ABSTRACT

The number of items priced in the preliminaries section of Bills of Quantities and the manner in which they are priced vary considerably between contractors. Some contractors, by modifying their percentage factor for overheads and profit, attempt to cover the costs of preliminary items in their Prices for Measured Work. However, the cost of Preliminaries will vary widely according to job size and complexity, site location, accessibility, degree of mechanization practicable, position of the contractor's head office and relationships with local labour/domestic subcontractors. It is therefore usually far safer to price preliminary items separately on their merits according to the project.