Contract sum analysis
A contract sum analysis is generally prepared by a contractor as part of their tender on design and build projects. It breaks down the contractor's price into a form allowing the client to analyse it and to compare it to other tenders, and may then be used as a basis for calculating payments due to the contractor as the works progress.
A contract sum analysis is necessary as there is unlikely to be a bill of quantities on a design and build project when the contract is entered into, and so an alternative means of assessing tenders and valuing payments is necessary.
The more precisely the employer's requirements prescribe the format and break down that the contract sum analysis should take, the easier it will be for the client to directly compare the detail of offers by different tenderers.
The contract sum analysis might be re-visited and expanded before construction commences to ensure that it still properly reflects the nature of the project and to ensure that it is a suitable basis for payment (contractors may be tempted to front-load the contract sum analysis so that they receive more payment at the beginning of the construction process).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.