Updated November 2, 2026
The short list
- The full drawing set, all disciplines, latest revision, by link or email.
- The specifications: Division 22 at least, plus the fixture and equipment schedules.
- The bid documents: bid form, addenda, and the alternates and unit prices you want priced.
- The dates: bid due, start, rough-in, finish, turnover.
- The boundaries: the demolition line; who carries the water service, the house sewer, the meter and the backflow device; what the owner furnishes.
- The site: occupied or vacant, working hours, access and hoisting, photos of existing conditions.
Why each document moves the number
| Document | What it changes in the price |
|---|---|
| Plumbing plans and riser diagrams | Fixture count by position, pipe by system and size, stack and riser heights |
| Fixture and equipment schedule | Carriers, flush valves, trim, connection sizes, who furnishes what |
| Architectural plans and reflected ceiling plans | Ceiling heights and soffits, where pipe can run, chase sizes, wall types for carriers |
| Kitchen or equipment plan with its connection schedule | Floor sinks, indirect wastes, hand sinks, the grease interceptor, water and drain sizes |
| Structural drawings | Slab type and depth, beams the sanitary line must cross, sleeves and cores |
| Specifications (Division 22) | Pipe and joint materials, valves, insulation, hangers, testing, close-out documents |
| Site utility plan (new work) | Water service and house sewer size, depth and connection point |
| Photos and existing riser locations (renovation) | Demolition and cap-offs, tie-in points, shutdowns |
The questions you get before the number
The questions come before the proposal, not after the award.
- Bid set or permit set? A bid set is priced with its assumptions written down.
- Where is the demolition line, and what stays live during the work?
- Who carries the water service, the house sewer, the meter and the backflow device?
- Is the grease interceptor sized on the drawings, and where does it sit?
- Plastic or cast iron? The NYC Plumbing Code allows plastic drainage pipe only in residential buildings of five stories or less (Table 702.1, note a). A commercial fit-out gets cast iron.
- Which fixtures and equipment does the owner furnish?
What comes back
- A list of questions and clarifications, first.
- A written proposal by position: description, unit, quantity, price.
- Alternates priced on their own lines, for example owner-furnished fixtures.
- Unit prices for field changes: added pipe by size, connections, drains, trap primers.
- Clarifications: what is included and what is not, such as concrete cutting and patching, work outside the building footprint, fire suppression, electrical power to equipment.
- A schedule by week for rough-in and finish.
- We tell you the turnaround once the set is open.
What a proposal line looks like
Example of the format. Quantities are illustrative, not from a real job. Prices are in your proposal.
| Pos. | Description | Unit | Qty |
|---|---|---|---|
| P-01 | Cap existing fixtures and branches at the demolition line | LS | 1 |
| P-02 | 4" no-hub cast iron sanitary, underslab, with bedding, cleanouts and water test | LF | 85 |
| P-03 | 2" no-hub cast iron vent above the ceiling, hangers per NYC Plumbing Code Table 308.5 | LF | 140 |
| P-04 | 1-1/4" Type L copper domestic cold water, insulated | LF | 120 |
| P-05 | Floor sink with trap and trap primer connection | EA | 3 |
| P-06 | Hand sink, set, connected and tested | EA | 2 |
Sending the files
Send a link (Drive, Dropbox, Procore, BuildingConnected) in the form, or email the set to info@plumbhub.us.
- One set, latest revision, with the addenda. When a revision comes in, say what changed.
- Drawings are used to answer you and to price the job, nothing else (see the privacy policy).
Questions
Can you price from a bid set before the permit set is out?
Yes. The proposal lists its assumptions. When the permit set changes the scope, the change is priced from the same positions and unit prices.
Do you need the whole set, or only the plumbing sheets?
The whole set. Ceiling heights, structure and the kitchen plan move the plumbing price as much as the plumbing sheets do.
Can you review a plumbing bid we already have?
Yes. A takeoff review checks the quantities and the missing scope against the drawings and lists what the bid does not cover.
Can I send CAD files?
Yes, by link or email.