Cost checks, or cost checking, take place throughout the design stages and compare the current estimated cost of each part of the design against the cost targets previously set for the elements or sub-elements of the building.
As the design develops, the QS measures and prices the latest information and checks it against the cost plan. Where an element is running over its cost target, the design team is alerted so that savings can be found in that element or elsewhere, or the client can agree to move money between elements. Regular cost checking keeps the overall project within the cost limit and avoids surprises at tender.
- Cost checks should be carried out on each significant design change, not just at stage ends.
- Results are usually reported as variances against the cost plan.
- Savings and overspends should be traced to the design decisions that caused them.
Related terms: cost plan, cost target, cost limit, value engineering.
