What is a planroom? A planroom is a full service center which warehouses construction plans and specifications for the construction industry to review. Typically, as the exposure of a project increases, so does the number of competitive bids an owner receives.
Who benefits from a planroom? Owners A planroom provides increased competition in the marketplace, which helps owners achieve better pricing. Planrooms give specialty contractors, subcontractors and suppliers an opportunity to learn about bid opportunities and a place to price their work.
Architects and Engineers While a planroom serves as a location to attract interested bidders, it also helps an architect or engineer by posting important information such as bid dates, mandatory pre-bid conferences, addendums and other bidding requirements for those reviewing the plans and specs. ECA works carefully with architects and engineers to make sure we have the most up-to-date and accurate information on their projects. The planroom gives maximum notice and exposure to projects. This helps architects obtain competitive bids for the owners.
General Contractors General Contractors work with hundreds if not thousands of specialty contractors and supplier firms. General Contractors use planrooms as a means to send these construction firms to a central location instead of the General Contractor’s office. This often eliminates excess traffic and disruption at their office and in many cases is more convenient to the subcontractor and suppliers.
Subcontractors & Suppliers Subcontractors and suppliers rely on the service of a planroom to receive notice of bid opportunities and to learn of important information, such as bid dates, pre-bid conferences and keeping track of addendums. This information is critical for them to be able to provide competitive pricing. Additionally, the central location of multiple projects provides a convenient and inexpensive way to review a large amount of bid opportunities at one time.
Do you want to send us plans/specs?
If you would like to upload plans and/or specs for the ECA electronic planroom system, please click on the link below. Please note that it will take you to an external website capable of allowing large files to be transferred.
Planroom Manager: Dustin Henry HOURS: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
You should obtain an updated list of Plans & Specs on file each time you visit the plan room.
All Spec Books are kept at the front desk and must be requested by slot number. You must return them when you are finished. Do not leave them in the plan room.
Plans & Specs may be used for a maximum of four hours. If no one is waiting, Plans & Specs may be signed out for an additional four hours, but will have to be returned if requested by another member.
Plans & Specs may not be mutilated, defaced or marked in any way; they may not be taken apart to make copies, ECA staff will instruct you on how to print plans and specs using the electronic plan room.
Plans and Specs must not be taken out of the building at any time during the day.
Please do not scan Plans & Specs at the reception area. Take them to a cubicle in the plan room.
Lists of bidders are available for jobs in the plan room. If we do not have a list of bidders at the time of request, we will gladly obtain one and fax it to you.
Available - Photocopies of specification books are $.25 per page, blueprint copies of plans are $2.00 per sheet (member pricing). We would appreciate all copy requests be made prior to 4:30 p.m. WE REQUEST THAT YOU MAKE PAYMENT AT THE TIME THE COPIES ARE MADE AND WE WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A RECEIPT. We will only bill your company for copies made if the total is over $10.00.
OVERNIGHT CHECK OUT: Plans & specs may be reserved overnight and on weekends by ECA MEMBERS ONLY. PLEASE REMOVE PLANS FROM THE RACK IF HANGING, LEAVING RACK IN THE PLAN ROOM. Plans & Specs can be picked up between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m. and must be returned by 8:30 a.m. the next business day. FAILURE TO RETURN PLANS & SPECS BY 8:30 a.m. COULD RESULT IN FORFEITURE OF TAKE OUT PRIVILEGES.
We ask that you do NOT use cell phones in the plan room. Please kindly step outside into the hallway or lobby if you must use your phone.
