You can create Alternates and Change Orders from the Bids Tab or from the Image Tab of an open Bid.
- Creating a Child Bid
- Alternate and Change Order Cover Sheets
- Notes about Child Bids
- Accepting Child Bids
Creating Child Bids
Creating a Child Bid on the Projects Tab
- Select the Project/Bid under which you want to create the Alternate or Change Order.
- Click File > New > Alternate or Change Order, or
- Click the New button
and select "Alternate" or "Change Order".
The appropriate Cover Sheet displays (see below).
Creating a Child Bid from the Project View tab on the Takeoff Tab
When you're working in a Project already, you can create a child bid right from the Takeoff Tab.
In the Conditions Window, you will see the Project View tab, this is where you can manage child bids and switch between them and the Base Bid.
- Click on the Project View tab
- Click on either the Alternates or Change Orders header (whichever you want to create)
- To create the alternate or change order, click the blue Add button
Shortcut: double-click on the Alternates header to create an Alternate and the Change Order header to create a Change Order
The appropriate child bid is created, and the appropriate Cover Sheet opens so you can edit the details.
The Alternate and Change Order Cover Sheets
When you create a child bid, either the Alternate or Change Order Cover Sheet appears...
Alternate Cover Sheet
Change Order Cover Sheet
Fill in the fields, only the Name is required.
| Field or Control | What it does... |
|---|---|
| Name | Enter a name for the Alternate or Change Order - limit: 75 characters. Required field. Names must not include Special Characters such as #, % or and -, any of the '<Shift> + Number' combinations or any brackets or back/forward slashes; only standard alpha-numeric English characters should be used. See File Path and File Name Character Limitations for more information. |
| Alt - C/O No. | Can be a number or an alpha-numeric entry. When creating Change Orders and Alternates, limit the length of the "No." field to 25 characters or less. Shown as the "Job No." on the Projects Tab. |
| Areas | Bid Areas from the Base Bid are shared with all child bids - if you add additional Bid Areas to a child bid, they are visible in the Base Bid and all other Child Bids. |
| Accepted |
|
| Notes | Document important information about the Alternate or Change Order here. |
Click OK to exit the Cover Sheet.
The Alternate or Change Order appears beneath the Project (Base Bid) on the Projects Tab...
and in the Conditions window, on the Project View tab...
and in the Bid View drop-down (all Program Tabs)...
Notes about Child Bids
- Child Bids are sorted in the same order as Base Bids on the Projects Tab although they always remain 'parked' under their Base Bid.
- Child Bids share their Pages (Plans) with the Base Bid. Deleting a page from the Base Bid's Cover Sheet deletes all takeoff on that page whether the takeoff exists in the Base Bid, Alternate, or Change Order. You are prompted to confirm but remember, this is permanent and cannot be undone.
- If you've used Typical Groups in your Base Bid, when you create an Alternate or Change Order, the Typical Groups, the Typical Group Frames, and the Typical Group Markers, are copied over from the Base Bid. There is no takeoff within the Typical Group Frame, but the markers are brought over to make your life a little easier. To make additions or subtractions from the Base Bid's Typical Groups, just account for the variance in the Child Bid's Typical Group Frame and the rest is done for you. See Related articles for more information on Typical Groups.
Accepting Child Bids
Alternates and Changes Orders must be "accepted" if you want them to affect your Base Bid's results.
- Once you create your Conditions, perform takeoff (draw measurements), and you're satisfied with your Condition results, return to the child bid's Cover Sheet and click the Accepted box. This indicates that you want to add or subtract the Condition Results from the Base Bid. This is performed in your estimating program (Quick Bid) and does not show in On-Screen Takeoff - the Base Bid's and all Child Bids' Condition results are kept separate in On-Screen Takeoff.
 What are Alternates and Change Orders? | Navigating Between Base and Child Bids  |
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