Bill of quantities item types: alternative, provisional and surcharge items

As of 7 Nov 2026. Resource type: glossary. Terms follow German VOB practice (German term in brackets); sources are linked directly.

The five item types

Standard item

A standard item describes work that is carried out without reservation. Its total counts fully towards the quote total. Without a special marker, an item counts as a standard item (sander-doll.com, GAEB item types (German)).

Base item

A base item is a standard item that has alternatives. Example: base item «sand-lime brick masonry», alternative «clay brick masonry» (heitker.de, item types glossary (German)). In the quote it initially counts towards the total.

Alternative item

An alternative item is tendered «instead of» another. It carries only a unit price, and its total is not added to the quote total (bauprofessor.de, item types (German)). The client decides which variant is built at award (ibau.de, base item glossary (German)).

Provisional item

For a provisional item it is not yet clear whether and to what extent it will be carried out. It only becomes an executed item when the client orders it (bauprofessor.de, item types (German)). Example: «loosening rock», in case rock is hit during excavation (heitker.de, item types glossary (German)).

VOB/A is clear: provisional items should in principle not be included in the specification (VOB/A § 7, dejure.org (German)). Some tenders still list them, sometimes with a total (sander-doll.com, GAEB item types (German)).

Surcharge item

A surcharge item is a special standard item for difficulties or additional conditions on an existing item. It is mostly derived from the «special services» in VOB Part C (bauprofessor.de, item types (German)).

At a glance

Sources: bauprofessor.de, item types (German) · heitker.de, item types glossary (German) · sander-doll.com, GAEB item types (German) – accessed 7 Nov 2026

What this means for manufacturers and dealers

For your quote, it pays to read the item type before the price. Three points matter most.

• Alternative items and «or equivalent» open room for alternatives. An alternative item has its own unit price (bauprofessor.de, item types (German)). Where a tender refers to a specific product, VOB/A requires the addition «or equivalent» (VOB/A § 7 (2)). In both cases an equivalent product from your range can come into play.
• Surcharges and accessories belong in the calculation. Difficulties sit in surcharge items, add-ons in your range. Scalera detects missing accessories and suggests complementary products (Scalera, Product Matching). More: accessories and add-ons in quotes.
• Price your provisional items. They usually do not count towards the total, but are called off at the agreed unit price when needed (bauprofessor.de, item types (German)).

Read the item type first, and you calculate the right total and spot where alternatives are allowed.

Scalera matches the items in a bill of quantities to your catalogue. For every suggestion you see the reasoning and AI confidence, and the matched tender can be exported as GAEB, CSV, XML or via API into your ERP (Scalera, Product Matching). Which alternative or provisional items you offer is your team's decision.

How to read a bill of quantities step by step: analyse a bill of quantities with AI. The formats behind it: GAEB, ÖNORM and NPK explained. How clients compare bids line by line: bid comparison guide. Test any tool with real tenders that contain alternative and provisional items: pilot AI tender software.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an alternative item and a provisional item?

An alternative item (Wahlposition) replaces a base item if the client chooses it at award. A provisional item (Bedarfsposition) stands on its own and is only carried out if it is needed later (ibau.de, base item glossary (German)).

Is an «Eventualposition» the same as a provisional item?

Mostly yes, the terms are used as synonyms (heitker.de, item types glossary (German) · ibau.de, base item glossary (German)). Some sources define it more narrowly, for example for daywork (bauprofessor.de, item types (German)).

Do alternative items count towards the quote total?

No. Alternative items carry only a unit price; their total is not added to the quote total (bauprofessor.de, item types (German)).

May public clients include provisional items in a tender?

Under VOB/A, provisional items should in principle not be included in the specification (VOB/A § 7, dejure.org (German)). They are only allowed within narrow limits (ibau.de, base item glossary (German)).

What is a surcharge item?

A special standard item for difficulties or additional conditions on top of an existing item. The VOB does not mention it explicitly (bauprofessor.de, item types (German)).

How does Scalera help with the items in a bill of quantities?

Scalera matches tender items to your catalogue and shows the reasoning and AI confidence for every suggestion. Missing accessories are detected (Scalera, Product Matching). Decisions on alternative and provisional items stay with your team.