2017 Q2- Show the format and explain each component of the bill of quantities and an estimate for

a landscape project. This should include an explanation for scheduled and no scheduled items

2017 Q5- Describe the various kinds of contracts, along with their advantages and disadvantages,
which are entered between the client and the landscape architect for a landscape project.

2015-Q1- Describe the essentials of the contract documentation between the landscape architect
and the client. This should include the scope of works, schedule of services, schedule of payments
and various other clauses.

2017 Q2- Show the format and explain each component of the bill of quantities and an estimate for
a landscape project. This should include an explanation for scheduled and no scheduled items

ESTIMATE

Estimate of a project is the expected cost of converting finished design proposals to a built
landscape.

A construction estimate is prepared in the early stages of a project before work on site begins.

The construction cost is the estimate that a client should budget for, if they intend to go ahead with
the project.

Estimates should always be given in writing and broken down into as much detail as reasonable and
practicable.

A detailed estimate provides not only a point of reference for future discussions but will also ensure
there is no misunderstanding as to what has been included and what has not.

Ensuring that estimates and broken down into a reasonable amount of detail will also ensure the
client to omit certain elements, or phase certain parts of the project, in the event the estimated
implementation costs substantially exceeds the available budget.

The fundamentals of estimate are as follows:

The estimate of project costs should

* Ideally be based on comprehensive contract documentation

* Accurately reflect prevailing market conditions

* Be an intrinsic part of the design process

* Always be given in writing

* Be broken down into reasonable detail

* Set out any conditions and qualifications

* Be dated and indicate period for which figures expected to be current

* Allow for contractor’s overhead and profit

* Allow for contingency items

* Show GST as separate items and state the rate used.

Estimation consists of 3 stages

1) Measuring approximate quantities and areas from the project drawings

2) Preparing a schedule of operations together with approximate quantities

3) Attributing rates to the operations and approximate quantities listed.

Measurements

The quantities may be measured in number, length, area, volume, weight or time.

Formulating a schedule

The second stage involves formulating a schedule of operations with respect to the project. Most
commonly the schedule of operations will list

a) The items of work to be undertaken

b) The approximate quantities of each item

c) Unit

d) Rates

e) Total

Attributing Rates

The final stage involves attributing rates to the items and approximate quantities measured from the
project drawings and making up the schedule.

Sources of rate:

a) Previously quoted schemes

b) Manufacturer’s or supplier’s costs

c) Indicative quotations from contractors

ESTIMATE- Sample
BOQ

A bill of quantities is prepared giving as accurately as possible the quantities of each item of work
to be executed and the contractor enters a unit rate against each item of work.

Why BOQ
* Avoid unnecessary effort from multiple contractors to prepare the tender
* Provide a standard basis for the tender purpose

* Provide Quality control

* Assist the tender evaluation

* Provide rates for valuation of variations

* Provide the basis for the payment purpose

* Provide basis for financial reporting/cash flow

Data/ Documents Required for Preparation of a Building Estimate

a) Plans, Elevations, Sections and other relevant details of the work.

b) Specifications indicating the exact nature and class of materials to be used.

c) The rates at which the different items of work are carried out.

d) Field Data like topography of the Site, nature of the soil, plinth height of existing nearby buildings,
approach to the site, availability of water, availability of power supply, availability of external
sewerage facility, availability of different materials etc.

PARTS OF BOQ

The major Parts of BOQ

Parts of BOQ can be varied according to the project size as well the practices. Generally it has
measured works, Preliminaries & Provisional sums. The contract sum would be addition of these
three items.

Preliminaries

In construction industry, preliminaries is known as the indirect cost for execution of project but
these are the costs which is very much vital for the construction activities. The reason for these cost
mentioned separately is it is very difficult to distribute these cost amongst with measured works.
The examples for preliminaries listed below.

1. Charges for performance bond, advance payment guarantee & Workmen compensation

2. Maintenance of the site clean

 3. Requirement of site office, site stores & staff accommodation.

4. Cost towards the project management staff (QS, Project Manager, Engineering
professionals)

5. Charges for drawings & safety

From the above mentioned examples, it can be understood these costs cannot be distributed to
work item but without these expenses there will be no project.

Measured works

It is the actual or estimated work will be carried out to complete the project. The works have been
measured in different units. They are liner meter, square meter, cubic meter, number, item & etc.
Value of measured works will be calculated by multiplication of quantities and rate.

Provisional sums

It is the sum which is allocated for the undersigned works at the tender time. It will be adjusted after
the execution of the project.

