Alternative Tender
Builder’s offer that does not fully conform or meet the requirements or conditions of the tender, but may offer a better, cheaper, faster, more economical or other alternative solution… that may or may not be acceptable.
Area Efficiency
A % assessment calculated by dividing the ‘Usable Floor Area’ (U.F.A.) or ‘Net Rentable Area’ (N.R.A.) by the ‘Gross Floor Area’ (G.F.A.)
Area or Accommodation Schedule
A summary of the building spaces, rooms or activities (usually shown in square metres) required for a project. (A Grossing Factor can be used to assess, anticipate, unusable spaces – i.e. corridors, cupboards etc. – if the schedule only refers to the usable spaces)
Bill of Quantities
A Bill of Quantities (BQ, or BoQ … and sometimes referred to as a Bills of Quantities) are prepared by Quantity Surveyors to provide an extensive and itemised trade list, including a description and quantity, of each of the components or items required for a construction project.
In Australia the format and content are generally based on the Australian Standard Method of Measurement (ASMM).
The main purpose of a Bill of Quantities is to itemise and define a project so that all tenderers are preparing their price and submission on the same information.
A BQ helps to eliminate the ‘guesswork’ and also minimise discrepancies in the tender documents. When preparing and measuring a BQ, the Quantity Surveyor needs to “build the building” almost in its entirety on “paper” before the real bricks’n’mortar construction starts. Discrepancies in the documents (i.e. the drawings stating one thing and the specification asking for another) are greatly reduced as documents across all disciplines are checked.
Bona fide
Genuine or authentic
Budget
An amount of money allocated for a particular project, activity, product, function or task.
Building Area (B.A., unit =m2)
The total of the enclosed and unenclosed areas of the building at all building floor levels measured between the normal outside face of the enclosing walls, balustrades and supports.
Building Price Index (BPI)
A numerical figure relative to a base (usually 100.00) that reflects fluctuations to costs (in this case, for building works) over time relative to that base date.
Circulation
The spaces provided within a functional area to link together individual rooms or spaces, including area occupied by internal walls and columns.
Common bricks
These are usually the cheapest and most readily-available brick of any colour, and are usually concealed or covered up.
Contingency
An allowance (normally financial or time) set aside or included for something that may happen. (e.g. the discovery of unknown asbestos pipes underground) but is not intended.
Cost Plan
The report or budget prepared by a Quantity Surveyor for the purpose of expenses, time, resource and budget management.
Cost Planning
The process of managing the expensesof a project or task taking into consideration the circumstances, need, budget, time, accommodation and estimates of cost to provide the optimum, or preferred, result.
Cover Tender or Cover Price
A tender or price submitted as bona fide, but is intentionally prepared and offered so as not to be successful (ie. knowingly too expensive or non-conforming and so is not likely to be accepted).
Defect
Work or product that is damaged, faulty or contrary to the contents of the signed plans, documents, contract and/or agreement.
Element
A part or piece of a project or building which always fulfils the same particular purpose.
Estimate
An assessment or opinion of probable, or possible, costs based on the information provided. (Note: It may not be complete, fixed or binding)
Foundation
The ground below that is supporting the building, its footings and substructure.
Fully Enclosed Covered Area (FECA, unit = m2)
The sum of all areas at each building floor level, including basements, floored roof spaces, attics, garages, enclosed porches & attached enclosed covered ways alongside buildings, plant & equipment rooms, lift shafts, ducts, staircases and all other fully enclosed and usable floor spaces.
It is calculated by measuring from the normal inside face of exterior walls (i.e. excluding the wall thickness) ignoring projections such columns, piers, plinths and the like on the normal inside face of exterior walls.
It shall not include open courts, light wells, connecting or isolated covered ways and net open areas of upper portions of rooms, lobbies, halls and the like which extend through the storey being computed.
GANTT chart
Developed by mechanical engineer Henry Laurence Gantt (1861-1919) in the 1910s, this is a graphic display of activity durations.
