The main difference is timing
Both ask the design team to clear up the documents. The timing changes the rules. Before the bid, every bidder must get the same answer. After the award, the answer goes to the contractor that holds the contract. People often call both an RFI. Bid documents usually say bidder question or request for interpretation.
Side by side
- A pre-bid question follows the instructions to bidders. An RFI follows Division 01.
- A pre-bid question has a firm deadline before the bid date. An RFI has a review time set by the contract.
- An answer to a pre-bid question is binding when it appears in an addendum. An RFI response clarifies the contract documents.
- A pre-bid answer changes every bidder's price. An RFI response can lead to a change order if it adds work.
How a subcontractor asks a pre-bid question
Read the instructions to bidders. Many owners accept questions only from prime bidders and only in writing. A subcontractor then sends the question to a general contractor on the bidders list. Send it early. General contractors bundle questions and need time to forward them.
- Name the spec section and paragraph, and the sheet and detail.
- State the conflict or the gap in one or two sentences.
- Ask one question per item.
- Suggest an answer if you have one.
- Send it before the deadline and keep a copy.
If no answer comes
Verbal answers usually do not bind the owner. The instructions to bidders often say so. If the addenda do not answer your question, state your assumption in your proposal. Name the item you included or excluded.
Why ask before the bid
A conflict found before the bid costs one email. The same conflict found after the award becomes an argument about what your price included. Many contracts expect bidders to report conflicts they find. Check the conditions for the job.
Bid documents · Updated 11 Nov 2026