Handle revisions
& addenda.
Addenda land late and change scope quietly. Here is how to re-run on a revised set and read the quantity deltas so nothing slips through.
Why revisions are dangerous
An addendum can move a wall, change a partition type, or add a rated corridor on a single sheet — and it is your job to catch it across a hundred pages. By hand, that means re-checking the whole floor. With Pilars, you re-run the takeoff on the revised set and compare quantities to your original, so the change shows up as a number, not a hunt.
Step by step
- Get the full revised set. Upload the complete revised PDF, not just the changed sheets — the legend and schedules may have changed too, and the AI reads the whole set.
- Re-run the same trade. Fire the same quick action you ran originally, for example Complete drywall takeoff, so you are comparing like for like.
- Compare the BOQs. Put the revised BOQ beside your original export. Differences in count, LF and SF by material line are your deltas.
- Trace each delta to a wall. Use the classification overlays to see which segments changed type or appeared, so you know the addendum actually drove the difference.
- Re-run the compliance check. A revision that adds or downgrades a rated wall can flip a PASS to a FAIL — re-checking catches it.
Reading quantity deltas
The fastest way to review a revision is to diff the two Excel BOQs. Sort both by material line and look at where the numbers moved. A jump in rated-partition LF usually means a corridor was added or upgraded; a drop in board SF can mean a wall came out or a height changed. Each delta should map to something you can point to on the revised plan. If a quantity moved and you cannot find why, that is the line to investigate — it is exactly the kind of silent scope change addenda are famous for.
Because each Pilars run is fast and priced per trade per plan, re-running on a revision is cheap insurance. The alternative — assuming an addendum only touched what its cover note says — is how scope gaps end up in awarded bids.
Pro tips
- Name each export with the revision date so your before/after comparison is unambiguous.
- Always upload the full revised set; a changed legend can shift quantities even where the plan looks identical.
- Diff the Excel BOQs line by line — the deltas are faster to read than re-reading the drawings.
- Re-run compliance after every revision; rating changes are the costliest thing an addendum can hide.
Frequently asked
Do I upload only the changed sheets for a revision?
No — upload the full revised set. The legend and schedules may have changed too, and Pilars reads the whole set to take off accurately.
How do I see what changed between versions?
Re-run the same trade, then diff the revised Excel BOQ against your original by material line. The differences in count, LF and SF are your quantity deltas.
Does a revision affect code compliance?
It can. A revision that adds or downgrades a rated wall can flip a PASS to a FAIL, so re-run the compliance check after every revised set.
— Keep going