Pricing the preliminaries bill

Both SMM7 and CESMM3 recommend that fixed and time-related charges are identified
separately in a bill of quantities. SMM7 defines them as follows:
1. A fixed charge is for work the cost of which is to be considered as independent of
duration.
2. A time-related charge is for work the cost of which is to be considered as dependent
on duration.
There are certain items that are difficult to allocate such as the use of specialist plant. A
crane, for example, may be on site for two weeks; should this be classed as a fixed or timerelated charge? For many schemes, all general plant and facilities are divided by the
duration to produce equal sums for monthly payments.
a) Employers requirements

Accommodation

Offices, toilets, conference room, stores, laboratories and car parking space may be required depending on
clients specific requirements

Furniture

If none stated, assume client providing own furniture

Telephone

Telephone and facsimile equipment can be specified including payment of standing charges (call charges
are given as a provisional sum)

Equipment

Technical testing equipment and surveying instruments

Protective clothing

Transport

Vehicles for employers staff or consultants, fuel and maintenance

Transport to suppliers to inspect production of components

Attendance

Drivers, chainmen, office cleaners, and laboratory assistants

NOTES:
SMM7 states that, where the employer requires accommodation on site, heating, lighting and
maintenance are deemed to be included. Notice boards are often given as a specific
requirement but invariably will be provided by a contractor for information and advertising (see
Temporary Works).
(b) Management and staff
Site Manager

Required on most sites. Calibre of staff depends on size and complexity of project

General Foreman

Day-to-day management of labour and plant. Coordination of labour-only sub-contractors

Engineer
services contractors

Analysis of building methods, setting-out and quality control. Services engineer to coordinate specialist

Planning Engineer

Master programme during mobilization. Up-dating exercises and short-term programmes

Foreman

Consider structure, finishings and snagging. Add non-productive time for trades foremen

Assistant Engineer

Setting out work, external works and internal fabric.

Scheduling materials and attendance on sub- contractors

Quantity Surveyor

Some involvement on all jobs, particularly at beginning and end

Assistant
quantity surveyor

For large contracts with complex valuations and control of sub-contractors

accounts and bonus payments

Clerk/Typist

General admin duties on site. Checkers.

Telephone, post and reception duties

Security/Watchman

Usually employing security services. Important when fittings and furniture arrive

NOTES:

All-in average rates for each category of staff will be provided by senior management in a way
which ensures that individual salaries are not identifiable. Employment costs for salaried staff
are calculated on an annual basis with additional costs which arise from:

pension scheme (employers contribution)

annual bonuses
overtime
computer and printer
training levy
car and expenses

The choice of site managers will depend on job size, complexity, duration, number of operatives
and commitments to nominated and domestic sub-contractors.
(c) Facilities and services
Power/lighting/heating
Check availability of supplies, connection charges, temporary housings, fittings and consumption
costs. Alternatively generators and gas bottles
Water

Provision of service to site, pipework from supply, distribution system, and charges. Bowsers
required if no piped service available

Telephones

Consider number of senior staff in deciding on number of lines, switch- board for larger systems and
mobile phone for start of job

Stationery and postage

Average cost per week drawn from analysis of previous projects

Office equipment

Photocopier, facsimile machine and typewriters are commonly required

Computers

Personal computers required for more complex projects.

Security can be a problem; consider portable PCs or robust equipment

Humidity and

Check specific requirements for dehumidifiers, heaters and attendance. temperature control
Vulnerable materials include seasoned joinery and suspended ceilings

Security and

Security firm or own labour for watching site at night and at weekends. safety measures
Intruder alarms, traffic control, fire precautions and fire fighting

Temporary electrics

Transformers, distribution system, boards, leads and site lighting.

Electrician may be resident on large building schemes

Waste skips

Regular collection of rubbish skips should be allowed.

Dustbins can be used to promote cleaner sites

NOTES:

Computers are used on site for material records, valuations and cost monitoring. Standard
databases are often used to produce drawing registers and lists of instructions. Additional costs
which include maintenance contracts, software and consumables can be as much as the value
of the computers. The consumables and maintenance costs associated with photocopiers can
be costly.
Humidity control is a complex requirement. If dehumidifiers are used the hire charges are high
and additional costs include transport charges, electric power, attendance in removing water and
daily monitoring of humidity levels. These measures can only be put in place when the building
is enclosed and damp air is prevented from entering the building.
Fuels are deemed to be included in items for testing and commissioning mechanical and
electrical work (SMM7 Y51 and Y81).The contractor should liaise with specialists to ensure the
fuel costs are included

(d) Mechanical plant

Crane and driver

Determine maximum lift in terms of weight, radius and height clearance.

Duration and location on site also needed to select a crane (see below)

Hoist

Usually required for multi-storey external access scaffolds. Consider type (goods or passengers), hire,
transport, erect, adapt, and dismantle

Dumper

Difficult to dispense with dumpers for moving excavated material, stone, bricks, blocks and mortar.
Include transport, hire and fuel

Forklift

Rough terrain forklift is a good all round tool used for unloading, distributing and hoisting palletized
materials. May need attachments

Tractor and trailer

Popular for long drainage runs and kerb laying for roadworks

Mixer

Hire, transport and fuel for concrete and mortar mixers, silos and bunkers.
Minimum requirement is a mixer for brickwork and drainage

Concrete finishing
Screeding rails and tamping bars. equipment
membranes and vibrators

Curing

Compressor and tools

Needed for demolitions and alterations, cleaning inside shutters, preparing stop ends in
concrete, drilling and vibrating concrete

