Construction Contracts and Law LECTURE 5 Engineering construction contracts
The classification of engineering construction
contracts based on the method of payment can be divided into two main groups: 1. Competitive Contracts (Price-Based): These contracts are generally based on a fixed price and typically involve a competitive bidding process with multiple contractors. The contractor agrees to complete the work for a set price agreed upon at the start. 2. Negotiated Contracts (Cost-Based): In these contracts, the client pays the contractor not only for direct costs but also for indirect costs, such as the costs of employees and staff at the contractor's main office, along with a specific percentage of profit. Negotiated contracts usually involve a limited number of contractors and provide flexibility to accommodate specific project requirements. Contract Type Price Breakdown CONTRACT TYPE Lump-sum Contract
• A single tendered price is given for the completion of specified
work to the satisfaction of the client by a certain date. Payment may be staged at intervals on the completion. The contract has a very limited flexibility for design changes. The tendered price may include high level of financing and high risk contingency. Where considerable risk has been places with the contractor, this contract may lead to cost cutting, trivia claims, or bankruptcy.
• Contract final price is known at tender. A lump-sum contract
would seem to prevent risks for the client where in fact it just changes them. An important risk t the client is that of not receiving competitive bids from desirable contractors who may avoid a high-risk lump-sum contract.
• This contract may be used for a turnkey construction. It is
appropriate when work is defined in detail, limited variations are expected, level of risk is low and quantifiable, and client does not wish to be involved in the management of his project. Lump-sum Contract Unit Price
n this type of contracting, items of work are specified
in Bills of Quantities or Schedule of Rates. The contractor then specifies rates against each item. The rates include risk contingency. Payment is paid monthly for all work completed during the month. The contract offers a facility for the client to introduce changes in the work defined in the tender documents. The contractor can claim additional payment for any changes in the work content of the contract. • Claims resolution is very difficult because the client has no knowledge of actual cost or hidden contingency. Tender price is usually increased by variations and claims. • Two forms of admeasurement contract are usually used: bill of quantities and schedule of rates. Unit Price
Bill of Quantities Contract:
Tenderers enter rates against each item of the
estimated quantities of work. The quantities are re-measured during the course of the contract, valued at the tendered rates and the contract price adjusted accordingly. Unit Price
Schedule of Rates Contract
It contains inaccurate quantities of work, possibly with upper and lower probable limits. Therefore, it is common for separate rates to be quoted for labour, plant, and materials.
The contract price is derived by measuring the
man-hours, plant-hours and the quantities of materials actually consumed, and then pricing them at the tendered price. This contract is best suitable for repetitive works. Unit Price
No total final price;
Quote Rates / Prices by units;
Re-negotiate for rates if the quantity or work
considerably exceeds the initial target;
Payment to contractor is based on the measure;
Unbalanced bids;
Higher risk to owner;
Ideal for work where quantities can not be
accurately established before construction starts Unit Price cost-plus Cost-reimbursable contract (cost-plus contract) The contractor is reimbursed for actual cost plus a special fee for head office overheads and profit, no special payment for risk. Payment may be made monthly in advance. The contract involves a high level of flexibility for design changes. Final price depends on changes and extent to which risks materialize. The contractor must make all his records and accounts available for inspection by the client or by some agreed third party. The fee may be a fixed amount or a percentage of actual costs. cost-plus
This contract has no direct financial incentives
for the contractor to perform efficiently. It may be used when it is desirable for design to proceed concurrently with construction and when the client wishes to be involved in contract management. Actual cost plus a negotiated reimbursement to cover overheads and profit. Higher risk to owner; By using this type of contract the contractor can start work without a clearly defined project scope, since all costs will be reimbursed and a profit guaranteed. Target Cost
Target Cost Contract
Cost targets may be introduced into cost- reimbursable contracts. In addition to the reimbursement of actual cost plus percentage fee, the contractor will be paid a share for any saving between target and actual cost, while the fee will be reduced if actual cost exceeds the target.
The target figure should be realistic and the
incentive must be sufficient to generate the desired motivation. Target Cost
Specified risk' can be excluded from the
tendered target cost. When these occur, the target cost is adjusted accordingly and the client pays the actual cost incurred by the contractor.