Rate Scenarios

Which price reality am I working in?

What are Rate Scenarios?

Rate Scenarios are different pricing overlays on the same BQ quantities. You might have Contract Rates for billing, Estimate rates for budgeting, Subcon rates for subcontractor pricing, and Tender rates for bid preparation. Only one scenario is authoritative for claims — usually Contract Rates.

What scenario types are available?

Type	Purpose	Authoritative?
Contract Rates	Original client-approved rates	Yes — for billing
Estimate	Internal budgeting and forecasting	No — internal only
Subcon Rates	Subcontractor pricing	No — internal only
Tender	Bid preparation	No — until awarded
VO Rates	Variation order pricing	Yes — for VO items only

Which scenario is authoritative for claims?

Key Rule: Claims are generated using the default scenario. Only one scenario can be default at a time. This is typically "Contract Rates".

Default Scenario

Used for claim calculations and client billing

This is what matters for payment

Other Scenarios

For internal use, comparisons, and planning

View-only, doesn't affect claims

How do I create scenarios for VO/tender/subcon?

Go to Work Package → BQ tab
Click "Scenarios" dropdown
Click "New Scenario"
Enter name (e.g., "VO Rates Q2 2026")
Select type (Estimate, Subcon, Tender, etc.)
Optionally copy from existing scenario
Click "Create"

Duplicate for VO

When handling Variation Orders, never edit Contract Rates. Instead: duplicate to "VO Rates", adjust only the affected items, and use the new scenario for VO billing.

How do I compare totals across scenarios?

Switch between scenarios using the dropdown in the BQ tab. The totals update instantly to show values for the selected scenario.

Example Comparison

Contract Rates Total: RM 2,500,000.00

Estimate Total: RM 2,350,000.00

Subcon Total: RM 1,875,000.00

Margin (Contract - Subcon): RM 625,000.00 (25%)

Note: Switching scenario view does NOT change your contract or claims. It's just a different lens on the same quantities.

Common Mistake

"I switched to Subcon Rates view, now my claim totals are wrong!"

No — you're viewing internal pricing. Switch back to Contract Rates. The claim always uses the default scenario, not your current view.

Best Practices

Use Contract Rates as default for client billing
Create separate scenarios for internal pricing
Duplicate Contract Rates for VO adjustments
Document scenario purpose in the name

DON'T

Edit Contract Rates after client approval
Set Subcon or Estimate as default scenario
Confuse scenario view with actual claim values
Delete scenarios that have been used in reports

What Auditors Will Ask

"Which rates are used for this claim?"

Claims use the default scenario. Check Work Package → BQ → scenario dropdown to see which is marked as default.

"Why are there multiple rate scenarios?"

Different scenarios serve different purposes: Contract for billing, Estimate for budgeting, Subcon for internal costing. Only default affects claims.

"What changed with the Variation Order?"

Compare VO Rates scenario against original Contract Rates to see exactly which items were adjusted.

Related Guides

Schedule of Rates

Import and manage rate books

Bill of Quantities

Generate BQ with scenario pricing

Progress Claims

Claims use default scenario