MasterFormat Codes That Drive Concrete Cutting & Core Drilling Tenders

If you’re searching tender documents for “03 82 13 Concrete Core Drilling”, you’ll often see the same section written as 038213. That’s just compact vs spaced formatting—the intent is the same, but the scope language around it can vary by project.

Here’s the estimator reality: No volume = no bid-ready price. If drawings/specs don’t define quantities, thickness, access, and constraints, you’re forced to guess—and guesses are where margin and schedule go to die.

This guide is written in tender language: what these sections usually cover, where scopes get split, and what to clarify so a concrete cutting subcontractor can price cleanly and your team can defend the numbers.

What MasterFormat Is (and Why Estimators Care)

MasterFormat is a spec section numbering system used to organize scopes in the project manual. Estimators care because it influences:

• Where work is described (and what’s “incidental”).
• How it’s measured (per hole, per linear foot, per shift windows).
• Who owns coordination (scanning, water/slurry, patching, disposal routes).

In practice, tender specifications concrete cutting live across a few sections—so you need a simple map of “what belongs where” before you can carry risk properly.

Decoding 03 82 13 / 038213: Concrete Core Drilling

03 82 13 Concrete Core Drilling typically covers round penetrations through concrete and masonry elements—slabs, walls, beams (where allowed), housekeeping pads, curbs, and foundations.

What it usually needs to be bid-ready:

• Hole list: diameter(s) + quantity + location references.
• Depth/thickness: total thickness to core through (and what’s below).
• Reinforcement conditions: rebar density, mesh, or unknown.
• Access + setup: ceiling height, scaffold/lift needs, tight rooms, occupied areas.
• Water management: wet coring requires a plan for slurry containment and disposal.
• Close-out responsibilities: scanning requirements, labeling, patching/firestopping (varies).

A key point for clean bid scope concrete coring: core drilling is measurable, but only if the inputs exist. If the tender has “core as required” language without quantities, it should carry an allowance or be clarified by RFI.

About patching and firestopping: some specs put it under coring; others push it to firestopping/MEP. Treat it as project-specific and clarify before award.

Related Codes for Cutting & Sawing (and how scopes get split)

Concrete cutting is often separated by method and element type. These are common pairings in Ontario ICI bid sets:

• 03 81 00 Concrete Cutting
  Broad umbrella for saw cutting, openings, trimming, removals related to cutting operations, and general requirements.
• 03 81 13 Flat Concrete Sawing
  Typically used for slabs-on-grade / suspended slabs: trench lines, slab removal boundaries, straight-line cuts, flush/flat cuts (when specified).
• 03 81 19 Wire Concrete Wall Sawing
  Often used when the work needs wire sawing: thick reinforced concrete, limited access, controlled segmentation, or lower vibration approaches compared to impact methods.

Different spec writers split these differently. The bid strategy is the same: price as line items tied to quantities and constraints, not as a lump guess.

Comparison Table: Codes, Measurement Logic, and Coordination Notes

MasterFormat CodeWhat It Typically CoversHow It’s Often Measured (units/logic)Common Coordination Notes (live site, scanning, water/slurry, patching, disposal)

03 82 13 Concrete Core Drilling

Round penetrations through slabs/walls/foundations

By hole diameter + depth/thickness + quantity; setup/access as modifiers

Wet coring = slurry control; reinforcement uncertainty may require GPR/concrete scanning; patching/firestopping is project-defined

03 81 00 Concrete Cutting

General concrete cutting requirements; openings/line cuts

By linear feet + depth/thickness; sometimes by opening count/size

Live-site phasing, barricades, protection; disposal responsibility must be stated

03 81 13 Flat Concrete Sawing

Slab cutting: trench lines, panelization, flush cuts

By linear feet or area segmented; thickness drives production logic

Noise/dust/water rules; what’s below the slab (occupied space, parking, services) changes method and containment

03 81 19 Wire Concrete Wall Sawing

Thick/complex cuts where wire sawing is required

By cut plan/sequence; measured as cuts/linear feet but priced around access + segmentation

Often paired with rigging/haul routes; scanning may be required; sequencing windows matter more than raw footage

