Attendance for construction
Attendance is the main contractor’s mark up for specific services it has to provide for individual suppliers or sub-contractors. This might include items such as material handling, scaffolding and rubbish clearance.
Attendance can be ‘general’ or ‘special’.
General attendance is the description of main contractor attendance available site wide to all suppliers or sub-contractors such as:
- Welfare facilities.
- External scaffolding.
- Temporary power and lighting.
- Platform and passenger hoists.
- Tower crane lifts by prior arrangement.
- Site security.
- Waste disposal.
Special attendance is specific to a particular supplier or sub-contractor if it requests that it is provided by the main contractor, such as:
- Special hoists.
- Builders work such as a concrete plinth.
- Special scaffolding.
It is important to establish within the contract documents whether items that suppliers or sub-contractors require will constitute attendances that will be provided by the main contractor, or whether they will provide them themselves (such as their own specialist equipment).
Attendance should not be confused with general site preliminaries or builder’s work in connection with mechanical and electrical services. These items are separately priced.
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