The last items that remain to be taken off for a compete estimate are the "Miscellaneous Items." These are probably the most important- and the most forgotten- items on the average estimate. These miscellaneous items can amount to about 5 percent of the total bid. And since the overhead and profit added to a job is generally 5 percent to 10 percent depending on the size of the bid, the miscellaneous items, if they are omitted, will cut sharply into the profit. The only way to be sure al of the miscellaneous items are picked up is to check them off one by one in the specifications, and then chick the drawings, sheet by sheet, for all items to be furnished or installed by the concrete contractor. Here are some of the more typical miscellaneous items: dove-tail anchor slots, vapor barrier under slabs on ground, perimeter insulation, setting of column base plates and anchor bolts, expansion joints, and curing and protection of slabs. If a hoist is called for, there are two things that can be done about it in an estimate: 1- figure it in or ; 2- forget about it; that is forget about it if you are a sub-contractor figuring for a general contractor who is going to need a hoist on the job anyway. There's no sense in figuring a hoist in your estimate and forgetting to tell him about it, because this will make your bid too high by the amount allowed for a hoist. Heat protection is figured and charged for by the cubic yard of concrete that must be protected. Heat protection is figured at the end of the estimate because only then will you know how much concrete needs to be protected. If heat protection will be needed form December 1st to March 1st, then the heat protection season is 3 months or 13 weeks long. By figuring a time schedule for placing concrete, it is easy enough to calculate how much concrete will be placed between December 1st and March 1st. Lastly, general clean up and debris disposal must be charged in the estimate. On small jobs, the regular laboring crew can often handle the clean up. But on most jobs, especially with architectural supervision, clean up must be figured as a separate item.