Subcontract rates
Subcontract rates represent work delivered by an external trade, specialist, or service provider.
Subcontract rate fields
A subcontract rate can include:
- rate name;
- optional reference code;
- category or trade;
- aliases;
- unit;
- default rate;
- currency;
- linked companies.
Name the service, not only the supplier
Good examples:
- Scaffold Installation Crew
- Hot-Dip Galvanising per kg
- NDT Weld Inspection
- Powder Coating per m²
- Structural Engineering Review
The supplier relationship belongs in linked companies. Keeping the service name independent makes the record easier to reuse with several providers.
Category and aliases
Use a category for the trade or service family, such as Coating, Access, Testing, Engineering, Transport, or Installation.
Aliases help users find the same service under familiar wording, such as:
- scaffold crew
- access scaffold
- temporary works
Choose the right unit
The rate may be per hour, day, item, mass, area, length, or lump sum depending on the service.
Confirm whether the supplier’s rate includes:
- materials;
- labour;
- mobilisation;
- minimum charges;
- testing certificates;
- freight;
- tax;
- travel or accommodation.
Linked companies
Link every relevant approved provider. More than one provider can be linked to the same service.
The linked companies are references, not a live supplier quote comparison. Use current job evidence when suppliers offer different prices or conditions.
Default rates and one-off quotes
Store a default rate when it is a useful repeatable starting point. Keep a one-off supplier quotation in the RFQ files and use its job-specific value in the estimate.
Example: galvanising
A reusable galvanising rate may be priced per kilogram, while the current supplier also applies a minimum batch charge and freight. Add those separate job-specific costs when they are not included in the reusable rate.