Pre-measure, as-built measure, priced schedule: three moments, three uses
What separates them is not their content, it is when they are drawn up and what they trigger.
The answer in three lines
The pre-measure comes before the works: you measure on the drawing to know what it will cost. The as-built measure follows them: you measure what was actually built to know what has to be paid. The priced schedule is a third object: it takes forecast quantities and applies unit rates, so the client can compare bids line by line. The first commits your margin, the second your cash flow, the third your chance of winning the job.
What sets them apart
Pre-measure
Quantities read off the drawings before work starts. They rest on a document, so on assumptions, and carry an acknowledged margin of uncertainty.
As-built measure
Quantities recorded on the finished work, usually jointly with the client side. They govern invoicing and are compared against the forecast quantities.
Priced schedule of quantities
Forecast quantities plus a unit rate per line, hence an amount. It is the document the client lines up side by side to compare bidders.
When to use which
Pre-measure
To set a price, decide whether to bid, and order the first materials.
As-built measure
To invoice a progress claim, justify a variance, or settle a unit-rate contract.
Priced schedule of quantities
To answer a tender, or to request comparable bids from several contractors.
The terms vary from one country and one trade to another. What does not vary is the question to ask: is this document there to decide, to compare, or to pay?
Frequently asked questions
Can you invoice on the pre-measure?
In a lump-sum contract, yes, that is the very principle: the price is fixed whatever the real quantities. In a unit-rate contract, no: the as-built measure governs.
Who draws up the as-built measure?
The contractor proposes it, the design team checks it, and differences are argued item by item. Hence the value of a traceable takeoff, where every quantity points back to an element on the drawing rather than to a hand-typed cell.
Other common confusions
What if the plan did the work?
FloorScan reads a PDF, produces areas and lengths, and exports in whatever format your counterpart expects.