Content of an interim certificate

In most contracts, valuations are carried out to ascertain the value of work that has been carried out by the contractor. This valuation is presented to the Client or Employer in form of a certificate, either interim or final. The Client or Employer is expected to honour the certificate within a specified period of time as agreed in the contract (usually reinforced in the "Appendix" sections). Below are some of the important cost items that must be captured by any Quantity surveyor in his valuation and to be included in the interim certificate.

• Total value of work properly executed
• Total value of materials and goods which are
1. approved for the work
2. delivered to the site for the works
3. adjacent to the site and meant for the work
4. stored in approved locations offsite. (approval by employer, project manager or lead consultant)
5. reasonably, properly and not prematurely brought to site or other locations
6. well protected from weather, damages and other casualities
• Retention amount
• Previously paid installments.
• Amount due to the contractor

The above bullets generally captures the overall picture of the interim certificate, although the bullets looks simple at a glance, it is a bit complex when it is applied in practice. It takes a lot of care and diligence on the part of the Quantity Surveyor in breaking down these items in other to capture relevant cost information on the project. Such breakdown will include advance payments, provisional sums and quantities, payments to nominated subcontractors, items of retention, variations and fluctuations.

Likewise the Quantity Surveyor must show a good level of  intelligence in other to identify materials that are brought to site prematurely and must be able to detect sharp practices of contractors.

The interim certificate is not a firm document, as errors that are made in it can be treated and adjusted accordingly in the next certificate, nonetheless, the type, amount and frequency of errors in the interim certificate will surely question the INTEGRITY of the professionals preparing and presenting them.