Planning
Tendering and procurement
Define trade scopes, obtain comparable prices, check exclusions, and select subcontractors who can meet programme, quality, safety, and documentation needs.
How to execute this stage
Micro-stage control plan
Work through each applicable step in order. A hold point means pause the dependent decision or work until the stated evidence and authorised review are complete.
01Break the work into trade packages and issue the same drawings, specifications, addenda, and return requirements to each tendererLevel 1 · Planning
TaskCheckHold pointEvidenceRecordNext actionSimple explanation
Break the work into trade packages and issue the same drawings, specifications, addenda, and return requirements to each tenderer.
Technical context
Coordinate this work against Architectural set, Trade scope of work, the current consent status, and the actual site condition. Confirm interfaces before releasing dependent work.
Why it matters: The main recorded risk is: Quote not like-for-like. A missed check can create rework, delay, hidden defects, an inspection failure, or a departure from approved project documents.
Prerequisites
- Architectural set is current, approved for the intended use, and available to the people doing the work.
- Trade scope of work and relevant product information have been checked.
- Access, responsibility, safety controls, preceding work and the tender return review sequence are confirmed.
Checks
- Check the completed work against Architectural set and Trade scope of work.
- Check specifically for: Quote not like-for-like.
- Avoid this known mistake: Accepting a quote without exclusions review.
Evidence to save
- Wide, location-identifying and close-up photographs of the completed tendering and procurement work before it is concealed.
- Marked-up Architectural set or a precise drawing/detail reference.
- Tender return review result, consultant record, trade QA record or written not-applicable reason.
Hold point
Do not cover, backfill, load, connect, certify or release the next activity until Tender return review and the required project evidence are complete or the authorised reviewer confirms what may proceed.
Stop or escalate when
- Quote not like-for-like
- Accepting a quote without exclusions review
- The current drawing, approval, competent reviewer or required evidence cannot be confirmed.
Documents and records
- Architectural set
- Trade scope of work
- Current RFI/site-instruction/change record
- Inspection and evidence register
- Cost effect
- Rectification, reinspection, delay, damaged follow-on work, access loss and changed scope can increase the cost of tendering and procurement. Record the cause and obtain written pricing before approving a commercial change.
- Programme effect
- This activity controls the release of dependent work. Update the lookahead programme and notify affected trades if the hold point, information, inspection or evidence is not ready.
Next action
Answer tender questions in writing so all tenderers price the same information.
Applicability: Apply when this work package is included in the current project scope. Confirm project-specific consent, contract, design, site and authority requirements.
Use the current consented/issued project documents and competent site review. BuildPath does not approve work.
02Answer tender questions in writing so all tenderers price the same informationLevel 1 · Planning
TaskCheckHold pointEvidenceRecordNext actionSimple explanation
Answer tender questions in writing so all tenderers price the same information.
Technical context
Coordinate this work against Structural set, Product schedules, the current consent status, and the actual site condition. Confirm interfaces before releasing dependent work.
Why it matters: The main recorded risk is: Important exclusions hidden. A missed check can create rework, delay, hidden defects, an inspection failure, or a departure from approved project documents.
Prerequisites
- Structural set is current, approved for the intended use, and available to the people doing the work.
- Product schedules and relevant product information have been checked.
- Access, responsibility, safety controls, preceding work and the subcontractor capability check sequence are confirmed.
Checks
- Check the completed work against Structural set and Product schedules.
- Check specifically for: Important exclusions hidden.
- Avoid this known mistake: Not issuing tender addenda to everyone.
Evidence to save
- Wide, location-identifying and close-up photographs of the completed tendering and procurement work before it is concealed.
- Marked-up Structural set or a precise drawing/detail reference.
- Subcontractor capability check result, consultant record, trade QA record or written not-applicable reason.
Hold point
Do not cover, backfill, load, connect, certify or release the next activity until Subcontractor capability check and the required project evidence are complete or the authorised reviewer confirms what may proceed.
