PC sums and selections your clients can follow
Tag every prime cost and provisional sum, list them in one schedule, and let owners choose finishes and upgrades in the estimate itself.
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In a QuoteCloud estimate, prime cost and provisional sums are lines tagged in the price table and listed again in an allowances table with what each one covers. Selections such as benchtops or flooring are single-choice groups or optional rows the owners pick, with photos, and the total updates before they sign.
Three pages of a sample estimate from a fictional builder, Corbel Building Co., taking turns at the front: an allowances schedule listing $36,700 in PC sums (kitchen joinery and benchtops, stacker door and windows, wall and floor tiles) and a $3,000 provisional sum for rock excavation; the staged price table with those lines tagged PC sum or Provisional sum; and a page of site photos and the owners' joinery selection with a question and the builder's answer.
PC sum or provisional sum, in plain words
A prime cost (PC) sum is an allowance for something the owners still have to choose: the kitchen joinery, the tiles, the stacker door. The builder includes a figure, and when the owners make their selection, its actual price is compared with that figure.
A provisional sum is an allowance for work nobody can price until it is uncovered, like rock in the footings. If the work isn't needed, the allowance comes off; if it costs more, the difference is priced.
Disputes start when owners first notice these figures at the final claim. In a QuoteCloud estimate they are tagged on the price-table line, listed again in an allowances table with the basis of each figure, and signed with everything else. How a difference is handled is your own contract wording; in the sample below, it goes into a variation the owners sign.
- Tag each line "PC sum" or "Provisional sum" so it stands out in the price
- List every allowance in one table, with what it covers and how it was worked out
- Price any difference later in a signed variation, never as a surprise on the last claim
From allowance to selection, in one estimate
The Doyle extension carries $36,700 in PC sums and a $3,000 provisional sum. Here is where each one shows up, and where the owners make their choices.
Every allowance tagged on its line
Joinery, the stacker door and windows, and the tiles carry a PC sum tag; rock excavation a provisional sum tag. The owners see which figures can move before they sign, and the upgrades at the end stay theirs to tick.
Price tables: Essentials and up
Staged estimates & building quotesYour extension, stage by stage
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 · Site works & demolition | $7,450 | ||
Site establishmentFencing, amenities and skip bins
|
1 lot | $2,850 | $2,850.00 |
Demolition & waste removalRear deck, laundry and the existing rear wall
|
1 lot | $4,600 | $4,600.00 |
| Stage 2 · Base | $13,480 | ||
Excavation & footingsTo the engineer's design
|
1 lot | $5,200 | $5,200.00 |
Reinforced concrete slab100 mm, with vapour barrier
|
32 m² | $165 | $5,280.00 |
Rock excavation Provisional sumIf rock is found in the footings
|
1 lot | $3,000 | $3,000.00 |
| Stage 3 · Frame & lock-up | $34,750 | ||
Wall & roof framingLVL beam to the engineer's detail
|
1 lot | $14,800 | $14,800.00 |
Metal roofing & guttersPitched roof over the extension
|
34 m² | $145 | $4,930.00 |
Stacker door & windows PC sumSupply, your selection
|
1 lot | $9,500 | $9,500.00 |
Cladding & sarkingFibre-cement weatherboards
|
46 m² | $120 | $5,520.00 |
| Stage 4 · Services & fix-out | $46,060 | ||
Electrical rough-in & fit-offLicensed subcontractor
|
1 lot | $7,900 | $7,900.00 |
Plumbing & drainageLicensed subcontractor
|
1 lot | $8,400 | $8,400.00 |
Plasterboard & corniceWalls and ceilings
|
120 m² | $48 | $5,760.00 |
Kitchen joinery & benchtops PC sumSupply and install, your selection
|
1 lot | $24,000 | $24,000.00 |
| Stage 5 · Finishes & handover | $13,010 | ||
Wall & floor tiles PC sumSupply, your selection
|
1 lot | $3,200 | $3,200.00 |
TilingKitchen splashback and floor
|
28 m² | $95 | $2,660.00 |
PaintingTwo coats, internal and external
|
1 lot | $6,200 | $6,200.00 |
Builder's clean & handoverFinal inspection with you
|
1 lot | $950 | $950.00 |
| Optional upgrades Tick to add | |||
| 1 ea | $2,180 | $2,180.00 | |
| 24 m² | $145 | $3,480.00 | |
| 1 ea | $4,300 | $4,300.00 | |
- Subtotal
- $116,930.00
- Tax (10%)
- $11,693.00
- Total
- $128,623.00
- Plus, monthly
- $0.00/mo
- Deposit on signing (10%)
- $12,862.30
One table, with the basis of each figure
A table block lists each allowance, its kind and what it covers, such as about $65 per m² for supply-only tiles, and says how a difference is handled. It is your wording in your template: QuoteCloud shows the schedule, it does not reconcile allowances.
