Provisional Sum
Definition
A provisional sum is an allowance included in a construction contract for work that cannot be fully defined or priced at tender stage, either because the design is incomplete or because the extent of work is genuinely uncertain (for example, groundworks where ground conditions are unknown). Unlike a PC sum, a provisional sum may cover work carried out directly by the main contractor.
In construction tendering, this means...
Provisional sums are instructed (confirmed or adjusted) by the contract administrator as the project progresses. GCs need to track each provisional sum carefully: some are "defined" (scope known, just not priced) and some are "undefined" (scope genuinely unknown). The treatment of provisional sums in programme and extension of time claims depends on this distinction.
Takshy automates the parts of the tendering process that involve provisional sum, extracting scope, managing documents, and keeping your workflow organised from first document to final award.
Automate your tendering with Takshy
Understanding the terminology is step one. Takshy handles the rest, from extracting scope from project documents to sending structured RFQs and managing the returns.
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