Stop or escalate when
- Important exclusions hidden
- Not issuing tender addenda to everyone
- The current drawing, approval, competent reviewer or required evidence cannot be confirmed.
Documents and records
- Structural set
- Product schedules
- Current RFI/site-instruction/change record
- Inspection and evidence register
- Cost effect
- Rectification, reinspection, delay, damaged follow-on work, access loss and changed scope can increase the cost of tendering and procurement. Record the cause and obtain written pricing before approving a commercial change.
- Programme effect
- This activity controls the release of dependent work. Update the lookahead programme and notify affected trades if the hold point, information, inspection or evidence is not ready.
Next action
Level quotes for missing scope, exclusions, provisional sums, lead times, warranties, and documentation obligations.
Applicability: Apply when this work package is included in the current project scope. Confirm project-specific consent, contract, design, site and authority requirements.
Use the current consented/issued project documents and competent site review. BuildPath does not approve work.
03Level quotes for missing scope, exclusions, provisional sums, lead times, warranties, and documentation obligationsLevel 1 · Planning
TaskCheckHold pointEvidenceRecordNext actionSimple explanation
Level quotes for missing scope, exclusions, provisional sums, lead times, warranties, and documentation obligations.
Technical context
Coordinate this work against Civil/drainage set, Preliminaries, the current consent status, and the actual site condition. Confirm interfaces before releasing dependent work.
Why it matters: The main recorded risk is: Long-lead materials missed. A missed check can create rework, delay, hidden defects, an inspection failure, or a departure from approved project documents.
Prerequisites
- Civil/drainage set is current, approved for the intended use, and available to the people doing the work.
- Preliminaries and relevant product information have been checked.
- Access, responsibility, safety controls, preceding work and the insurance and h&s document review sequence are confirmed.
Checks
- Check the completed work against Civil/drainage set and Preliminaries.
- Check specifically for: Long-lead materials missed.
- Avoid this known mistake: Ignoring required warranties or producer statements.
Evidence to save
- Wide, location-identifying and close-up photographs of the completed tendering and procurement work before it is concealed.
- Marked-up Civil/drainage set or a precise drawing/detail reference.
- Insurance and H&S document review result, consultant record, trade QA record or written not-applicable reason.
Hold point
Do not cover, backfill, load, connect, certify or release the next activity until Insurance and H&S document review and the required project evidence are complete or the authorised reviewer confirms what may proceed.
Stop or escalate when
- Long-lead materials missed
- Ignoring required warranties or producer statements
- The current drawing, approval, competent reviewer or required evidence cannot be confirmed.
Documents and records
- Civil/drainage set
- Preliminaries
- Current RFI/site-instruction/change record
- Inspection and evidence register
- Cost effect
- Rectification, reinspection, delay, damaged follow-on work, access loss and changed scope can increase the cost of tendering and procurement. Record the cause and obtain written pricing before approving a commercial change.
- Programme effect
- This activity controls the release of dependent work. Update the lookahead programme and notify affected trades if the hold point, information, inspection or evidence is not ready.
Next action
Close the tendering and procurement stage, link its evidence, resolve outstanding defects and release only the next applicable stage.
Applicability: Apply when this work package is included in the current project scope. Confirm project-specific consent, contract, design, site and authority requirements.
Use the current consented/issued project documents and competent site review. BuildPath does not approve work.
Trade-to-trade control
Interfaces and release gates
Use the actual consented design, specification and authorised reviewers. These controls help expose gaps; they do not approve work.
Release this stage to the next team
Prerequisites
- • Current consented/contract documents and scope are available
- • Preceding work, access, safety and materials are ready
- • Named people own open RFIs, defects, inspections and evidence
Interface checks
- • Work matches the current documents and actual site condition
- • Interfaces with the preceding and following trades have been walked
- • Cost, programme, change and evidence consequences are recorded
Evidence before release
- • Location and detail photographs
- • Dated checklist/inspection/RFI references
- • Daily report and linked action/defect records
Next team: The next applicable project team
Open the related Workspace control →What happens in this stage
- Break the work into trade packages and issue the same drawings, specifications, addenda, and return requirements to each tenderer.
