Architectural concrete carries exacting exposed finish requirements that drive the formwork and the labor, and a concrete subcontractor that does not read the finish scope underprices the work.
What architectural concrete sets
Architectural concrete is exposed to view and held to tight finish, color, and texture requirements, with specialized formwork, mockups, and tolerances under ACI. The package sets the finish class, the formwork, the mockups, and the tolerances the concrete sub must achieve, well beyond structural concrete.
Why finish scope is easy to misprice
The finish class, the formwork quality, the mockups, and the tolerances sit in the Division 03 specifications and the architectural drawings, not the title. A sub that prices it as structural concrete underprices the formwork and the finish labor.
How an AI bid agent reads architectural concrete
An AI bid agent reads each concrete package, identifies the architectural and exposed finish scope, and surfaces the finish class, the formwork, and the mockups that drive the work. The concrete sub prices the actual finish.
You can see how the agent reads a concrete package in our AI bid agent demo for specialty trade contractors. It pulls the architectural finish class, formwork, and mockup scope so the finish is priced.