CCDC-23, paragraph 6.5, discusses the use of “Pre-Bid Meetings and Site Visits” to provide the bidders an opportunity to ask questions and obtain additional information about the work during the bidding process. A Pre-bid meeting can be held on the physical site where the work is to take place or remotely. Potential bidders either attend an organized meeting at a stipulated location in person or attend a virtual meeting on-line. Remote or virtual forms of pre-bid meetings are typically utilized where the site is remote and would require travel by most bidders, where there may be multiple sites that prohibit a site visit in any reasonable timeframe, or for other extenuating factors that prohibit a face-to-face or on-site meeting.

Site visits/walk-throughs are organized for projects where the majority of the bidders are anticipated to be local and / or where the bidders have been invited. This should not preclude a bidder that is not local from arranging to attend the site visit at the specified date and time unless specifically stated at the owner’s request.

The Bid Advertisement / Instructions to Bidders must clearly stipulate whether the site visit is mandatory or optional. Including this information in the Bid Advertisement is advisable as some bidders may not obtain the bid documents in time to see that there is a mandatory site visit requirement and could miss the opportunity to bid as a result.

Mandatory site visits are common when the work involves an existing building - either being renovated, expanded or demolished, or difficult site conditions - allowing bidders the opportunity to see the existing conditions to help inform their bid. Where a mandatory site visit is required, the date and time as well as location and any specifics the bidders will need to know in advance of attending should be clearly stipulated in the Bid Advertisement and Instructions to Bidders. Some of the information that may be provided in advance are whether personal protective equipment is required, site hazards to be aware of, whether the site is occupied, and rain / snow dates where a large part of the visit may be outdoors.

It is also necessary to maintain a written record of those in attendance, having each bidder attending print and sign their name, and provide their contact information including an email address that may be used when issuing addenda. Often the Instructions to Bidders stipulate that where a mandatory site visit is utilized, those bidders not in attendance (whose names have not been recorded) are not eligible to submit a bid.

Organized site visits are generally held in the first third of the bid period, allowing bidders time to preview the bid documents, schedule the visit, and prepare for travel if needed to attend the site. The timing of the site visits should also leave ample time for bidders to prepare their bids and submit bid inquiries well in advance of the deadline for submitting their. The number of site visits may also vary on a project. Some projects may include multiple dates for site visits to give bidders options for when they attend or provide bidders additional opportunities to visit the site. Most projects utilize one mandatory visit date where the building is still occupied or partially occupied in order to minimize disruptions to the occupants, and where organizing the visit is challenging or time consuming, such as where travel may be required.

Some Instructions to Bidders and Supplementary Conditions make the bidders responsible for observing existing conditions that ought to have been known at the time of the visit to relieve an owner of additional costs during construction for “unforeseen items” that were visible to the bidders during the mandatory site visit. The language used for such clauses should be reviewed by a lawyer. The intent of a mandatory site visit is that all bidders will have the same knowledge of the existing site conditions, will have gained the same knowledge of the project scope, any constraints or conditions that could impact their schedule or costs, and to afford bidders the opportunity to raise questions as a result of what they may have seen, not seen, or have discovered during the mandatory visit.

Any known conditions that could impact schedule or cost should be brought to the bidders’ attention during the mandatory visit. Some examples of existing conditions that could result in additional costs to a bidder and should be pointed out during a mandatory site visit include site access and staging restrictions, portions of the building where occupancy will be maintained, the lack of an elevator in a multi-storey building, or the presence of a crawlspace that will be accessed for running or modifying building services.

It is good practice to have a representative of all the consulting disciplines present for the mandatory site-visit to provide an overview of their related scope of work and to answer any questions that may arise related to their disciplines. It is important to note to bidders that any questions raised at the time or questions resulting from a mandatory site-visit will be recorded and answered by the issuance of an addendum whether the questions have been discussed or answered during the walk-through or not. Often the first addendum issued following a mandatory site visit includes a list of all attendees including their names, companies and contact information. This informs all parties of the potential bidders. Some consultants also record minutes of the mandatory site visit and include them as part of the first addendum.