[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 48, Volume 1] [Revised as of October 1, 2003] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 48CFR36.207] [Page 715] TITLE 48--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM CHAPTER 1--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION PART 36_CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECT-ENGINEER CONTRACTS--Table of Contents Subpart 36.2_Special Aspects of Contracting for Construction Sec. 36.207 Pricing fixed-price construction contracts. (a) Generally, firm-fixed-price contracts shall be used to acquire construction. They may be priced (1) on a lump-sum basis (when a lump sum is paid for the total work or defined parts of the work), (2) on a unit-price basis (when a unit price is paid for a specified quantity of work units), or (3) using a combination of the two methods. (b) Lump-sum pricing shall be used in preference to unit pricing except when-- (1) Large quantities of work such as grading, paving, building outside utilities, or site preparation are involved; (2) Quantities of work, such as excavation, cannot be estimated with sufficient confidence to permit a lump-sum offer without a substantial contingency; (3) Estimated quantities of work required may change significantly during construction; or (4) Offerors would have to expend unusual effort to develop adequate estimates. (c) Fixed-price contracts with economic price adjustment may be used if such a provision is customary in contracts for the type of work being acquired, or when omission of an adjustment provision would preclude a significant number of firms from submitting offers or would result in offerors including unwarranted contingencies in proposed prices.