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Preliminaries

The document discusses preliminaries in bills of quantities, which contain general items that may affect a contractor's tender. It notes that preliminaries should be split into fixed charges and time-related charges. While preliminaries contain many items, only major items like accommodation, staffing, and plant are typically priced. Two examples of priced preliminaries items are provided: temporary accommodation and site fencing/hoardings. For accommodation, fixed and time-related charges are calculated over the 144-week contract period. For fencing, fixed charges for erection/removal and materials are estimated, along with maintenance costs of 1 hour of labor per week.

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40 views2 pages

Preliminaries

The document discusses preliminaries in bills of quantities, which contain general items that may affect a contractor's tender. It notes that preliminaries should be split into fixed charges and time-related charges. While preliminaries contain many items, only major items like accommodation, staffing, and plant are typically priced. Two examples of priced preliminaries items are provided: temporary accommodation and site fencing/hoardings. For accommodation, fixed and time-related charges are calculated over the 144-week contract period. For fencing, fixed charges for erection/removal and materials are estimated, along with maintenance costs of 1 hour of labor per week.

Uploaded by

Ranjith
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PRELIMINARIES

1. Preliminaries section of the bills of quantities contains items that are of a general nature
that may affect the contractor’s tender.
2. SMM7 requires that items referred to as Employers Requirements (A30–A37) and
General Cost Items (A40–A44) shall be split into:
• Fixed charges, the cost of which is considered to be independent of duration,
that is to say charges that are not proportional either to the quantity of the work or
its duration, for example:
o The Site/Existing buildings (A12)
o The Contract/Subcontract (A20)
• Time-related charges, the cost of which is considered to be dependent on
duration, that is to say charges that are directly proportional to either the quantity
of the work or its duration (SMM7 – Section A D1 and D2), for example:
o Employer’s requirements (A30–A37)
o Contractor’s general cost items (A40–A44).
3. Although the preliminaries section of bills of quantities tends to contain many items,
several of them are difficult to quantify and price and for this reason it is usually only the
major items such as accommodation, staffing and mechanical plant that are priced.

Preliminaries items
Employer’s requirements – Facilities/Temporary Work/Services – A36
Example – Temporary Accommodation
The contractor shall provide suitable accommodation for the clerk of works, with a minimum
floor area of 20 m2 including desk, four chairs, filing cabinet and all necessary heating, lighting
and cleaning.
Data
Contract period: 144 weeks, Transport to and from site: £150 per trip, Hire of hut: £70 per week,
Hire of furniture and heaters, etc.: £30 per week
Fixed charges
Transport to and from site 2 trips × £150 = 300.00
Erection 10 hours
Dismantle 5 hours
15 hours labourer @ £13.20 = 198.00
Total of fixed charges = 498.00

Time related charges


Hire of hut 144 weeks @ £70 per week = 10,080.00
Furniture and heaters 144 weeks @ £30 per week = 4,320.00
Energy costs for heating and lighting:
144 weeks @ £4.00 per week = 576.00
Cleaning – 2 hours per week × 144 weeks =
288 hours @ £13.20 = 3,801.60
Total of time related charges 18,777.60 = 18,777.60
Rate per week = £130.40
Total (fixed and time related charges) = £19,275.60

Example – Site Fencing/Hoardings – A44


The contractor is to allow for enclosing all boundaries of the site. It shall be the contractor’s
responsibility to provide all necessary precautions, protection and security to safeguard the
works using fences, hoardings, gates, etc. as considered necessary.
Data
Contract period: 144 weeks
Fencing
Fixed charges; erection and taking down = 1,000.00
50 metres of solid fencing; 1.8 metres high @ £25/m = 1,250.00
1 pair gates and security = 200.00
1,450.00
Maintenance and repairs
1 hour per week labourer 1,900.80
144 week @ £13.20
Total £4,350.80

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