Reference

Submittal Guide

What Xtrata can expect from LÏEF on every intake — and what we need back from you to turn a bid around quickly and accurately.

What Xtrata can expect from LÏEF

Intake acknowledged

Within 48 hours, with a proposed turnaround of two business days.

Residential (ADU / SFR flat-lot) & commercial limited scope

Working estimate within 10–14 days, with a stated margin of error (MoE). Final, contractable estimates on approved plan sets may include an additional buffer.

Commercial, heavy scope

Working estimate within 2–3 weeks. Depends on scope, complexity, and number of third-party trades required.

Commercial, heavy specialty (elevators, fire, sport surfaces, etc.)

Early budget within 2 weeks. Firm-up bid within 6 weeks. Same factors apply: scope, complexity, third-party trades.

Every bid

States the plan stage priced against. Numbers carry the margin of error for that stage. We make assumptions on anything not clear in the plans, but plans change and evolve, so the MoE is our honest read on how much the number could still move.

Site visits

Projects requiring a site visit may require additional turnaround time beyond the bands above.

Two variables drive every turnaround

1. Stage of the plan set

Every bid carries a margin of error tied to plan completeness. As plans evolve, the MoE tightens. A firm fixed bid is only possible against an approved, permitted set.

Concept / schematic

±20–25%

Directional — heavy assumptions

Design Development (65%)

±12–15%

Working estimate — scope locked

95% DD / Pre-CD

±8–10%

Budget with tighter quantities

CDs / Permit set

±3–5%

Near-firm bid

Approved / Permitted set

Fixed

Firm fixed bid

We always reserve the right to rebid the final approved set. Permitting triggers changes between every stage — our number must reflect what's actually being built.

2. Residential vs. commercial

Residential (flat-lot)

ADU, SFR, custom home

LÏEF self-performs ~80% of scope. Fast turnaround — 10–14 days from a complete intake.

Commercial

Multi-trade, specialty scopes

Specialty trades require outsourcing. Subs on pre-CD plans give budgetary numbers only — firm pricing lands when plans are approved. The more specialty trades, the longer the turnaround.

What we need from Xtrata on every submission

The purpose of this list is communication accuracy between Xtrata, LÏEF, and the client or architect. Plan set and project summary let us pull most of what we need without Xtrata doing redundant work. The rest is context only Xtrata can provide.

01Plan set, clearly labeled with stage (schematic / DD / 65% DD / 95% DD / CD / permit-issued). Usually pulled straight from the cover sheet.
02Project summary: scope, location, owner / GC / architect, target timeline, site constraints. Most of this can be pulled from the plan set, so no need to duplicate.
03Xtrata material quote, the total material number Xtrata has quoted the client. If not quoted yet, just say so.
04Cost-per-unit breakdown of Xtrata material (slab screw $/LF, block $/SF, SABScrete $/SF, etc.). This is the part most often missing. If it's not provided, we'll give a range on what we're looking to sell it at, with the understanding that every line item is often open to negotiation toward close. We want to work hand-in-hand with Xtrata to actually land the job.
05Xtrata scope assumptions, plus pre-qualification of any specialty trades or vendors the client intends to use. Specialty items are time-intensive to bid, and all bidding is labor-intensive. If there's a specific sub, vendor, or product already in play, that's essential information so we aren't pricing scope that has a low likelihood of staying with us.
06Client-side point of contact, so we can go direct if a takeoff question comes up. Xtrata can also share Jesse's contact with the client directly. He fields those calls.

Incomplete intakes push turnaround back. The faster we get a full packet, the faster a number goes back to your client.

← Back to pipeline