Cost to complete: definition and example
What your main contractor says it cost to finish your work after terminating your subcontract, which it usually tries to recover from you.
By Jack Butler-Kettle · Updated
Guidance for England and Wales. Check the contract, amendments and facts that apply to your job.
What it means in practice
After termination, the replacement cost must be distinguished from the unpaid balance of the original work and any wider damages claim. Additional scope, defects and inefficiency may need separate treatment. Liability and the accounting method depend on the contract and the circumstances of termination.
Reconcile scope, replacement orders and amounts already paid. Termination recovery can help assemble the account, with specialist advice on disputed termination rights.
Worked example
The facts
A replacement contractor is paid £30,000, while £22,000 remained unpaid for the original unfinished scope.
What happens
The parties identify whether the replacement order includes extra work.
They compare like-for-like scope before considering any net additional cost.
What this shows
The replacement invoice alone does not establish a £30,000 loss recoverable from the original subcontractor.