Preliminaries & General (P&G) Calculator

P&G (or General Conditions under CSI Division 01) represent site overheads, project management, temporary offices, site security, utilities, and insurances required to execute construction works.

Time-related P&G costs scale directly with project duration (monthly staff salaries, crane rental, office utilities). Fixed P&G costs occur once during mobilization or demobilization.

Preliminaries typically range from 8% to 25% of direct works cost depending on project complexity, location, duration, and safety requirements.

Prolongation cost = monthly time-related P&G rate × approved Extension of Time (EOT) delay months. For example, $30,000/month × 2 months EOT = $60,000 prolongation claim.

CSI MasterFormat Division 01 specifies General Requirements including administrative procedures, temporary facilities, quality control, and execution requirements.

FIDIC Bill of Quantities (BOQ) includes a dedicated Preliminaries section for pricing site overheads separately from permanent work item unit rates.

No. Fixed mobilization and demobilization costs are incurred regardless of project duration, so only time-related P&G expenses are compensable during delay extensions.

If contractor delay occurs, the employer levies Liquidated Damages; if owner delay occurs, the contractor claims EOT time relief plus P&G prolongation compensation.

P&G costs are jobsite management and site operational overhead costs required to run a project that cannot be allocated directly to a specific permanent work item.

P&G costs typically range from 8% to 15% of total contract value depending on project duration, complexity, site logistics, and regional market norms.

Fixed preliminaries are one-off setup costs (mobilization, hoardings, temporary utility connection). Time-related preliminaries scale with duration (site office rental, staff salaries, welfare facilities, security).

Monthly salaries for project managers, site engineers, QS, safety officers, and foremen are extended over the baseline construction duration as time-related preliminary items.

Temporary power transformers, site lighting, water distribution, internet, and temporary site drainage setup and monthly utility bills.

An approved compensable EOT entitles the contractor to claim prolonged time-related preliminaries for the extended duration.

Preliminaries cover site-specific indirect operational costs, whereas head office overhead covers corporate administration, executive salaries, and offsite office rent.

Contractor's All Risks (CAR) insurance, Third-Party Liability (TPL), and Workmen's Compensation premiums are included as fixed preliminary cost line items.

Perimeter fencing, security guard shifts, CCTV surveillance, PPE inventory, site signage, and first aid facility maintenance.

Under FIDIC conditions, if variation orders substantially increase project scope or duration, time-related preliminaries are adjusted pro-rata or by actual proven cost records.