- Answer tender questions in writing so all tenderers price the same information.
- Level quotes for missing scope, exclusions, provisional sums, lead times, warranties, and documentation obligations.
Before work starts
- Confirm the latest issued-for-construction and consented documents for tendering and procurement are on site, including Architectural set.
- Check Trade scope of work, approved product data, RFIs, minor variations, and amendment status before work starts.
- Confirm the subcontractor understands the scope, hold points, access, protection requirements, H&S controls, and quality evidence required.
- Check the programme sequence so this stage does not start before earlier work, inspections, testing, or concealed-work photos are complete.
- Confirm materials delivered to site match the specification, are dry/undamaged, and are stored according to manufacturer instructions.
During the work
- Walk the work face early, mid-shift, and before close-up. Compare actual work with the consented drawings, specification, and manufacturer details.
- Check set-out, levels, falls, clearances, penetrations, fixings, bracing, waterproofing, or protection points that will be difficult to see later.
- Ask trades to show their own quality checks rather than only saying the work is complete.
- Keep weather, site condition, delivery, delay, inspection, RFI, variation, and safety notes in the daily report.
- Photograph any work before it is covered, backfilled, lined, clad, tiled, painted, or otherwise hidden.
After the work
- Complete a close-out walk with the subcontractor and mark defects immediately while access is still available.
- Confirm required inspection bookings, council results, producer statements, LBP Records of Work, warranties, test certificates, or installer declarations are obtained.
- Update as-built notes where service routes, drainage, fixings, penetrations, or dimensions differ from the design.
- Confirm the area is protected from weather, other trades, impact damage, contamination, or premature loading.
- Update the lookahead programme and tell affected trades what is ready, what is blocked, and what must not be covered.
Common problems and step-by-step solutions
Subcontractor excludes important scope
- 1Stop the affected tendering and procurement activity if continuing could hide defective work, create unsafe work, or move away from the consented design.
- 2Photograph the condition from wide, medium, and close-up angles. Include a tape, level, datum mark, gridline, or drawing reference where useful.
- 3Check the latest consented architectural, structural, civil, services, and specification documents before giving an instruction.
- 4Ask the subcontractor to explain the cause, proposed fix, timing impact, and whether the fix changes consented work.
- 5Escalate to the builder/project manager, designer, engineer, council inspector, or client when the fix affects structure, weathertightness, drainage, H1, fire/safety, cost, programme, or consent.
- 6Record the decision, responsible person, drawing/RFI/variation reference, photos, and follow-up inspection in the daily report.
Lead time clashes with programme
- 1Stop the affected tendering and procurement activity if continuing could hide defective work, create unsafe work, or move away from the consented design.
- 2Photograph the condition from wide, medium, and close-up angles. Include a tape, level, datum mark, gridline, or drawing reference where useful.
- 3Check the latest consented architectural, structural, civil, services, and specification documents before giving an instruction.
- 4Ask the subcontractor to explain the cause, proposed fix, timing impact, and whether the fix changes consented work.
- 5Escalate to the builder/project manager, designer, engineer, council inspector, or client when the fix affects structure, weathertightness, drainage, H1, fire/safety, cost, programme, or consent.
- 6Record the decision, responsible person, drawing/RFI/variation reference, photos, and follow-up inspection in the daily report.
Tenderers price different products
- 1Stop the affected tendering and procurement activity if continuing could hide defective work, create unsafe work, or move away from the consented design.
- 2Photograph the condition from wide, medium, and close-up angles. Include a tape, level, datum mark, gridline, or drawing reference where useful.
- 3Check the latest consented architectural, structural, civil, services, and specification documents before giving an instruction.
- 4Ask the subcontractor to explain the cause, proposed fix, timing impact, and whether the fix changes consented work.
