I have been successful distributing construction documents strictly electronically through local copy shops, and builders exchanges
Certainly you cannot authorize or control who looks at the drawings or uses them for what purpose, but plan rooms provide a great environment for competitive bidding, which often helps to keep your projects in budget. The biggest problem with plan rooms is contractors who base their bids on review of only parts, or partial sets of documents. This can lead to disputes. Once the drawings are in a plan room you loose control over what contractors are seeing and not seeing. (the old adage: "I never received that print"). I try to curtail any potential omissions by making the contractor responsible for the entire set of documents and making them register. Registration validates that the contractor takes permission for the entire set of construction documents.
This notice appears on the first page of my specifications:
NOTICE:
You are purchasing or receiving these construction documents through a third party printer, a builder's exchange, or electronic transfer.
In order to receive addenda, bulletins and other notices throughout the bidding phase you must REGISTER your company with the architect. Send information by one of the following: Email: XXX.XXXXXX.Com or Fax: XXX XXX XXXX or Mail: Baechle & Associates Architects, XXX XXXX XXXXXInclude: Name of company, (state prime: General, Mechanical, Electrical or Plumbing), Address, Phone number , Email address , FAX, Contact person
You will receive a return acknowledgement that you are registered as a bidder. If you do not, within 24 hours, then call the architect at XXX XXX XXXX.
Only registered bidders will receive addenda. Failure to register will result in failure to receive potential changes to the contract, which could possibly affect the final bid. The Owner assumes no liability for incomplete bid proposals, or bids, based on incomplete information.
CONFIRM YOUR DOCUMENTS
The designated printing companies have been chosen for their high quality service, attention to detail, and accuracy in production, and electronic documents are provide for your convenience, however, mishaps can occur.
The contractor is responsible to check and verify that all documents have been received:
Contractors are responsible for review of the entire set of documents.
DRAWINGS: See sheet G1.1 Table of contents. Assure that all drawings are included as per this table-of-contents. If any are drawing sheets are missing, contact your printer.
SPECIFICATIONS: See the Table of Contents included in the specification booklet. Assure all specification sections are included. Contact your printer if any items are missing.
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Patrick Baechle AIA
Firm Owner/Architect
Baechle & Associates
Hollidaysburg PA
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-24-2014 18:42
From: Adam Trott
Subject: Unauthorized document distribution
Peter,
PLAN ROOMS
This is probably common for most firms......
When I have a project, the critical aspect is whether it is an open public bid or a private bid by invitation only.
PUBLIC BID
If public bid (usually required by the government funding behind it), then it is publicly advertised and we take all comers. Plan rooms can have full access, and this is easier these days with electronic transfer - no printing cost hitting the Owner. Primes have to be a bidder of record, so there is no avoiding that cost. The printing budget is high on these projects.
PRIVATE BID
When it is a private bid, then it is by invitation only so that the Owner is not saddled with large printing costs, and shielded by us from calls from every contractor and sub-contractor that wants a piece of the job. The bidders are recommended by us, approved by the Owner and are in the project region so that they use local workers. The whole process is contained, and the plan rooms don't get these documents - EVER. They ask for them all the time, but with no success. If we hear they got them anyway and made them available - then they are removed from our "friendly" plan room list. They seem to understand this warning and so far, they've never tried.
Good luck. I also cut my teeth in the 1980's mylar and vellum age.
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Adam Trott AIA
Owner
Adam J. Trott Architect
Erie PA
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-21-2014 09:38
From: Peter Franks
Subject: Unauthorized document distribution
There is a facet of my recent experience that I left out in the initial post, as I wanted to see the broad general response to the issue first.
Here it is....It is my understanding that the local planroom who took the paper documents and scanned/uploaded/made nationally available is a "partner" with the subscription-based web service. They receive a per sheet/per page payment for "bringing the project in."
I have a hard time with an entity other than my firm and our reprographer being compensated for the work we do.
I have been in the profession since the vellum and Mylar days of the late 80's, and our firm is in its 9th year, so I didn't just fall off the turnip cart. My firm is small by choice and enjoyably healthy from a business perspective. About 75% of our work is in the historic preservation arena. I am hardly an old sourpuss sitting around looking for things to be cranky about.
I get that when a project is publicly bid the very intention of the process is to make the information freely available to appropriate audiences - to the benefit of the Owner and their project. Our reprographer (a very service-oriented firm who has always taken very good care of us) has an online planroom, and the documents are available in print, CD, or PDF download format.
I just have a very hard time with the contractor-oriented subscription services' (there are many) business model being based on charging subscription fees and paying kickbacks for distributing work that they, in a great many cases, don't have any rights to in the first place.
Does that change anyone's take on the situation?
Thanks for your continued feedback, everyone.
I've honestly gotten more value out of my AIA dues in the last week than many years prior.
Pete
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Peter Franks AIA
The Franks Design Group, P.C.
Glenwood IA
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