Unit price, total price, lump sum: BoQ pricing explained

Glossary, last updated 10 November 2026. This page is no substitute for legal advice; your contract, the tender documents and the applicable law govern. German terms are given in brackets.

What do the three price terms mean?

What is a unit price?

The unit price is the price per unit of a work item described in the bill of quantities (Wikipedia (German), Einheitspreis). The client states the quantity by measure, weight or number of pieces in the contract documents (VOB/A § 4 (1)).

Under VOB/A, public construction work is normally awarded at unit prices (VOB/A § 4 (1) no. 1). The unit-price contract is described as the most common type of construction contract (Wikipedia (German), Einheitspreis).

What is the total price of an item?

The total price is quantity times unit price. Under a unit-price contract, billing follows the work actually carried out, determined by measurement and quantity take-off (VOB/B § 2 (2), Wikipedia (German), Einheitspreis).

An example: 100 m² of carpet are offered at €50 per m². If 105 m² are laid, the client pays €5,250 instead of €5,000 (Wikipedia (German), Einheitspreisvertrag). The total price on the final invoice can therefore differ from the total price in the quote (Wikipedia (German), Einheitspreis).

What is a lump sum?

A lump sum is one fixed amount for a scope of work. A lump-sum agreement needs no measurement and no quantity take-off of the individual items (Wikipedia (German), Pauschalpreis).

VOB/A only allows a lump sum when the work is precisely defined in type and scope and no change during execution is expected (VOB/A § 4 (1) no. 2). A distinction is made between the detailed lump-sum contract with exhaustively described work and the global lump-sum contract with an outcome-based, functional description (Wikipedia (German), Pauschalvertrag).

Who carries the quantity risk?

With a unit price, the client pays the quantity actually carried out (Wikipedia (German), Einheitspreisvertrag). With a lump sum, the contractor carries the quantity risk, as far as reasonable (Wikipedia (German), Pauschalvertrag).

When does a unit price change?

If the quantity carried out deviates by no more than 10%, the contract unit price applies. If it is exceeded by more than 10%, a new price is to be agreed on request; if it falls short by more than 10%, the unit price is to be increased on request, unless the contractor is compensated through other items (VOB/B § 2 (3)).

When does a lump sum change?

In principle it does not: with an agreed lump sum, the remuneration stays the same. If the work deviates so significantly that holding on to it is unreasonable, an adjustment is to be granted on request (VOB/B § 2 (7)). There is no fixed limit; Wikipedia gives about 20% as a rough threshold for a significant deviation, and the courts decide case by case (Wikipedia (German), Pauschalvertrag).

How do the price types compare at a glance?

Simplified overview based on VOB/A § 4 and VOB/B § 2 for construction contracts in Germany. Private contracts and other countries may differ.

What do the price types mean for manufacturers and distributors?

Your prices need to match the price type of the item. The contractor enters your price into its calculation and stays bound to its own unit price. If your figure does not match the unit or the price type, it has to convert or ask back.

• Use the item's unit: if the bill of quantities asks for a price per metre, your quote should state a price per metre, not only a price per roll or bundle.
• State packaging unit and minimum order quantity: by definition, both belong in a price comparison sheet, alongside price per piece, discounts and validity (Wikipedia (German), Preisspiegel).
• Define lump sums clearly: for a lump sum, state which quantity and which work it covers, so that it stays comparable with unit prices.
• Check the item type: alternative, contingency and surcharge items also carry a unit price; how they differ is set out in bill of quantities item types.

A price only becomes comparable once its unit and price type are clear.

How are prices set side by side in a bid comparison?

In a price comparison sheet, item by item. It lists the quotes of different suppliers for one request, with quantity, price per unit, discounts and the total for each item or work section (Wikipedia (German), Preisspiegel).

For handling gaps, lump sums and alternatives in a reliable comparison, see Bid comparison line by line. How contractors send the requests for it is described in Automate supplier price requests.

How does software help with units and prices in a bill of quantities?

It reads the items with quantity and unit in a structured way. Scalera analyses bills of quantities (VOB, NPK, ÖNORM) at item level, assigns items to suitable suppliers and creates ready-to-send requests with a structured item overview (Scalera, Supplier Matching).

For manufacturers and distributors, Scalera suggests matching products from their own catalogue (Scalera, Product Matching). If a conversion factor is maintained in your product data, Scalera converts differing units itself; otherwise Scalera notifies you so you can add the factor (Scalera, FAQ). ACO now processes a 300-page bill of quantities that used to take up to 45 minutes 3× faster (ACO case study).

Why a spreadsheet reaches its limits here is compared in Excel or quoting AI. Further automation steps are covered in the guide to automating proposals.

Key takeaways

• Unit price: price per unit; the quantity carried out is billed.
• Total price: quantity times unit price; the final invoice can differ.
• Lump sum: one fixed amount; under VOB/A only for precisely defined work.
• VOB/B: up to a 10% quantity deviation the unit price stays, beyond that a new price can be requested.
• Supplier prices should follow the unit and price type of the bill of quantities item.

Frequently asked questions

How does a unit price differ from a lump sum?

A unit price applies per unit, and the quantity actually carried out is billed. A lump sum is a fixed amount for the work, so no measurement of individual quantities is needed (VOB/B § 2 (2) and (7), Wikipedia (German), Pauschalpreis).

How is the total price of an item calculated?

Quantity times unit price. 100 m² at €50 per m² gives €5,000; if 105 m² are carried out, €5,250 is due (Wikipedia (German), Einheitspreisvertrag).

What happens if the quantity deviates by more than 10%?

Up to a 10% deviation the contract unit price applies. Beyond that, a new price taking the extra or reduced costs into account is to be agreed on request (VOB/B § 2 (3)).

When may a public client award a lump-sum contract?

In suitable cases, when the work is precisely defined in type and scope and no change during execution is expected (VOB/A § 4 (1)).

Who carries the quantity risk under a lump-sum contract?

The contractor, as far as reasonable. If the work deviates so significantly that holding on to the lump sum is unreasonable, an adjustment is to be granted on request (VOB/B § 2 (7)).

What are detailed and global lump-sum contracts?

In a detailed lump-sum contract the work is described exhaustively; in a global lump-sum contract it is described by outcome, for example in a functional tender (Wikipedia (German), Pauschalvertrag).

How does Scalera help with prices in a bill of quantities?

Scalera analyses bills of quantities at item level, assigns items to suppliers and sends requests with a structured item overview (Scalera, Supplier Matching). If the bill of quantities uses a different unit than your product data, Scalera applies a conversion factor maintained there; if none exists, Scalera flags the mismatch (Scalera, FAQ).

Next steps

On your upcoming request, first look at whether each item asks for a unit price or a lump sum, and quote in the same unit. If you want to see how Scalera reads your own bills of quantities at item level, book a demo.