Work is the effort applied to produce a deliverable or complete a task. In a construction contract, the term also means everything that has to be done or supplied to complete the project.
In contract documents, “the Works” (usually capitalised) is the defined scope the contractor has agreed to carry out, as described in the drawings, specification and other contract documents. Under NEC4, the Contractor’s core obligation is to Provide the Works in accordance with the Scope. In planning and cost control, work is measured in units of effort, such as labour hours or gang days, which are then used to estimate duration and cost. Quantity surveyors need to be clear about:
- what work is included in the contract and what is excluded
- the difference between permanent works and temporary works
- when additional work becomes a variation or compensation event
Related terms: scope, task, temporary works, variation.
