or fidic-silver-book - the procuring entity issues employer's requirements rather than detailed construction drawings, and the contractor is responsible for producing the detailed design. In this case, the drawings issued with the bidding-document are indicative or reference drawings, not the final construction set.

Why Drawings and Plans matter for bidders

Drawings are the primary source of information for pricing civil works and for identifying site conditions that affect construction method and cost. Bidders who price works without reviewing the drawings carefully frequently miss items that drive cost - foundation depths, earthwork volumes, structural complexity, access constraints - and produce bids that are either uncompetitive or loss-making. During the clarification period before submission, discrepancies between the drawings and the BOQ or technical specifications should be raised as written questions, because where a discrepancy exists the order of precedence in the contract determines which document governs.

FAQ

What happens if the drawings change after the bidding document is issued?

Revised drawings are issued as an addendum, which must be sent to all registered bidders. Bidders must update their pricing to reflect the revised design. A significant design change must be accompanied by an extension of the submission deadline.

Are the bidding drawings the same as the construction drawings?

Not always. Bidding drawings are often at a less detailed stage of design ("issued for tender" drawings) and the contractor develops them into full construction drawings during execution. The contract documents define the stage of design the bidder is pricing and the degree of further development required.

Who owns the drawings issued with a bidding document?

The procuring entity (or its designer) retains intellectual property rights in the drawings. Bidders receiving them agree to use them only for bid preparation. The contractor receives the right to use them for construction purposes under the terms of the contract.