Bills of Quantities

Variation orders and addenda in a Bill of Quantities

A bill rarely stays as issued. Clarifications arrive during tender, and instructions arrive during construction. This guide explains the difference between an addendum and a variation order, what good change control looks like, and how Caprix keeps the record for you.

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Addendum or variation order?

Addendum

A change made before the contract is signed, usually during the tender period, so that every tenderer prices the same revised document.

Variation Order (VO)

A change made after the contract is signed. It adds, omits or alters the work, and adjusts the contract sum.

The timing is what separates them. The discipline is the same: every change is numbered, dated, explained and priced.

What good change control needs

A fixed baseline. One version that everyone agrees is the issued bill.
Stable item numbers. Item 3.12 must mean the same thing in every letter, claim and certificate.
A reason for each change. Who asked for it and why, recorded at the time.
A register. Every change set in one list, in order.
A current total. The amended sum after all changes to date.

How Caprix tracks changes

When the bill is ready, open Addenda and select Issue for Tender / Contract. This locks in the current version as the official one.
From then on item numbers stop shifting. If an item is later removed, its number is skipped instead of everything after it being renumbered.
Keep editing as changes come in. Caprix does not overwrite the original. Each round of changes is recorded as its own numbered Addendum (before the contract is signed) or Variation Order (after), with a reason and a printable PDF.
The Addenda panel keeps a running register of every change set issued, with the bill's current amended total.

Issued something by mistake? You can void a change set, and Undo reverts the single most recent action.

Pricing a variation

How a variation is valued is set by your contract. As a general pattern, standard forms start from the rates in the bill where the varied work is of a similar character and carried out under similar conditions, and move to fair rates where it is not. Check the valuation rules in the form you are on.

For work with no bill rate to lean on, Caprix gives you somewhere to start: look up a current material, labour or machinery rate from inside the row, or compose a rate build-up that shows how the new rate was reached.

Seeing what changed, and why it matters

Compare puts two versions of a project side by side and explains the gap line by line, which is useful when a client asks why the sum has moved. For the contractual side of a variation, such as notices, time and entitlement, Advise gives guidance from Malaysian case law.

Building and editing a bill is free on every plan. Free gives 50 credits every month. Pro is RM99 a month with 2,000 credits, and Max is RM149 a month with 4,000. See the full plan comparison →

Questions about variation orders and addenda

What is the difference between an addendum and a variation order?

An addendum changes the tender documents before the contract is signed. A variation order changes the work after the contract is signed and adjusts the contract sum. Caprix records each as its own numbered change set.

What happens to item numbers when the bill changes?

Once a bill is issued in Caprix, item numbers stop shifting. If an item is removed later, its number is skipped instead of renumbering the items after it, so references in letters and claims stay valid.

Can I keep editing a bill after it has been issued?

Yes. Issuing locks in the official version, and Caprix does not overwrite it. Each later round of changes is recorded as a numbered Addendum or Variation Order with a reason and a printable PDF.

Can I see the contract sum after all variations?

Yes. The Addenda panel keeps a running register of every change set issued and shows the bill's current amended total.

What if I issue a change by mistake?

You can void a change set that was issued by mistake, and Undo in the same panel reverts the single most recent action, whether that was issuing the bill or issuing a change set.

Is it free to try?

Yes. The free plan gives you 50 credits that reset every month, with no credit card. See plans →

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