Variations & change ordersAllowances in this estimate PC and provisional sums
- PCPrime cost (PC) sum: an allowance for items you choose, such as joinery, tapware or tiles. If your choice costs more or less, the difference is adjusted.
- PSProvisional sum: an allowance for work that can't be priced until it's uncovered, such as rock in the footings.
| Item | Type | Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen joinery & benchtopsSupply and install | PC | $24,000 |
| Stacker door & windowsSupply only | PC | $9,500 |
| Wall & floor tilesAbout $65 per m², supply only | PC | $3,200 |
| Rock excavationOnly if rock is found | PS | $3,000 |
| Total allowances in the contract sum | $39,700 |
If an allowance is overspent or underspent, the difference (plus 15% builder's margin on any increase) is set out in a variation for you to sign before the work goes ahead.
Selections the owners can picture
Site photos, the approved plans and the joinery selection sit in a gallery block next to the allowances, so the owners choose with the figure in front of them.
Image and gallery blocks: Starter and up
Plans, site photos & build schedulesSite photos & selections
Existing kitchen, before Frame stage on a recent job Approved plans, Rev C Your joinery selection
Questions answered on the estimate
The owners ask about a selection in a comment and the estimator replies in the same thread, so the answer is part of the document they sign rather than a text message nobody can find.
More construction questionsInclusions & exclusions
- Includes plans Rev C and the engineer's beam detail.
- Appliances are supplied by the owners and installed by us.
- Excludes landscaping and window furnishings.
- Site hours 7 am to 5 pm on weekdays.
Ellie DoyleCan the skylight sit right over the island?
Dan, CorbelYes, it's centred on the island in plan Rev C.
Agreed by both owners before work starts
Both owners sign the estimate with its allowances, each in their own signature block, and the 10% deposit is paid on signing through Stripe.
eSignatures: every plan · Payments: Essentials and up
Contracts, deposits & progress claimsAccept, sign and pay the deposit
2 of 2 signed
- Ellie DoyleOwner Signed18 Feb, 8:14 pm
- Marcus DoyleOwner Signed18 Feb, 8:21 pm
Deposit on signing (10%)
$12,862.30
Paid via StripePay with card or PayPal
Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached
How selections work in the document
The price-table features that turn a selection sheet into choices the owners make themselves, before they sign.
Single-choice groups
Offer laminate, engineered stone or natural stone benchtops as one group: the owners pick one and the total follows.
Optional upgrades
A skylight, oak flooring or another air-conditioning zone as optional rows the owners tick, each priced in full.
Defaults you set
Pre-select the standard finish, so the estimate opens at your base price and the owners only change what they want.
Images on the line
Products added from your catalogue arrive in the price table with their images, so a tile or tapware choice shows what it is.
Quantities they can change
Turn on quantity editing for a line, such as extra power points, and the owners set the number they want.
Comments on a choice
Owners ask about a finish in a comment on the estimate, and your reply stays with the document.
Put your selection sheet inside the estimate
Free for 14 days, no credit card required. Send us your current estimate and we'll convert one template for you during the trial.
When an allowance runs over, a variation says by how much
Rock was found in the Doyles' footings. The $3,000 provisional sum became an actual cost of $4,850, and the difference, with the 15% margin set out in the allowances schedule, went into variation V-03 alongside two late requests from the owners.
The variation is its own document from your template: the allowance as contracted beside the actual cost, the revised contract sum and two extra working days. The owner signed it on the supervisor's tablet before the work went ahead.
