Subcontractors and suppliers are invited to bid via e-mails and faxes from the GC. 

The message via fax or e-mail explains that the general contractor is specifically inviting the firm to bid on this particular project and asks if they are interested in reviewing the plans. (For subs and suppliers who have not previously used the Private Construction Office, the staff at iSqFt follows up this message with an explanatory phone call.) 

If the sub/supplier decides they are interested in seeing the plans and specs, they sign-on to the website via the "project pass," or code that enables them to see plans and specs on the site. Each pass is project specific, allowing the sub or supplier access to that project only. 

The interested bidder can then view the plans, do a quick take-off via the FREE Toolbox software, print plans or order prints from a local repro firm. The site software also allows them to save the plans on their own hard drive in a project folder. 

Unique and proprietary compression technology allows subcontractors and suppliers to download full-size blueprints in minutes, using only a dial-up modem Internet connection. 

Once the plans are downloaded, the iSqFt Toolbox software allows the user to actually measure the prints on-screen, and then transfer the area/linear/count/volume measurements directly into the built-in Excel-compatible workbook. The user can measure and create highly detailed material and labor estimates, on-screen, without ever reducing the documents to paper. 

Those who need the full-size paper prints can order plans on-line or simply "tile-print" a full-size, to-scale, blueprint using standard 8½ x 11" paper. 

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