In summary BOQ is very much important for the commercial management purposes. It should be
understood by every construction professional to deliver a quality and expected product to client. In
other words to provide value for money.
BOQ- Sample

DIFFREENCE BETWEEN ESTIMATE AND BOQ

A cost estimate is prepared on a broader basis as a guide and is a prediction of the likely values of
the tenders and other fees, e.g. architect's and other consultants - so the client knows what his total
expenditure is likely to be.

A bill measures all the items used in a project - it is a highly detailed document depending on which
the client issues tender for the job. It can be used to price any changes made during the course of
construction and is the best way of getting an accurate price for a job. It has a high degree of cost
certainty as the builder knows exactly what it is required.

SCHEDULED AND NON-SCHEDULED ITEMS

Scheduled items are those which have already taken into account while making the estimate/BOQ.

Non- scheduled items are those which may be incurred during after the tendering process or during
the construction stage due to change in design or due to non-availability of the items.

The contractors quote an overall premium on the total cost of scheduled items. As far as non-
scheduled items are concerned, the contractor will mention the item-rates and no extra premium
would be permissible. For non-scheduled items, technical specifications have to be very carefully
written or drafted in order to avoid any dispute regarding the quality of materials, their manufacture
or any particular sizes (cross-section) to be used.

2017 Q5- Describe the various kinds of contracts, along with their advantages and disadvantages,
which are entered between the client and the landscape architect for a landscape project.

A contract is a voluntary agreement between two or more parties that is enforceable by law as a
binding legal agreement. Contract law concerns the rights and duties that arise from agreements.
Contract types are usually defined; by the way, the disbursement of work and related fees is going to
be made and other specific terms, like duration, quality, specifications .

Types of contracts

1.Lump Sum or Fixed Price Contract Type

This type of contract involves a total fixed priced for all construction-related activities. Lump sum
contracts involve the buyer agreeing to pay a set price and the contractor or builder agreeing to
complete the project for that set price. With this type of contract, the buyer has certainty because
he knows what his final costs will be unless changes are made. The builder or developer takes on the
risk, because if prices go up or problems arise, the buyer will not have to pay any more money.
Some lump sum contracts include allowances, which can mitigate risk to builders because if the
buyer goes over the allowance, the cost is borne by the buyer. Lump sum contracts can sometimes
include benefits or incentives for completing projects under budget or in a shorter period of time,
and can sometimes include liquidated damage clauses so the builder will have to compensate the
buyer for being late to finish.

Lump sum contracts can include incentives or benefits for early termination, or can also have
penalties, called liquidated damages, for a late termination. Lump Sum contracts are preferred when
a clear scope and a defined schedule has been reviewed and agreed upon.

This contract shall be used when the risk needs to be transferred to the builder and the owner wants
to avoid change orders for unspecified work. However, a contractor must also include some
percentage cost associated with carrying that risk. These costs will be hidden in the fixed price. On a
lump sum contract, it is harder to get credit back for work not completed, so one should consider
that when analyzing options.

Advantages:
1. Lower financial risk to Employer.
2. Higher financial risk to Contractor.
3. Minimum Owner supervision related to quality and schedule.
4. Contractor has higher incentive to achieve earlier completion and better performance.
5. Contractor selection is relatively easy.
Disadvantages:
1. Changes difficult and costly. (but it usually is)
2. Need to substantially complete design prior to bidding.
3. Contractor inclined to choose lowest methods / materials to comply with specification.
4. Hard to build relationship. Each project is unique.
5. Bidding expensive and lengthy.
6. Contractors may include high contingency within each Schedule of Rate item
2. Time based contract

(1) Time based contracts shall be used when it is difficult to define the scope and the length of
services, either because the services are related to activities by others for which the completion
period may vary, or because the input of the consultants required to attain the objectives of the
assignment is difficult to assess.

(2) Such contracts may be used for complex studies, supervision of construction, advisory services,
and most training assignments. Payments are based on agreed hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly
rates for staff (who are normally named in the contract) and on reimbursable items using actual
expenses and, or agreed unit prices and the rates for staff include salary, social costs, overhead, fee
or profit, and, where appropriate, special allowances.

(3) Such contracts shall include a maximum amount of total payments to be made to the consultants
and the ceiling amount should include a contingency allowance for unforeseen work and duration,
and provision for price adjustments, where appropriate.

(4) Time based contracts need to be closely monitored and administered by the client to ensure that
the assignment is progressing satisfactorily, and payments claimed by the consultants are
appropriate.

