Provisional Sum
A provisional sum is a placeholder figure for materials you can’t price exactly yet, written into the quote and settled up once the real cost is known — up or down.
What it means
Some materials can’t be priced to the dollar before they’re chosen — tile, fittings, or anything the client picks later. A provisional sum quotes a realistic placeholder instead of guessing, so the job has a number to start from.
It only works if both sides know it’s an allowance, not a promise. State the figure, state that the final cost may land above or below it, and true up the difference on the invoice once the real materials are bought — a credit if it came in under, an extra line if it came in over.
You quote a bathroom retile with a $600 provisional sum for tiles. The client picks a tile that costs $740. You add the $140 difference to the final invoice, with the original allowance shown alongside it.
Writing a provisional sum on the quote without saying out loud that it’s an estimate, not a cap — so the client hears a fixed number and is blindsided once the real tile costs more.
See also
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