Glossary
The vocabulary of commercial flooring bid coordination.
Plain-language definitions of the terms reps, estimators, and GCs use every week. Bookmark this if you are new to the trade or training a new rep.
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Takeoff
aka Material takeoff, quantity takeoff
- A quantification of materials needed for a project, derived from architectural drawings or specifications. The takeoff lists every line item the subcontractor will need to price — product, quantity, unit, and location.
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RFQ (Request for Quote)
aka Request for pricing, price request
- A formal request sent to a supplier asking for current pricing on specific materials. RFQs typically include the product, quantity, freight destination, and required delivery date.
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Bid
aka Proposal, quote
- The priced proposal a subcontractor submits to a general contractor or owner for a project. The bid contains material costs, labor, overhead, margin, and project-specific terms.
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GC
aka General contractor, prime contractor
- The prime contractor on a project who hires subcontractors. GCs issue bid invites to subs and select winning bids based on price, schedule, and qualifications.
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Spec
aka Specification, specification document
- The architect-issued document that defines acceptable products, brands, and installation requirements for a project. Subcontractors must price work that meets the spec.
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Submittal
aka Product submittal
- The formal product information package a subcontractor sends for approval before installation. Submittals include manufacturer data sheets, color samples, and installation specifications.
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LVT
aka Luxury Vinyl Tile, vinyl plank
- A common commercial flooring product made of multiple layers of vinyl. LVT mimics wood, stone, or tile and is popular in retail, healthcare, and education projects.
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Broadloom
aka Wall-to-wall carpet, roll goods
- Wall-to-wall carpet sold by the linear yard from rolls (typically 12 or 15 feet wide). Common in offices, hospitality, and education.
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Carpet tile
aka Modular carpet, carpet squares
- Carpet manufactured in square or planked modular tiles, typically 24"×24" or 18"×36". Easier to replace than broadloom and common in corporate office and government work.
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Base and transitions
aka Wall base, transition strips
- Wall base (the trim where the floor meets the wall) and floor transitions (the strips between two flooring materials). Common line items on every flooring bid that often get rushed at the end of pricing.
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Attic stock
aka Maintenance stock, extra material
- Extra material delivered to the site for the owner to use for future repairs. Spec documents often require attic stock as a percentage of total material — commonly 2 to 5 percent.
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Alternate
aka Bid alternate, alternate price
- A separate priced option in a bid that the GC or owner may select instead of the base bid. Flooring bids commonly include carpet tile alternates from multiple manufacturers.
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Lead time
aka Delivery time, ship date
- The time between a supplier accepting an order and delivering the material. Lead times vary by manufacturer and product and are often a deciding factor on bid day.
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Bid day
aka Submission deadline
- The day a bid is due to the general contractor or owner. Most pricing pressure happens in the 48 hours leading up to bid day.
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Bottoms-up adoption
aka Product-led growth, PLG
- A sales motion where individual users — in this case, sales reps — adopt a tool on their own, then bring it into the rest of the organization. Common in modern SaaS and the way SpecSync is bought.
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