Introduction

Schedules of work (or schedule of works) are ‘without quantities’ instructional lists often produced on smaller projects or for alteration work. They are an alternative to bills of quantities, allowing the pricing of items, such as builders’ work and fixing schedules (such as sanitary fittings, doors, windows, ironmongery, light fittings, louvres, roller shutters, diffusers, grilles, manholes and so on).

Schedules of work are typically prepared by designers rather than by a cost consultant or quantity surveyor. They may be prepared as part of the production information alongside drawings, specifications, bills of quantities and preliminaries and are likely to form part of the tender documentation and then contract documents.

They simply list the work required. Any information about quality should be provided by reference to specifications, and information about location and size should be provided on drawings (so as to avoid conflicting information). Where a schedule does include a description of the work required, this may be referred to as a ‘specified schedule of work’.

Schedules of work should allow the contractor to identify significant work and materials that will be needed to complete the works and to calculate the quantities that will be required. As a consequence, it is important that schedules of work properly describe every significant item of work to which they relate. Failure to do so may result in a claim by the contractor.

Schedules of work can be arranged on an elemental basis (for example, groundwork, concrete, masonry, etc.), or on a room-by-room basis.