FOR EXISTING TRADES
How to add firestopping to your existing quotes
Add firestopping to a quote only after confirming the project requires the work, your qualifications cover it, and the contract does not already assign or include it elsewhere. Define the exact conditions and responsibilities, then price materials, labor, access, documentation, overhead, and margin as a clear scope.
Independent business education. Not project-specific installation instructions or a technical approval.
Being on site can make it easier to discuss a firestop package with a customer. It does not make the package automatically yours to sell. A plumber, electrician, painter, or drywaller needs to distinguish a genuine additional service from obligations already included in the bid.
The commercial goal is a scope that both parties can understand and verify. A vague “firestop as required” line can hide more work than you priced. A percentage added to your existing trade invoice does not establish the cost or technical suitability of that work.
Check scope ownership before calling it an extra
Read the subcontract, scope sheet, applicable specifications, drawing notes, and relevant bid clarifications. Ask the general contractor how firestopping is divided between trades, including penetrations created by later work and any shared openings.
If the base agreement already includes the work, omitting it from your original estimate does not automatically create a valid change order. If the documents conflict, request written clarification before accepting a price or schedule obligation. Contract interpretation may require professional advice.
Turn the request into a verifiable takeoff
- Record the building area, floor, drawing revisions, and the quantity or measured extent of each condition.
- Separate penetrations, joints, and perimeter conditions instead of treating every opening as equivalent.
- Identify the required construction, service types, ratings, and matching system references.
- Document inaccessible, concealed, damaged, or unmatched conditions as questions—not approved assumptions.
- Confirm whether existing installations require assessment or remediation outside your proposed scope.
Put the responsibilities in the quote
An exclusion cannot override a legal obligation or the signed contract by itself. Agree the scope and terms with the customer rather than relying on fine print that conflicts with the project documents.
- Inclusions: the defined locations, quantities, systems, preparation, installation, and closeout records you will provide.
- Access and sequence: who provides lifts, clear work areas, coordination, and agreed visits or mobilizations.
- Submittals and review: who selects and submits systems, resolves discrepancies, and obtains required acceptance.
- Inspection: notice, access, documentation, and any fees or attendance you have included.
- Exclusions and changes: later penetrations, changed conditions, repairs by others, and additional visits—where the contract allows those exclusions.
- Commercial terms: price validity, payment milestones, retainage if applicable, and written authorization of changes.
Use a scope template, not a blanket promise
Fill this out from the actual project. If a system or condition has not been resolved, say so and agree the next step. Do not label a provisional system assumption as manufacturer-approved or code-approved.
Example drafting prompt — not a ready-to-sign contract
Describe the exact areas and condition schedule covered; identify the document revisions and accepted system references; state the visits, access, submittals, inspection coordination, and closeout records included; list unresolved conditions; and define how additional work will be reviewed, priced, and authorized.
Price the scope and control changes
Build the price from the defined conditions and their costs, not from the value of unrelated electrical, plumbing, or painting work. Include the labor that happens away from the opening: planning, material handling, documentation, coordination, and closeout.
For a genuine change, document what changed, why it is outside the agreed scope, and its cost and schedule impact. Follow the contract’s notification and authorization process. Keep records of later trade damage and new penetrations rather than silently absorbing work that has not been allocated.
Frequently asked questions
- Should firestopping be in the base bid or a change order?
- Known, assigned firestop work should be addressed in the bid and contract. A genuine later change may be handled through the contract’s change process. Work you missed in your estimate is not automatically an extra the customer must pay for.
- Can I price it as 15% of my main trade invoice?
- A percentage can illustrate additional revenue, but it is not a firestop estimating method. The actual price needs to reflect the defined conditions, system requirements, quantities, labor, access, documentation, and commercial terms.
- Who pays to repair firestopping disturbed by a later trade?
- That depends on the contract, the circumstances, and the agreed responsibility for later work. Record the condition and follow the project’s notification and change process. Do not assume that the original installer always owns every subsequent repair.
Sources and technical resources
These primary resources support the technical and business foundations discussed above. They do not approve a particular installation or endorse this site. Estimating examples and checklists are our educational guidance, not manufacturer pricing or specifications.
- Hilti USA: Firestop Design Center
Tested-system selection, fire and temperature ratings, optional leakage ratings, and access to system submittals.
- Hilti USA: Firestop Engineering Judgments
The manufacturer’s process for requesting technical evaluation of project-specific conditions.
Firestopping is life-safety work. Follow the applicable codes, accepted project specifications, current manufacturer instructions, and tested/listed systems, and obtain the qualifications required for your work. Business of Firestop is not affiliated with or endorsed by Hilti. Hilti is a trademark of Hilti Corporation. Back to all guides