Girth
The distance around something or the circumference.
Gross Building Area (GBA, unit = m2)
The sum of all areas as per the Fully Enclosed Covered Area, but in this case measured to the outside face of the enclosing walls.
Gross Floor Area (GFA, unit = m2)
The sum of all areas as per the Fully Enclosed Covered Area, but in this case measured to the outside face of the enclosing walls.
Mean
The average of a set of numbers; calculated by dividing the sum (or total) of the set by the number of items in the set.
Median
The number in the middle (or the average of the two middle numbers) of a list of numbers arranged in order from lowest to highest.
Mode
The number in a list of numbers that occurs most often.
Net Project Cost (N.P.C.)
The cost of all building, alterations and external works & services including their proportion of builder’s preliminaries, but excluding the cost of contract contingencies, loose furniture, loose equipment and design, documentation & professional fees.
Plot Ratio
The gross floor area of all buildings on a site, divided by the site area.
Prime Cost Sum
A fitting or item that is part of the contract (of works), but the specific type, model or brand of the item has either not been selected, or its price cannot be confirmed at the time the contract is entered into. The Builder is to make a reasonable allowance for the supply, storage, supervision, installation and delivery of these items within the contract price. (Can be used for the supply of such items as tiles, whitegoods, light fittings, sanitary fittings, etc.)
Provisional
Not fully worked out, agreed upon or final and is provided to serve or act as sufficient for the time being, and is subject to review, adjustment or change.
Provisional Sum
A reasonable estimate of the cost (or price) of certain works, if the builder, after making reasonable inquiries, cannot give a definite price when the contract is signed (for example; the supply & installation of a hydronic heating system that is yet to be designed or specified; or it may be used for repairs to damp-proofing courses in existing masonry walls where the extent of the problem is yet to be uncovered or determined).
Quote / Tender
A price provided for a project, activity, service or product based on a defined scope.
R-Value
The measure of a materials effectiveness at resisting heat flow.
Raking
At an angle or incline.
Surplus
In Cost Planning this usually means the anticipated or actual Project Cost is less than the budget, leaving some funds potentially unallocated or unspent, and therefore still available.
Tender / Quote
A price provided for a project, activity, service or product based on a defined scope.
Tendering
The process of contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers and the like bidding (usually competitively) for a contract or purchase order by quoting a price to the buyer.
Thermal Mass
A material’s ability to store heat.
Total Construction Cost (TCC)
All paid, contracted, committed and forecast costs associated with the preparation, building and site works & services of a project. (It is usually the figure that tender prices from builders / contractors are compared with).
Total End Cost (TEC)
All paid, contracted, committed and forecast costs associated with a project - including site acquisition and authority costs; all preparation, building and site works & services; design, documentation, consultant and management fees; loose furniture and equipment; relocation, decanting and other client costs; and escalation and contingencies.
Travel (m2 or %)
The space provided to allow access to or movement between functional areas. No internal walls are included in this, expect where separating two adjacent travel and/or engineering areas.
Unenclosed Covered Area (UCA, unit = m2)
The sum of all areas at all building floor levels, including roofed balconies, open verandas, porches, porticos, attached open covered ways, undercrofts, usable space under buildings, unenclosed access galleries (including ground floor) and any other trafficable covered areas of the building which are not totally enclosed by full height walls.
Unit of Measurement
The basis for uniformly quantifying an amount used as a standard in counting or measuring things, materials, work and effect either separately or in combination.
Usable Floor Area (U.F.A, unit = m2)
The sum of the floor areas measured at floor level from the general inside face of walls of all interior spaces related to the primary function of the building - normally computed by using the ‘Fully Enclosed Covered Area’ (F.E.C.A.) and deducting the following areas supplementary to the primary function of the building: Common Use Areas; Service Areas; Non-habitable Areas.
Vendor
The person who offers a property for sale.