Pumps

Water pumps, hoses, fuel, transport and attendance (see attendant labour). Concrete pump hire for
mobile or static equipment; check quote for extras

Fuel and
transport for plant

Static fuel tank or fuel bowser may be required. Assess additional

transport costs for plant from yard to site

NOTES:
Quotations should be obtained for long hire or large capacity plant, such as cranes, forklifts and
concrete pumps. Consult plant suppliers for advice on running costs and fuel consumption.
Cranes need ancillary equipment such as slings, concrete skips and lifting beams. Mobile
cranes need sufficient space for outriggers, and hire charges are usually from time of leaving
depot to return.
A tower crane will incur costs to transport, erect, adapt and dismantle, as well as a foundation or
rail tracks, power source, fuel and operator. In some instances tower cranes may not be feasible
owing to wind limitations or air space rights which cannot be infringed.
(e) Temporary works
Access routes

Plot layout on site plan taking advantage of hardcore under roads and buildings. Allow for
maintenance and making-up levels on completion

Hardstandings

Additional areas are required for storage, site huts, and lay-down areas for materials such as pipes
and reinforcement. Reinstatement

Traffic control

Check specification and statutory obligations. Use programme and site layout drawing to determine
equipment needed and hire periods

Dewatering

Establish type of system required. Quotation and advice from specialist needed for a well-point system

Hoarding

Serves to protect the public and forms a secure barrier around the site or contractors compound. Costs
to hire, buy, erect, adapt and dismantle

Fencing

Temporary or permanent fencing to maintain security at perimeter of site, protect trees, mark a boundary
and to form site compound

Notice board

Notice board and local signage help drivers and visitors find the site, satisfy curiosity and provide cheap
advertising. Check clients requirements

Shoring & centring

Consider design, duration, and hire or buy calculations for falsework/shoring

(temporary shoring will incur making good costs on completion)

Temporary structures Temporary bridges, temporary roofs, facade supports, ramps, viewing platforms, accommodation
gantries. May need specialist design input
Protection

High value components and all finishes need to be considered.

Decorated areas may require additional coats of paint

NOTES:
In poor soil conditions the loss of hardcore under access roads and hardstandings can be
substantial. A ground improvement mat may be used with the approval of the contract
administrator.
Excavation below ground water level or works affected by rivers or tidal water is normally
identified in the bill of quantities. The contractor is therefore responsible for finding an

appropriate method for dealing with the problem. Where a full dewatering system is required by
a client, the contractors are normally informed at tender stage.
The cost of protection is often undervalued; particularly in the case of building finishes which are
difficult to protect during the commissioning and completion of a project. In a large building
measures might include laying sheeting and boarding on floors, repainting walls and woodwork,
and a security system which detects responsibility for damage by allowing entry to finished
areas with a written permit.

(f) Site accommodation

Offices

Mobile offices can be established quickly to high standard.

Sectional sheds require set-up costs, foundations and finishes

Stores

For secure protection of high value materials.

Hire or purchase accommodation, or in the building

Canteen/welfare

Use labour strength from programme and add for sub-contractors.

Add for equipment, cooking facilities, furniture and food subsidies

Toilets

Mobile toilet units check drainage and services available.

Allow for sundries such as soap, towels and cleaning materials

Drying and first aid

Accommodation with lockers and heaters.

First aid room depending on number of people on site

Foundations and drainage

Concrete or sleepers to support cabins.

Wherever possible connect drainage to live sewer

Rates and charges

Local authority charges are payable on temporary accommodation.

May need to acquire land for site establishment

Erection and fitting out

Materials for erection and fitting out.

Labour may be here or as Attendant Labour

Furniture

Company owned desks, chairs and cabinets usually available.

Replacements can be provided from secondhand market

Removal

Consider the need to resite the accommodation during the job.

Taking down can be priced as Attendant Labour

Transport

Often priced as transport to site only if follow-on work expected.

Cranage off-loading and loading accommodation

NOTES:
The estimator should keep records of hire rates for mobile accommodation and compare with
the purchase of sectional buildings. The capital cost of timber buildings can be divided by the life
span (plus an allowance for repairs and renovation) to arrive at an equivalent hire rate. There is
additional labour in erecting and dismantling timber buildings together with the provision of
sundry materials such as sleepers for foundations, felt for roofing, glass, insulation board lining
and so on.
Additional hire during the defects liability period may be required for a foremans office and
storage container. Minimum requirements for accommodation and health and welfare are given
in the Construction Regulations

(g) Attendant labour

Unloading and distribution

Envisage an unloading and handling labour gang; adding driv- ers for dumper and forklift.
Balance requirements with attendant labour in bill rates

Cleaning

Daily and weekly tidying-up and cleaning may be carried out by the general gang or casual
labour

Setting-out assistants

Each setting-out engineer will need some assistance from a chainman

Drivers and pump attendance

Each item of mechanical plant will need some operator time;

for example: a water pump might require 1.5 man hours/day

General attendance

Clearing away rubbish for sub-contractors, adapting scaffolding and materials distribution
(may be priced elsewhere)

Scaffold adaptation

An assessment of time is required and rates should be obtained from the scaffolding
specialist

NOTES:
A site which relies on scaffold hoists will need more labour than that which has a tower crane. Where
multi-storey buildings have block work walls internally, a considerable amount of labour for distribution is
needed.

It can be argued that general attendance for sub-contractors is already included in the tender by
assessing all the site facilities in the preliminaries. Special attendance can also be dealt with in this
section, although some estimators prefer to price specific attendances for nominated subcontractors in
the bill of quantities, which is presumably what is envisaged in the standard method
of measurement.