Construction specification review checklist for bid day

A section-by-section checklist for the items estimators most often need to price, clarify, or exclude, plus notes on using an AI first pass alongside it.

Published September 26, 2026 · 7 min read

Use this checklist while reading a specification book, or while verifying an AI-generated first pass. It is organized in the order most estimators work: general requirements first, then the technical sections for your scope. Adapt it to your trade and your company's standard qualifications.

Before you start

Confirm the book's issue date and project name match the bid invitation.
Collect all addenda and note which sections each one revises.
Check the table of contents against the pages you received. Missing sections are a question for the design team.
List the sections in your scope, including sections referenced by your sections.

Division 01: General requirements

Division 01 applies across the project and often carries costs that do not appear in any technical section.

Summary of work, phasing, and owner occupancy constraints
Allowances, alternates, and unit prices you must include or price separately
Submittal procedures and review periods
Temporary facilities, utilities, and site controls
Quality requirements, testing agency responsibility, and special inspections
Substitution procedures and deadlines
Closeout procedures: warranties, O&M manuals, as-builts, training, attic stock
Commissioning requirements and contractor participation

Products and materials (Part 2)

Basis-of-design products and listed acceptable manufacturers
"No substitution" or proprietary specifications
Performance criteria that constrain product selection
Domestic content, recycled content, or regional sourcing requirements
Long-lead materials that affect schedule or require early release
Owner-furnished or owner-selected items and who installs them

Submittals

Shop drawings requiring a licensed engineer's seal
Delegated design requirements
Mockups and when they must be approved
Samples of custom or selected finishes
Qualification data for installers or manufacturers

Execution and quality (Part 3)

Installation methods that differ from your standard practice
Environmental conditions for installation (temperature, humidity, cure times)
Field testing, inspection, and who pays for retesting
Tolerances tighter than industry norms
Protection, cleaning, and repair of adjacent work
Coordination requirements with other trades

Warranties and closeout

Warranty durations longer than your standard proposal covers
Special warranty forms, manufacturer warranties, or joint installer-manufacturer warranties
Extra materials and attic stock quantities
Owner training sessions: number, duration, and attendees
Maintenance service periods included in the contract

Language that deserves a second read

"Contractor shall be responsible for" followed by design or coordination scope
"As directed by the Architect" or "as required" without defined limits
"Provide complete system" where the boundaries of the system are unclear
Liquidated damages, milestone dates, or restrictions on work hours
Conflicts between a technical section and Division 01

Using this checklist with an AI first pass

An AI specbook review can pre-populate much of this checklist: it can list warranties, submittals, testing requirements, and unusual execution language with section and page references. Use the output to decide where to read closely, then work through the checklist for your scope sections. Mark each item as verified against the source, needing an RFI, or excluded.

Finish with a record

Before submitting the bid, confirm that every priced item, RFI, and exclusion ties back to a section and page. Save the completed checklist and any exported review report with the bid file.