A schedule of works is a list of every task on a building job, set out so that each builder prices the same thing. Designing Buildings describes schedules of work as instructional lists without quantities, often produced on smaller projects and for alteration work. Sizes and positions come from the drawings, and quality from the specification. The schedule says what is to be done. It has no dates: the timetable for the job is called the programme.
How is a schedule of works different from a quote or a bill of quantities?
A bill of quantities measures the work: so many square metres of plasterboard, so many doors. A schedule of works lists the tasks and leaves the builder to measure from the drawings. A quote is the builder's price in reply. If you send three builders the same schedule, the three quotes come back in the same order and you can compare them line by line.
What goes in a schedule of works?
Every task goes in, grouped under numbered sections with a price column beside each line. Arrange it by room or by stage. This blank layout follows the order the work happens in. Copy it, delete what does not apply and add a line for each task.
| Section | Lines to add under it |
|---|---|
| 1. Preliminaries | Supervision, protection, welfare, waste, access and the programme length. See prelims |
| 2. Strip-out and demolition | What is removed room by room, what is kept, and who disposes of it |
| 3. Structural work | Openings, beams and supports, with the engineer's drawing number |
| 4. First fix | Stud walls, door linings, pipes, cables and backing for fixtures. See first fix and second fix |
| 5. Boarding and plastering | Wall and ceiling types, the finish, and areas to be made good |
| 6. Second fix | Doors, skirting, sanitaryware, sockets and kitchen fitting |
| 7. Finishes | Flooring, tiling and decoration, room by room, with products named |
| 8. External work | Roof, brickwork, drainage and paving |
| 9. Testing and handover | Certificates, cleaning, snagging and manuals |
| 10. Provisional and PC sums | Each allowance listed on its own line, with what it covers. See provisional sums and PC sums |
Give every line a number and leave a price column beside it. Ask builders not to merge lines.
The same layout is ready to print as a schedule of works example and blank sheet (PDF, 2 pages). The first page is filled in for a kitchen refurbishment with the prices left out, and the second page is blank.
Who writes the schedule of works?
On a designed job, the architect or designer usually writes it. On a small job with no designer, write a simple one yourself from the sections above, or ask each builder to set their quote out in the same sections.
Send us your schedule, however rough, with the drawings and the postcode. We can price against your line numbers so our quote can be compared with others. We reply within one working day. Share your schedule.