How are your prints supplied?

[grumpydasmurf]

When you guys bid off print, how are your prints supplied?

When we are working with GC's that we've worked with in the past, they usually foot the bill of reproduction.

I've began to bid for quite a few new GC's. Most of which want me to pick up the plans at a reproduction shop at my own expense ($20-$200 depending).

Personally I don't want to pay. I have autocad and can print them myself at my office, if I want. I could also do all the take offs on screen using auto cad. Should I request these GC's send me the prints in cad form?

[Rich]

Is what we typically do is provide prints for them with a $100 deposit for bidding. If they do not receive the job and they return the drawings we refund the $100.
If they receive the job we also refund the $100 but if they want more prints they cover the reproduction costs.
It's unlikely that a GC or architect will send you a set of CAD drawings without some type of agreement that they can't be used in another manner not in tune with the same project. And even more unlikely that they will send you them for bidding purposes.
The best way is to request them in is PDF format which can be easily printed in large format. This covers the architect and gc from changing or reformatting the drawings.

[utahcutter]

I agree, the GC most likely won't give you an electronic copy of their drawings. I know how stingy we are with ours. You could also get them to send you a plot file. They're very similar to PDF's, but are more of a pain to plot off since you have to plot them from DOS prompt if I remember right. Another intersting thing a GC just did that I am working with was setting up an FTP site. This of course was done after contracts were signed, but it allows everybody access to updated drawings, and they can plot off whatever they want.

[Rich]

Yep.. we use Project Talk for a collaboration tool. It costs us a bundle but all our jobsites are required to use it now (if they are over 1million dollars). We pay $400 per million dollars of work. It's a very extensive system but is somewhat limited if you have anything less than a T1 line because the connection is not all that great.