- 5Escalate to the builder/project manager, designer, engineer, council inspector, or client when the fix affects structure, weathertightness, drainage, H1, fire/safety, cost, programme, or consent.
- 6Record the decision, responsible person, drawing/RFI/variation reference, photos, and follow-up inspection in the daily report.
Verification
Source / where to check
Use current official information and the controlled documents for the actual project.
The issued consent drawings, stamped specifications, engineering drawings, RFIs, minor variations, and amendments control the specific project.
MBIE guidance explains that work should be built to the issued building consent, inspections must be managed, and records/certificates should be kept for CCC.
The issued consent drawings, stamped specifications, engineering drawings, RFIs, minor variations, and amendments control the specific project.
Use the exact current installation manual, warranty requirements, BRANZ/Appraisal information where applicable, and product data sheet for the product on site.
Insufficient data to verify — confirm against the current consented drawings, specifications, Auckland Council requirements, Auckland Unitary Plan, NZ Building Code, relevant NZ Standard, consultant advice, manufacturer instructions, insurance broker, insurer, lender, lawyer, accountant or project contract.
Project-specific consented documents and professional advice override generic guidance.
Common inspections required
- Tender return review
- Subcontractor capability check
- Insurance and H&S document review
Common risks
- Quote not like-for-like
- Important exclusions hidden
- Long-lead materials missed
- Cheap quote creating future variation risk
Common mistakes
- Accepting a quote without exclusions review
- Not issuing tender addenda to everyone
- Ignoring required warranties or producer statements
Required documentation
- Latest consented drawings and specifications
- Relevant RFIs, site instructions, amendments, minor variations, and variation approvals
- Subcontractor scope, QA checklist, delivery dockets, product data, and installation records
- Inspection booking/result records and photos before cover-up
- Daily site report notes covering labour, weather, progress, delays, risks, and decisions
Photos or diagrams needed
- Wide photo showing where tendering and procurement is happening on the site
- Close-up photos of critical details, fixings, laps, seals, penetrations, clearances, levels, or falls
- Photo of product labels, batch numbers, delivery dockets, and installer marks where relevant
- Marked-up drawing or simple diagram showing any changed location, clash, defect, or agreed remedial detail
Construction manager checklist
- 1Scope, drawings, specification, product data, and latest revision confirmed
- 2Trade briefed on hold points, tolerances to verify, evidence required, and inspection sequence
- 3Access, storage, protection, temporary works, and safety controls in place
- 4Work checked against drawings during installation, not only at completion
- 5Photos and records captured before work is concealed
- 6Defects, RFIs, delays, and variations recorded with owner and due date
- 7Inspection/producer statement/warranty/Record of Work requirements tracked for CCC
Questions to ask the subcontractor
- Which drawing, detail, or manufacturer instruction are you working from?
- What needs to be checked before this is covered or handed to the next trade?
- What could stop you today: weather, access, materials, information, inspections, or other trades?
- Does anything on site differ from the drawings or specification?
- What evidence will you provide for the quality file and CCC file?
Red flags to stop work
- Work differs from consented drawings or specification and no approved variation/RFI exists
- A structural, weathertightness, waterproofing, drainage, fire/safety, or H1 detail is unclear
- The trade wants to cover work before inspection, testing, or photos are complete
- Specified materials are missing, substituted, damaged, wet, expired, or installed outside manufacturer instructions
- A safety control is missing for excavation, heights, plant movement, electrical work, asbestos, silica, or public protection
What to record in the daily report
- Exact location and quantity of work completed
- Trade headcount, company names, plant used, deliveries, and material batch/product details
- Weather, site conditions, delays, instructions received, RFIs raised, and inspections booked/passed/failed
- Photos taken before cover-up and any defects or non-conformances found
- Next-day lookahead, blockers, and who is responsible for each action
Use this in my project
Turn tendering and procurement into controlled action
Open the relevant workspace register, create the project-specific record, link the controlling documents and preserve evidence. The guide does not automatically approve or verify the action.