3.Percentage contract

(1) Percentage based contracts may be used where it is appropriate to relate the fee paid directly to
the estimated or actual cost of the contract.
(2) Percentage based contract shall clearly define the total cost from which the percentage is to be
calculated. The consultant or service provider shall be required to indicate his or her cost as a
percentage of the total cost of the assignment.

(3) The use of such a contract is recommended only if it is based on a fixed target cost and covers
precisely defined services.

2015-Q1- Describe the essentials of the contract documentation between the landscape architect
and the client. This should include the scope of works, schedule of services, schedule of payments
and various other clauses.

1. SCOPE OF WORK

A scope of work (statement of work) agreement can help to clearly define what will be expected out
of the contract. A scope of work is a formal document that describes:

The Scope of Work (SOW) is a formal agreement document that specifies all the criteria of
a contract between the landscape architect and the client. It clearly documents the project
requirements, milestones, deliverables, end products, documents and reports that are expected to
be provided by the landscape architect.

The SOW should also contain a time line for all deliverables.

A well-defined scope can be used to determine the amount of work needed to complete the
project.

A statement of work should have the following components:

a) Project Overview- A brief statement describing the business needs and a short summary of the
project description.

b) Project Deliverables- This section should include all the expected goals and targets that must be
achieved through the project. It must include all related information that will help a contractor in
understanding the project's requirement.

c) Project Scope – This section of the statement of work should contain, in terms of budget and
technical data, the quantifiable goals set forth under the construction contract, is an essential part
of the SOW.

Statement of work scopes might divide the document into two parts:

i) Technical considerations - Specific technical or methodologies relevant to the contractor's

performance and how he will be measured against

ii) Tasks – Specific requests and tasks that are needed to satisfy project objectives, with detailed
milestones and results that should be obtained from these tasks.
 • Project Schedule- Summarize the project schedule including all related task so the
contractor can deliver on time. This section of the statement of work (SOW) should contain
all important delivery dates, time restrictions, and the expected project duration.

• Project Management- The management section of the SOW must contain a description of
how payments will be issued, change control process, specific contract and legal
requirements, phasing or stages of the project and the project's limitations. It is also the
area on which time management and contract administration will be specified.

The following functions are served by Scope of Work

1) The SOW identifies the contractor's responsibilities.

2) Provides precisely contract objective and project requirements.

3) The SOW provides enough details to estimate labour costs.

4) Includes a contracting method and the payment schedule.

5) The SOW explains standards, regulation, and special contract requirements.

6) The Statement of Work presents in a clear manner all related task, duties, and limitations to
obtain expected results in accordance with the project goal.

2. CHANGE ORDER PROVISIONS

In construction, projects often begin with plans and specifications from the owner, and agreement
from the contractor to build to them for a stated price. However, during the course of a project, the
plans and specifications may become inconsistent. The owner may want to change things, add or
remove certain items, or the conditions may be different than what was agreed upon. The project
can end up being completely different than what the contractor agreed to in the beginning. The
contract documents will usually address these kinds of problems through Change Order provisions.
Change Order provisions identify procedures for requesting and issuing Change Orders, timing,
notifications, and dealing with disagreements between the contractor and the owner.

3. INDEMNIFICATION

An Indemnity clause allows you to seek reimbursement for money you are forced to pay to a third
party as a result of an injury that is caused by the party from whom you seek the reimbursement.
For example, if one of your subcontractors leaves some equipment laying around, and a visitor trips
over it and hurts themselves, they can sue you because it happened on your property, even though
it was a result of the subcontractor. If you have an indemnification clause in your contract between
you and the subcontractor, you could seek to have the subcontractor reimburse you for what you
had to pay to the injured party. Indemnity clauses are often the most overlooked, so enlisting the
assistance of your Brandon construction lawyer can help to make sure you have an effective
indemnity clause your construction contracts.
4. PAYMENT PROVISIONS

Payment provisions are one of the most important parts of a construction contract. These provisions
are typically known as “pay-when-paid” and “pay-if-paid” provisions. A “pay-when-paid” clause it
when the contractor’s obligation to pay the subcontractor is triggered upon receipt of payment from
the owner. In a “pay-if-paid” clause, the Contractor’s receipt of payment from the owner is a
condition precedent to contractor’s obligation to make payment to the subcontractor. This payment
provision can be more concerning. The subcontractor could never get paid for their work if the
owner never pays the general contractor.

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

Schedule of services is rarely used in isolation.

It is commonly bound together with contract preliminaries (describing general project requirements
and contract terms) and with a specification document describing minimum acceptable product and
workmanship standards.

This group of documents may then be supported by drawings and itemized lists (also, confusingly,
known as schedules), bundled separately or bound in as appendices.