Subcontractor scheduling: rates, day-work and price-work explained

The rate you book a subcontractor on changes how you schedule them, how you measure them, and how much you pay at the end. Here is the short version.

Day-work (T&M)

The subcontractor charges for hours on site, plus materials at cost or with a markup.

Use it when: the scope is unclear, the work is reactive, or you genuinely cannot estimate it.

Scheduling implications: you need tight check-in / check-out times. SiteLive day check-ins exist for exactly this — arrival time, leave time, work summary, all timestamped.

Risk: if nobody is watching the clock, day-work is where margin goes to die.

Price-work (measured)

A fixed rate per unit — per metre, per square metre, per fitting.

Use it when: the unit is well-defined and repeatable.

Scheduling implications: you only care about output, not hours. Book the visit, measure the work, sign it off.

Fixed-price (lump sum)

One price for the whole package.

Use it when: scope is locked and drawings are stable.

Scheduling implications: programme certainty is everything. Late access cascades into delay claims.

Which one to pick

If you can describe the work in one sentence and a number, price-work or fixed-price. If you cannot, day-work — but commit to logging it properly.

The scheduling tool you use should support all three without forcing you to pick one model.