Office-to-field estimating handoff checklist
Share the current project version, define the field task clearly, and record findings with their location and source. Review returned changes before using them to update quantities or prices.
Name the owner and purpose of the handoff
State who owns the current estimate, who is receiving the field task, what decision is needed, and who can approve a changed quantity or price. A vague request to check the plans invites overlapping edits and incomplete answers.
Choose the handoff type: site verification, missing dimension, constructability review, production check, material confirmation, change documentation, or another defined question. Set the return time and escalation route.
- Current estimate owner
- Field recipient
- Exact question or task
- Return deadline
- Approval and escalation owner
Related: Multi-device takeoff — Keep the current project version clear when moving between office and field.
Prepare the current project documents
Include the project name, drawing and specification issue, addenda, relevant sheets, current takeoff and estimate, and unresolved RFIs. Keep the notes and references needed to understand the task.
Confirm that the receiving person can open the project before leaving coverage. Keep a dated portable backup before changing devices, making a major update, or replacing local work with a download.
- Project name
- Approved drawing issue
- Relevant scope and sheets
- Current quantity or estimate
- Access and backup checked
Related: Windows and Android workflow — Assign a practical role to each connected device.
Define what the field should capture
Specify the location, item, unit, tolerance, and evidence required. A useful return might include a measured dimension, count, marked drawing, photo reference, access constraint, material condition, or confirmation that the plan matches the site.
Separate observed fact from interpretation. Record who observed it, when, where, and under which drawing issue so the office can evaluate its effect without guessing.
- Location and scope item
- Required unit or response
- Photo or markup convention
- Observer and date
- Safety and site rules understood
Related: Takeoff recovery after a device change — Restore and reconcile work without erasing evidence.
Keep field findings open until reviewed
Mark the field question as open, identify the affected quantities and estimate lines, and agree whether work can continue under an assumption. Review the finding before changing the approved takeoff.
Agree who will edit the project and check the current Cloud revision before uploading or downloading. Rivet Cloud does not support simultaneous live co-authoring.
- Open item visible
- Affected scope identified
- Temporary assumption approved
- Single editing owner
- Current revision checked
Related: Takeoff revision control — Release changed quantities against the right source.
Return evidence with enough context to review
The field return should answer the original question and identify any new condition discovered. Send measurements with units, marked locations, relevant photos or notes, access limitations, and uncertainty rather than a bare number or verbal summary.
If the field finding conflicts with the plans, preserve both records and route the issue through the appropriate RFI, change, or company review process. Site observation does not by itself revise a contract document.
- Original question answered
- Evidence attached or referenced
- Units and location clear
- Conflict with documents flagged
- New questions separated
Reconcile the return and release the next state
The estimator compares the returned evidence with the baseline, verifies affected quantities, and reviews labour, material, equipment, schedule, quote, allowance, and exclusion impacts. Record why each proposed change was accepted, rejected, or deferred.
After approval, update the estimate and any customer-facing document, identify the drawing and evidence basis, create the next dated baseline, and tell procurement, project management, or field users which state is now current.
- Evidence reviewed by the owner
- Quantity and cost variance checked
- Open RFIs retained
- Approved documents updated
- Next baseline released
Frequently asked questions
What information should go from the office to the field?
Send the project and drawing issue, relevant scope, current baseline, exact question, required evidence, deadline, and the names of the people responsible for the work and its approval.
Should field staff directly change the estimate?
Only within a defined company workflow and assigned ownership. Field evidence should be reviewed before it becomes an approved quantity, cost, or quote change.
How should a plan-versus-site conflict be handled?
Preserve both sources, record the location and evidence, and route the conflict through the appropriate RFI, change, or approval process before revising the baseline.