Essential Documents and Cost Factors in Building Projects
Question 1
Background: A complete set of cross-referenced and up-to-date contract documentation is essential to identifying, describing, and applying the requirements of a Building Contract and to allow the project scope to be accurately costed and materials sourced and ordered.
For a typical new, single-story, 3-bedroom house on a vacant sloping site:
List 15 relevant pieces of contract documentation, including those documents, which the PCA-Approving Authority and Safework NSW may require, that a builder’s estimator may/will need to assess when preparing ordering schedules and establishing associated costs for the project.
- Development consent conditions
- DA-approved plans, elevations, section details, specifications, and external finishes/color selection
- Structural details/plans
- Construction
- Conditions of contract
- Bill of Quantities
- Basix Certificate
- Materials selection schedule
- Window & Door schedule
- PC item schedule and Provisional sums schedule
- Stormwater management
- Management plan
- Bal Certificate
- Traffic management plans & site/locality plan
- Geotechnical survey
- Site survey-contours and levels
- Landscaping plans
- Nominated suppliers list
- Asbestos register
Question 2
List/identify 5 additional types of schedules an estimator/ builder might refer to when costing and ordering materials for a low-rise building project.
- Schedule of rates
- Approved plans & specifications
- Provisional sum
- Windows and doors, rates and finishes
- Prime cost items schedule
Cost plus
Question 3
List 15 cost items that an estimator would normally include in a schedule of “Preliminaries” costs for a new low-rise commercial building project.
- Site fencing, supply erecting, hire, dismantling and return costs, lighting, and security cameras
- Site toilet hire or temporary toilet facility including ongoing servicing and also delivery and pickup
- Temporary water connection
- Temporary power pole and connection, hire and removal costs
- Temporary power line protection – tiger tails
- Site signage
- Site storage shed
- Temporary access roads and mud control beds
- Footpath protection
- Scaffolding- supply erecting, hire, dismantling and return costs
- Small tools- wheelbarrows, picks, brooms, and shovels
- Management install and maintain costs
- Concrete pumping
- Crane hire
- Traffic management and rubbish/debris removal, bin or tip fees
- Dust control measures
- Contingency sums (specified in contract)
- Management and rubbish/debris removal, bin or tip fees
- Dust control measures
Question 4
Name five Development Consent or Construction Certificate “operating conditions” imposed by the approving authority that may affect the cost of a builder’s work activities on a small residential house site.
- Hours of work
- Noise control
- Dust controls
- Traffic management – clearways etc.
- Road weight limits and vehicle length turning limits
- Silt management
Question 5
Explain the benefit(s) to the builder and client of having a Bill of Quantities as part of the contract documentation when undertaking project variations.
The benefits of having a BoQ are:
- To help the post-contract control in a project.
- Costs have been identified, measurements identified.
- Schedule of rates have been identified and outlined.
- Its benefit is to process the variations without ambiguity; can be resolved with ease.
- The Bill of Quantities sets out a list of activities that are included in the contract, which forms a basis of adjustment.
- Gives the courts a ‘tool’.
- List of numbered items, description.
- Risk of Quantities can record the quantities of the work on site clearly.
- It helps the builder get progress payments from the client.
- Check the type of contract regarding costing and payment in the contract.
- Composition of building cost.