- The allowance as contracted beside the actual figure
- Original contract sum, earlier variations and the revised contract sum: $132,525.25
- Signed in person on site, before the changed work starts
eSignatures, including signing in person: every plan
Variations & change ordersRock was found in the footings, and while the frame is open the owners asked for more power and pendant lights at the island.
| Change | As contracted | As varied | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock excavation | Provisional sum: $3,000 allowance | Actual cost $4,850, plus 15% margin on the difference | +$2,340.25 |
| Kitchen power | 4 double power points | 6 double power points | +$440.00 |
| Pendant lights | Not included | 3 pendant points over the island; fittings by the owners | +$462.00 |
| Island position | 1,100 mm from the back bench | 1,200 mm from the back bench | No change |
- Original contract sum
- $128,623.00
- Variation V-01 · Extra circuit to the garage
- +$1,045.00
- Variation V-02 · Laundry tub supplied by the owners
- −$385.00
- This variation (V-03)
- +$3,242.25
- Revised contract sum inc tax
- $132,525.25
- Effect on time
- +2 working days (rock removal)
Signed before the changed work starts. Added to the next progress claim.
Once it's in place
Selections settled before the build starts
When allowances and selections are agreed and signed in the estimate, nothing in the final claim should come as a surprise, and the office stops retyping selection sheets.
PC sum and selection questions
What is a PC sum in a building estimate?
A prime cost (PC) sum is an allowance for an item the owner still has to choose, such as kitchen joinery, tapware or tiles. The builder includes a figure in the price, and once the selection is made its actual cost is compared with the allowance. How a difference is handled is set out in the builder's own contract.
What is a provisional sum?
A provisional sum is an allowance for work that cannot be priced accurately until it is uncovered or designed, such as rock excavation or the condition of existing structure. If the work is not needed the allowance comes off, and if it costs more the difference is priced, usually as a variation.
How do I show PC and provisional sums in QuoteCloud?
Mark each allowance on its price-table line, for example with "PC sum" or "Provisional sum" in the line name or note, and list them again in a table block with what each covers and how the figure was worked out. Save that block in your estimate template so every estimate shows allowances the same way.
Can owners choose their selections inside the estimate?
Yes. Put either-or choices such as benchtop materials in a single-choice group, add upgrades as optional rows, and set the standard finish as the default. Products from your catalogue bring their images. The owners pick in the estimate, the total updates, and they sign what they chose. Price tables are on Essentials and above.
Does QuoteCloud reconcile allowances against actual costs?
No. QuoteCloud does not track actual costs or reconcile allowances. It shows the allowances in the estimate the owners sign. When a selection or provisional item costs more or less, price the difference in a variation document and have the owners sign it before the work goes ahead.
What happens when a selection costs more than the allowance?
Send a variation: its own document from your variation template, showing the allowance as contracted, the actual cost, any margin your contract allows, and the revised contract sum. The owners sign it online or in person on your phone or tablet, and you add it to your next progress claim.
Explore QuoteCloud for construction
Every page of QuoteCloud for construction, from the first estimate to the last variation.
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Staged estimates & building quotesEstimates broken into stages and trades, priced from your cost book, with upgrades the client can tick.Explore
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Variations & change ordersEach variation its own document: the scope before and after, the new contract sum, signed on site before work starts.Explore
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Plans, site photos & build schedulesDrawings, marked-up site photos and a Gantt build schedule inside the estimate, next to the price.Explore
- Commercial fit-out proposals & tendersTrade packages, a programme, locked compliance content, approvals and several signers for commercial work.
- Quotes for trade subcontractorsFor electricians, plumbers and other trades quoting builders: rates, inclusions, licences and a quick acceptance.
- Cost book, rates & margin controlLabour, material and subcontract rates in one catalogue, with costs and margins your client never sees.
- Contracts, deposits & progress claim schedulesContracts signed by every owner, the deposit paid on signing, and the stage payment schedule set out in the contract.
- Accounting & job management integrationsWon jobs into Xero or QuickBooks, and on to simPRO, ServiceM8 or your calendar through Zapier.
- Construction templatesReal QuoteCloud templates for builders, renovators, roofers and subcontractors, ready to make your own.
- QuoteCloud implementation for buildersYour estimate template converted, cost book imported, insurances locked in, approvals and training.
- FAQAnswers to the questions builders, renovators and contractors ask most.
Allowances agreed before anyone signs
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