Construction Documents
Scope Tip
Clearly define the intended use and required level of detail for the construction documents. They should provide enough information to support the project’s permitting and approvals, bidding and procurement, construction, and quality assurance needs, as applicable.
Scope Item Definition
Develop the plans, specifications, drawings, maps, construction notes, and other documentation needed to communicate the trail design for permitting and approvals, procurement, and construction.
Construction documents build on the conceptual plan and field design and translate the proposed trail and its features into the level of detail needed for implementation. They provide a common basis for contractors to price and propose on the same scope of work and provide a reference for quality assurance and quality control during construction. Construction documents are also often incorporated into or used to support permitting and environmental review documentation.
When / Where It Applies
Construction documents are developed when documentation is needed to move a planned or field-designed trail project toward permitting, approval, procurement, or construction.
The required level of documentation varies significantly by project. Some trail projects may be constructed from a field-designed alignment supported by trail specifications, maps, and construction notes. Others may require more detailed drawings, specifications, structure or feature details, quantities, or agency-specific documentation.
Construction documents may also be required as part of permitting, environmental review, or land manager approval. Plans, specifications, structure details, resource protection measures, and other design information may need to be developed before permits or approvals can be completed.
Construction documents can be valuable when a project will be competitively bid because they establish a consistent basis for contractors to understand and price the work. They also establish the plans, specifications, and expectations against which construction can be reviewed for quality assurance and quality control.
The scope should clearly define the intended uses and required level of detail for the construction documents.
Scope Considerations
Depending on the project, the scope should consider and clearly define:
Purpose and level of documentation: Define whether documents are intended for permitting, approval, procurement, construction, or multiple purposes, and the required level of design detail.
Trail alignment and spatial information: Incorporate the approved or field-designed trail alignment, control points, trail features, structures, crossings, and other relevant spatial information.
Trail specifications: Document applicable trail specifications and design criteria, including trail type, width, grade, surface, difficulty, accessibility requirements, and other characteristics needed to guide construction.
Construction details and notes: Define required typical sections, construction details, materials, construction methods, tolerances, and other information needed to communicate the intended design.
Structures and trail features: Identify the level of design and documentation required for retaining walls, bridges, boardwalks, drainage features, crossings, or other significant trail features.
Permitting and compliance integration: Identify plans, maps, drawings, specifications, resource protection measures, or other design information needed to support permitting, environmental review, or land manager approval.
Procurement and bidding: Provide sufficient information about the work, quantities, specifications, features, and contractor responsibilities to support clear and comparable construction proposals or bids.
Contractor design responsibility and flexibility: Distinguish elements that must conform to the construction documents from those that may be field designed or refined by the construction contractor, including where field adjustments are allowed and when approval is required.
Quality assurance / quality control: Identify the plans, specifications, tolerances, performance expectations, or other design information that will be used to evaluate construction quality and conformance with the intended design.
Quantities and cost information: Define whether quantities, bid schedules, cost estimates, or other procurement information are required.
Document standards: Identify required formats, scales, GIS/CAD standards, agency templates, drawing conventions, or professional stamping requirements.
Review and revisions: Define owner, land manager, permitting agency, and other review processes and anticipated revision cycles.
Owner-Provided Information
The owner should provide the following, if available and applicable:
Conceptual trail plan and previous planning and design information.
Approved or field-designed trail alignment and associated GPS/GIS data.
Trail specifications and design criteria.
Applicable land and resource management requirements.
Natural and cultural resource information, avoidance areas, and other known site constraints.
Permitting, environmental review, and approval requirements.
Existing surveys, technical studies, or other project-specific information.
Required agency, procurement, or construction-document standards and formats.
Known construction methods and intended level of contractor design responsibility.
Applicable agency, permitting, or professional requirements that affect the construction documents.
Deliverables
Depending on the scope, deliverables may include:
Construction plans, drawings, and maps.
Trail alignment and other GIS/spatial data.
Trail specifications and design criteria.
Typical trail sections and construction details.
Construction notes and material specifications.
Structure, crossing, drainage, and other feature details.
Permit or environmental review drawings and supporting design documentation.
Resource protection or mitigation requirements.
Quantities, bid schedules, or other procurement documentation.
Construction cost estimate.
Draft, review, and final document sets.
Pricing & Payment Considerations
The solicitation should clearly define the anticipated level of effort and pricing considerations, including:
Approximate trail mileage and project complexity.
Existing level of planning and field design.
Intended use and required level of detail for the documents.
Number and complexity of structures, crossings, drainage features, and other designed elements.
Any specialized technical services or documentation required for the project.
Permitting and agency documentation requirements.
Required drawings, specifications, maps, quantities, and digital files.
Number of draft and final document sets and anticipated review/revision cycles.
Meetings, site visits, field reviews, and agency coordination.
Mobilization and travel requirements, including whether travel time and expenses should be included in the proposed price or reimbursed separately.
Whether permitting fees, surveys, technical studies, or other direct costs are included or provided separately.
Pricing may be structured as a lump sum or time and materials with a not-to-exceed amount, depending on how clearly the required documents, technical services, and review process can be defined.
Common Scope & Contracting Issues
Not defining whether construction documents are intended for permitting, approval, procurement, construction, or multiple purposes.
Assuming every trail project requires the same type or level of construction documentation.
Not clearly defining the expected level of design detail or what constitutes a complete document set.
Providing insufficient information for contractors to develop comparable proposals or bids, resulting in different assumptions about scope, quantities, or pricing.
Not distinguishing between elements that must conform to the documents and those that may be field designed or refined by the construction contractor.
Developing overly prescriptive documents that unnecessarily limit appropriate field adjustments during construction.
Conversely, leaving significant design decisions to the contractor without clearly defining trail specifications, performance expectations, control points, or decision-making authority.
Not establishing clear specifications or performance criteria that can be used for quality assurance and quality control during construction.
Not identifying structures, crossings, or other features that require additional or specialized design documentation.
Not identifying applicable permitting, environmental review, land manager, professional stamping, or document-format requirements.
Not defining responsibility for surveys, technical studies, or supporting information.
Not defining review, revision, and approval responsibilities or anticipated review cycles.
Assuming that preparation of construction documents includes obtaining permits or approvals when permitting and compliance responsibilities have not been defined.