Subcontractor’s preliminaries

Preliminaries (or 'prelims') may appear in tender documents, providing a description of a project that allows the contractor to assess costs which, whilst they do not form a part of any of the package of works required by the contract, are required by the method and circumstances of the works. For more information see: Preliminaries.

According to NRM1: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building work, ‘subcontractor’s preliminaries’ are:

‘…preliminaries that relate specifically to building work which is to be carried out by a subcontractor. Costs associated with subcontractor’s preliminaries are to be included in the unit rates applied to sub-elements and individual components.’

Where, a 'subcontractor' is:

‘…a contractor who undertakes specific work within the building project; known as specialist, works, trade, work package, and labour only subcontractors.’

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[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Bill of quantities.
• Code of Estimating Practice.
• Difference between preliminaries and preambles.
• Front-loaded costs.
• NRM1.
• Preambles.
• Preliminaries.
• Profit and overheads.
• RICS.
• Subcontractor.
• Tender documents.
• The difference between a prime cost and provisional sum.