Provisional Sum
A provisional sum is a placeholder figure for materials you cannot price yet. Write it into the quote. Settle it when the real cost is known, up or down.
What it means
Some materials cannot be priced to the dollar before they are chosen. Tile, fittings, or anything the client picks later are examples. A provisional sum quotes a realistic placeholder instead of a guess. The job then has a number to start from.
It only works if both sides know it is an allowance and not a promise. State the figure. State that the final cost may land above or below it. Then true up the difference on the invoice once the real materials are bought. Give a credit if it came in under. Add 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 beside it.
Writing a provisional sum on the quote without saying it is an estimate and not a cap. The client hears a fixed number and is surprised when the real tile costs more.
See also
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