An entry-level practical, hands-on course designed for commercial subcontractors, estimators, and field staff who need to read plans accurately for bidding, estimating, and construction.
Who Should Attend:
Entry-level and experienced subcontractors, estimators, and construction professionals seeking to improve plan reading, quantity takeoff, and scope understanding.
Dates
July 18 – August 22
Saturdays
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Register Here
Week 1 Saturday, July 18, 2026
Week 2 Saturday, July 25, 2026
Week 3 Saturday, August 1, 2026
Week 4 Saturday, August 8, 2026
Week 5 Saturday, August 15, 2026
Week 6 Saturday, August 22, 2026
Location
RHCA HQ & Training Center, 2210 W. Illinois Av. Dallas, Texas 75224
Class 1: Blueprint basics and how a set is organized
Objectives: Understand what’s in a commercial plan set and how to navigate it fast. Know who owns what (architect vs engineer vs specialty drawings)
Content
Sheet index: G, C, A, S, M, P, E, FP, ID, LS
Title blocks: project name, sheet number, revision dates, seals, keynotes, general notes, abbreviations, symbols legend, addenda, bulletins, ASIs, CCDs: what changes your price and scope
Exercises:
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“Find it fast” scavenger hunt in a sample plan set
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Identify the latest revision, addenda impacts, and which sheets apply to your trade
Class 2: Scales, dimensions, and measuring correctly
Objectives: Read scales and take off quantities without common mistakes
Content
Architectural vs engineering scale, typical commercial scales
Dimension strings, baseline dimensions, datum points
Tolerances and “do not scale” rules
Digital measuring in PDFs (settings, calibration, pitfalls)
Exercises
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Measure rooms and assemblies at different scales
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Calibrate a PDF and confirm against stated dimensions
Class 3: Plans, elevations, sections, and details
Objectives: Understand how drawings “talk to each other” and where the real info lives
Content
Plan views vs reflected ceiling plans
Elevations: exterior/interior, storefront/curtainwall basics
Sections: building sections, wall sections
Details: where constructability and trade interfaces show up, callouts, detail references, match lines, key plans
Exercises
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Trace a wall type from plan to wall section to detail
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Identify missing info and write a clean RFI question
Class 4: Specifications, codes, and what actually governs
Objectives: Know order of precedence and how specs affect labor and material
Content
Project manual structure, Division 01, trade divisions (CSI),
Performance vs prescriptive requirements,
Submittals, mockups, quality requirements that cost money,
Fire ratings, STC, ADA basics, egress: what subs must watch
Exercises
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Pull 10 scope drivers from specs that change price
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Spot 5 “hidden” requirements in Division 01 that affect schedule and manpower
Class 5: Scope delineation, exclusions, and coordination boundaries
Objectives: Write scopes that protect you and catch gaps before you buy risk
Content
Typical trade boundary issues (blocking, sleeves, firestopping, sealants, temp protection)
Allowances vs alternates vs unit prices
Owner-furnished/contractor-installed (OFCI) traps
Qualification language that’s fair and defensible
Exercises
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Build a “scope checklist” for your trade
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Draft a one-page inclusions/exclusions and clarifications sheet for a bid
Class 6: Structural and civil fundamentals for subs
Objectives: Read enough S and C sheets to avoid bad assumptions
Content
Grids, column lines, elevations/benchmarks, control lines
Footings, slabs, embeds, anchors, rebar basics (what you must coordinate)
Civil site plan basics: grades, utilities, storm, erosion control
Exercises
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Identify slab elevations and required transitions
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Locate embeds/anchors that affect your install and quantify the impact
Class 7: MEP/FP basics and trade impacts
Objectives: Understand MEP/FP drawings enough to coordinate and price conflicts
Content
Single-line vs plan views, risers, schedules
Equipment schedules: power, clearances, weights, housekeeping pads
Ceiling coordination: duct, pipe, conduit, lights, diffusers, sprinkler heads
Penetrations and sleeves: who provides, firestopping scope
Exercises
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Find 10 coordination conflicts and assign “owner” trade responsibility
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Create a penetration log from one area of the plan
Class 8: Door, window, finish, and specialty schedules
Objectives: Use schedules correctly and avoid underpricing scope items
Content
Door schedules, hardware sets, frame types, ratings
Window/storefront schedules, glazing types
Finish plans and finish schedules (flooring transitions, wall base, corner guards)
Equipment and specialty schedules relevant to interiors
Exercises
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Build a quick takeoff from a door schedule and verify against plan tags
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Spot rating and hardware scope issues that change cost
Class 9: Takeoff workflows for estimating
Objectives: Turn drawings into quantities, labor assumptions, and a bid number
Content
Takeoff structure: zones/levels/areas, waste factors, productivity assumptions, crew mix, assemblies vs unit takeoff (when each is better), plan review checklist before takeoff starts
Exercises
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Complete a mini takeoff (one floor or one area) using a template
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Compare two estimators’ quantities and reconcile differences
Class 10: Pricing, risk, bid submission, and handoff to operations
Objectives: Submit clean bids and set the project team up to win after the award
Content
Bid leveling: what GC asks for and how to respond
Addenda tracking and last-minute changes
Schedule impacts, long-lead items, escalation language
Turnover package: what PM and foreman need from estimating
Exercises
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Build a bid recap: scope, clarifications, assumptions, alternates, exclusions
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Create a turnover checklist and a “risk register” for the job