QUANTITY / MEASUREMENT / SETTLEMENT
A blank quantity does not tell the whole story. Is the price fixed for an agreed scope, or an estimate to be adjusted to the work actually done? The answer determines what you need in writing.
Do not fill in a guessed number. Ask for the quantity’s source, unit and adjustment method.
Illustration, not an actual quote
Clarify these four fields before discussing quantity changes.
“Living-room painting: lump sum” could cover agreed walls at a fixed price, or be an estimate. Ask what is included and how the final amount is determined, not just how many square metres there are.
Identify the locations, work and specification included in the total. A lump sum need not list every material cost, but its scope should be clear.
“What does this total cover? If the scope stays the same, can remeasurement change the price? What changes require a separate quote?”
If an estimated quantity will be adjusted to the work done, record the unit, rate, measuring method and confirmation date. Agree how both increases and reductions are priced.
“Please show the estimated quantity and unit rate. Who remeasures, when and how do we confirm it? How will extra or reduced quantities affect the total?”
If the quote does not say which method applies, ask. “Lump sum” alone is not a promise that there will be no extra charges.
Open a question for the full wording and the record to request. If a figure is still provisional, record its basis and who will confirm it, and when.
Is this quantity from a site measurement, a drawing or an estimate? Please provide the measurement record or drawing version and flag items that need remeasurement.
Keep with the quoteThe source, document version, provisional status and items to remeasure.
Please state the unit for each item: area, length, point, door, set or lump sum. For local trade units such as ping, cai or chi, specify the definition and conversion used.
Keep with the quoteA unit beside each quantity, with dimensions and conversion rules where needed.
Please provide dimensions and the calculation for this item. Are door and window openings deducted? How are corners, overlaps and developed surface areas treated?
Keep with the quoteDimensions, formula, measurement boundaries, additions and deductions.
Which rooms, walls, floors or ceilings do these quantities cover? Please identify the location for each item or link it to a drawing reference we can check.
Keep with the quoteA match between each item, location, drawing reference and quantity.
How are waste, minimum billable quantities and rounding calculated? Are they already included in the quantity or unit rate, or charged separately? Please state the basis so they are not counted twice.
Keep with the quoteWaste calculation, minimum quantities, rounding and whether each is included or extra.
For items charged by unit, please show the quantity, unit rate and subtotal, with other charges identified separately. For fixed-price items, please provide the included and excluded scope.
Keep with the quoteThe calculation for unit-priced work, or the scope attachment for a fixed price.
Which items have a fixed price and which are adjusted to the quantity of work done? If remeasurement is needed, please record who does it, when, how it is confirmed and any agreed tolerance.
Keep with the quoteEach item’s pricing method, remeasurement arrangements and confirmation record.
Will quantity changes use the original rate, a new quote or another agreed calculation? Please record the quantity difference, added or deducted amount, and timing effects, with a written confirmation process before changed work begins.
Keep with the quoteThe rules for additions and deductions, a change breakdown and written confirmation process.
All eight questions are included, whether or not you opened them. After copying, add the quote date and the items you want clarified.
A unit name is not a measuring rule. These are questions to ask, not universal construction standards. Confirm the method for the particular work.
Ask whether the figure is a floor projection, actual surface or developed area. Request dimensions and rules for openings and waste. Floor area is not the area of every surface being worked on.
Ask how the trade unit is defined for this item, then check dimensions, thickness, conversion and minimum billable quantity. Do not assume different trades use the same calculation.
Mark the start, end and route. Check whether bends and vertical runs count. If height or width also affects the item, record that dimension too.
What does one point include: piping, wiring, materials, plates, installation and testing? Identify locations and included work before comparing the rate per point.
Match dimensions, configuration and count. Check accessories, installation and finishing. Two items described as a set may contain different things.
Request the scope, inclusions, exclusions and quantity basis. Confirm whether the amount is fixed or adjustable. An agreed package does not have to be broken down into every material cost.
STANDARD INTEGRITY INSTITUTE
DOCUMENT REVIEW
SII reviews quotes and attachments through Transparency, Consistency, Reasonableness and Executability to identify points needing clarification. It does not rate vendors or verify actual site quantities or workmanship.
A blank field alone cannot answer that. First distinguish a fixed price from remeasured work, then clarify the scope, measuring basis, estimates, additions and deductions. List what remains unresolved before deciding your next step.
A package need not list every material cost. It should identify the work, locations, specification and exclusions it covers, and the circumstances in which its price changes. A scope schedule, drawing or attachment can provide that detail.
It is a pricing description, not a full explanation of what is included or a confirmation that the total is fixed. Read it with the scope attachment, quantity basis and final-price rules.
Check the agreed pricing and remeasurement rules. Neither the actual quantity nor the original quote automatically applies in every case. If the documents are silent, ask for the measuring basis, adjustment calculation and written confirmation process.
Check the agreement: is waste already included in the quantity or rate, and what is the basis for any separate charge? Do not apply a universal percentage or count the same waste allowance in several places.
No. SII reviews the quote and related documents you provide. It does not measure the site, certify engineering quantities or carry out quality acceptance checks. Site dimensions and specialist measurement still need an appropriate professional.
This guide helps clarify quotation documents. It is not a legal determination or an engineering measurement. Complete answers do not make a project risk-free.
