Reconcile quantities, scope and quote before you send the number

An estimate can be arithmetically correct and still be wrong for the job. That happens when the measured quantity, the work described in the drawings and specifications, and the quote line do not refer to the same thing.

Start with a traceable quantity

For every material number, count, length or area, keep the source drawing, revision, measurement method and unit beside it. Workshop can hold manual measurements, layers and computed overlays in the project context. Use that record to make the number reviewable; do not rely on a total copied into a spreadsheet with no way back to the sheet.

Measure the thing you are actually pricing. A linear run may need fittings, supports, excavation, restoration, testing and commissioning. A door count may need hardware sets, frames, fire ratings, installation and protection. The quantity is an input to scope, never the whole scope.

Worked example: price the partition package

A fit-out plan has 1,200 linear feet of partitions. The count is visible on the drawing, but the priced package also needs track, studs, insulation where specified, board both sides, taping, door openings, firestopping, lifts, protection, waste and a sequence around occupied areas. The scope may also exclude electrical rough-in and final paint.

Open the plan and specification in Workshop and use this brief:

Measure the partition types shown in this fit-out set and build a reviewable quantity log. For each type, cite the drawing and revision, unit and measurement method. Reconcile the quantity against the partition schedule and specification, then list the installation, supporting work, exclusions and unresolved conditions that must appear in a quote. Flag any conflict rather than choosing a value silently.

The estimator should be able to read the resulting line map from left to right: evidence and quantity; priced scope; rate and extension in the quote; exclusions or allowance; and the question that could change the line. That is the check before commercial handoff.

Map scope to commercial lines

Create one clear quote line for each priced scope package. For each line, ask four questions:

1. What evidence establishes the quantity?
2. What drawings, specifications and assumptions define the work?
3. What labour, material, equipment, indirect work and contingency are included?
4. What is excluded, supplied by others or awaiting clarification?

The answer creates a defensible bridge between the project evidence and the commercial offer. It also makes a change visible when a revised drawing changes a count or a specification adds a requirement.

Reconcile before handoff

Review the quantity log against the source documents, then review the quote against the log. Look for duplicated scope, unpriced supporting work, mixed units, allowances buried in totals and exclusions that contradict the proposal. If there is a conflict, create a finding or question rather than silently choosing a number.

When the project is ready, use Workshop’s Deliver → Open quote & proposal action. It creates or opens the linked quote draft with quantities included; it does not invent your rates. Complete the pricing, scope, exclusions and terms in the quote workspace, then check the final document against the same evidence used to build it.

Open Workshop to work from the drawings, then try quoting to review the commercial result before it is sent.