The cost control of job is the responsibility of the project manager but he expects the construction manager to make sure his day to day expenditure on all items is controlled to Produce the most economical job to the specified standards.
The quantity surveyor is to keep him informed on the current cost situation for the major items.
Factors which add cost to a job and which must be tightly controlled are: –
• Preliminary site operations (Setting out, haul roads etc)
• Indirect site expenses (Telephone, electricity, water etc.)
• Unproductive work items (Fire-breaks, damage to utility lines etc.)
• Final clean-up.
Fixed site expenses, consisting mainly of costs of establishing and maintaining site facilities and the clearing of temporary works and access roads, have all to be controlled tightly.
The initial stages of the job require special control to achieve the desired rate and method of construction. Tight cost control in this phase is essential to see that cost escalation does not set in.
Time (man hours and machine-hours) is the measure by which all the productive and unproductive effort is controlled against that estimated. It is also used to assess progress against the job program. Time means money. Reduce the time that men and plant spend on an operation and you reduce the cost of the operation.
It is essential that the construction manager/project manager maintains full communication with his quantity surveyor and ensures he is provided promptly with all costing and production information.