See exactly what changed between one price and the next.
A provisional sum vs a fixed price
Provisional- Supplier AAs quoted $11,800.00Full scope priced
- Supplier BAs quoted $11,400.00Full scope priced
As quoted, ex GST.
Provisional — check before relying on this: Supplier A: no quoted total to check the lines against; Supplier B: no quoted total to check the lines against. Supplier B has the lowest complete-scope cost at $11,400.00 ($400.00 below the next quote).
Why revisions and variations are hard to check
A contractor sends “Rev C” of a quote three weeks after Rev B. The total has gone up. The covering email mentions a design change, but the document has been reformatted, two lines have been merged, an exclusion has quietly appeared at the bottom and a few rates have moved. To answer the obvious question, “is this increase justified by the change?”, someone has to rebuild both versions side by side.
Variation quotes raise the same problem in a different form. The price is usually presented as a single figure with some supporting lines, and checking it means tracing every line back to the instruction, comparing every rate with the rates already agreed, and isolating whatever is left over. That leftover is the part most likely to be disputed later, and it is the part that is easiest to miss when the review is rushed.
Contract administrators also inherit the history. If a number is questioned months later, you need to show where it came from. A comparison that can’t point back to a page and line is hard to defend.
What QuantDoc gives you
Line-by-line revision deltas
Added items, removed items, changed quantities, changed rates and changed exclusions, each linked to its source line in both versions.Proven vs unexplained
The change in the total is split into the part proven by line-level differences and the unexplained balance, so you know exactly what to query.Changed exclusions and terms
New or removed exclusions, validity and payment terms are surfaced, because a revision can shift scope without moving the price.Issues for professional review
Qualifications and possible contractual points are listed for your judgement. QuantDoc doesn’t give legal advice or decide entitlement.Source references for every figure
Page and line, or sheet and row, for every quantity, rate and total, so the record holds up when it is reviewed later.Clarification schedules
Draft questions and emails for each open point. You review, edit and send them; nothing goes out automatically.
How the delta is worked out
Rev A Rock excavation 120 m³ × $85.00 = $10,200.00
Cart away 300 m³ × $32.00 = $9,600.00
Total $19,800.00
Rev B Rock excavation 150 m³ × $85.00 = $12,750.00
Cart away 300 m³ × $35.00 = $10,500.00
Traffic control (new item) $1,800.00
Sum of Rev B lines $25,050.00
Total (stated) $26,400.00
Change in total $26,400.00 − $19,800.00 = $6,600.00
Quantity change (150 − 120) m³ × $85.00 = $2,550.00
Rate change 300 m³ × ($35.00 − $32.00) = $900.00
Added item Traffic control = $1,800.00
Proven difference $2,550 + $900 + $1,800 = $5,250.00
Unexplained balance $6,600.00 − $5,250.00 = $1,350.00Here the stated Rev B total is $1,350.00 more than its own lines add up to. That unexplained balance is not an accusation: it may be a line that was merged or left off the page, or a cost the contractor didn’t itemise. It is simply the part of the increase that the revision doesn’t support on its face, and therefore the first question to ask. The rate change on cart-away is a separate question, because the quantity didn’t move.
Provisional sums deserve the same scrutiny
Example data · calculated by the QuantDoc engine
A provisional sum vs a fixed price
What was quoted
- Supplier A: Bulk excavation and cart away $6,800 lump sum, plus rock excavation as a $5,000 provisional sum (ex GST).
- Supplier B: Bulk excavation and cart away $7,400 lump sum, plus rock excavation $4,000 fixed (ex GST).
Provisional — check before relying on this: Supplier A: no quoted total to check the lines against; Supplier B: no quoted total to check the lines against. Supplier B has the lowest complete-scope cost at $11,400.00 ($400.00 below the next quote).
Line-by-line matching (2 items)
| Item | Supplier | Match | Normalised rate (ex GST) | Amount (ex GST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk excavation and cart away | Supplier A | Exact equivalent | $6,800.00 / lump sum | $6,800.00 |
| Supplier B | Exact equivalent | $7,400.00 / lump sum | $7,400.00 | |
| Rock excavation (provisional sum) | Supplier A | Exact equivalent | $5,000.00 / lump sum | $5,000.00 |
| Supplier B | Conditional match | $4,000.00 / lump sum | $4,000.00 |
| Supplier | As quoted (ex GST) | Like-for-like | Complete scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supplier A | $11,800.00 | $6,800.00 | $11,800.00 |
| Supplier B | $11,400.00 | $7,400.00 | $11,400.00 |
2 flags raised · 4 clarification questions drafted
- Supplier A: provisional sum
- Supplier B: match needs confirmation
Limits worth knowing
QuantDoc reads PDFs with a text layer, Excel and CSV. Scanned PDFs have limited support and their figures should be checked against the original. It compares documents with each other; it does not check rates against the market, read drawings, or assess whether an instruction was given. AI-assisted reading, on paid plans and the trial, is only used to read difficult documents such as scans, never to calculate.
Read more about how documents are stored and protected, or see the full workflow.
Frequently asked questions
What does QuantDoc compare between two revisions of a quote?
Added and removed items, changed quantities, changed rates and changed exclusions. It then splits the change in the total into the part proven by those line-level differences and the unexplained balance that the line items don’t account for.
Does QuantDoc tell me whether a variation is valid or claimable?
No. QuantDoc shows what changed and by how much. Whether a variation is valid, within scope or claimable under the contract is a matter for professional review, and QuantDoc lists those points as issues for that review rather than deciding them.
Which plan includes revision and variation analysis?
Revision and variation analysis is included from the Professional plan. The pricing page lists current limits for each plan.
How are rates checked against the original price?
Each line in the revised quote is matched to the corresponding line in the original. A changed rate on an unchanged quantity is shown as a rate change; a changed quantity at the original rate is shown as a quantity change. Both are calculated with decimal arithmetic and linked to the source lines.
Can I export the comparison for a progress claim or variation file?
Yes. Comparisons export as PDF, Excel or CSV with source references for each figure, so the record can sit alongside your variation register or correspondence.
Related
- Quote revision comparisonWhat changed between Rev A and Rev B, line by line.
- Variation analysisCheck a variation price against the original rates.
- How to check a variation quoteA practical review checklist.
- Software for contract administratorsWhat software should and shouldn’t decide.
- Commercial quote analysisRisk register, terms and an exportable record.
- PricingPlans and what each includes.
Check the next revision before you approve it.
Upload the original and the revised quote and see the proven difference and the unexplained balance.
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