The 5 Tender Pitfalls That Blow Up Schedule & Margin

1. “No separate payment / incidental work” language
   Cause: spec says protection, slurry control, or mobilization is “included.”
   Effect: the scope silently expands and becomes non-recoverable.
   Fix: carry an allowance or clarify what’s included/excluded and how it’s measured.
2. Missing quantities and thickness
   Cause: “core as required” / “sawcut as needed” with no takeoff basis.
   Effect: forced guessing → wide bid spread → change order fights later.
   Fix: define qty, diameter/linear feet, thickness, and note areas that are TBD.
3. Live building constraints not stated
   Cause: noise windows, access routes, elevator rules, dust control, and water use are not written.
   Effect: you win the job, then discover you can only work 2-hour windows with full containment.
   Fix: put work windows, access, staging, and protection standards into the tender scope.
4. Unknown reinforcement/PT/embedded services
   Cause: no PT confirmation, no as-builts, high risk of hitting electrical/mechanical/fire lines.
   Effect: stop-work, damage risk, safety exposure, RFIs mid-shift.
   Fix: require scanning where appropriate, or include a risk clause/allowance. Optional value-add: GPR/concrete scanning to avoid blind cuts when required by scope.
5. Disposal/rigging/haul routes not defined
   Cause: tender doesn’t say who moves segments, provides bins, protects finishes, or owns haul routes.
   Effect: cutting is done—but the job stalls because nobody planned removal logistics.
   Fix: define whether haul-out/disposal is included, and what access/hoisting is available.

Bid-Ready Scope Checklist (what we need from drawings/specs)

Checklist #1 — Minimum info to price (bid-ready inputs)

• Hole diameters + quantities (core drilling)
• Cut lengths/locations (saw cutting)
• Thickness/depth to cut/core through
• Reinforcement notes (known vs unknown)
• Access constraints (floor/level, lifts, tight rooms, loading rules)
• Work hours / shutdown windows (live-site constraints)
• What’s below the slab/area (occupied unit, parking, services)
• Finish conditions (clean concrete vs finished surfaces needing protection)
• Slurry/dust rules (wet work containment expectations)
• Disposal/haul-out responsibility (included or excluded)

Checklist #2 — Nice-to-have info (reduces risk and RFIs)

• Site photos with marked locations (or a simple markup)
• Structural notes (e.g., beams, post-tension zones, restricted cut areas)
• PT confirmation / scanning requirements stated clearly
• Site rules: security, hot work permits, noise bylaws, elevator bookings
• Protection requirements: poly walls, negative air, floor protection, daily cleanup standard
• Water source location and drainage limitations
• Any required reporting (scan logs, as-built hole list, labels)

How DRM Structures Pricing So the GC Can Approve It Fast

We structure quotes the way you structure a tender review: clean line items tied to measurable scope.

That usually looks like:

• Mobilization: getting crew/rigs to site and ready within site rules
• Core drilling: priced by diameter + depth/thickness + quantity
• Saw cutting: priced by linear feet + depth/thickness (and method constraints)
• Wire sawing: priced by cut plan/sequence + access + segmentation logic
• Scanning (if required): priced as its own line item (avoid blind cuts when the scope demands it)
• Protection/containment: when live-site rules require it (slurry, dust, finishes)
• Haul-out/disposal (if included): separate line item tied to segments, routes, and site logistics

Then we apply coefficients (no mystery math, just explicit constraints) when the tender requires conditions like: night shift, tight windows, winter exterior, restricted access, or high-control environments. The point is simple: constraints change production, so they must be visible in the bid structure.

When to Bring the Cutting/Coring Sub in Early (to avoid RFIs later)

Early involvement is practical when the “cut” affects other trades and schedule logic.

Examples we see in Ontario ICI:

• Trenches in occupied units: you need a plan for sequencing, slurry control, and daily turnover so other trades can keep moving.
• Openings in structural walls/slabs: access, reinforcement density, and patching/firestopping responsibilities need to be clean before field work starts.
• Thick reinforced concrete removals: segmentation and haul routes drive schedule—wire sawing vs wall sawing decisions should be made before the first shutdown window.

If a tender is heading toward a pile of RFIs, a short pre-award review of 03 82 13 / 03 81 xx scope language usually costs less than one lost shift on a live site.