Also called: mobilisation, mobilization fee, setup cost.
It is largely a fixed cost, which is why small jobs carry a disproportionate price per square foot and why a contractor will often quote two units in the same building for barely more than one.
For anyone managing multiple properties, mobilization is the single strongest argument for bundling. Five turnovers issued as one scope to one contractor mobilise once.
It also explains a common bid pattern: a contractor who is already working nearby can bid materially lower than one who is not, with no difference in quality.
Why it matters
Understanding mobilization changes how you package work. The same tasks, grouped differently, produce materially different prices — and grouping is entirely within your control.
Related terms
- General conditions — General conditions are the costs of running a job that are not part of any single task — supervision, dumpsters, portable toilets, temporary protection, permits, site cleanup, insurance and mobilisation.
- Lump-sum bid — A lump-sum bid is a single fixed price for the entire defined scope, regardless of what the work actually costs the contractor to perform. The contractor carries the risk of their own estimate being wrong.
- Scope of work — A scope of work is the written, itemised description of exactly what a contractor will do on a job — the tasks, the materials, the quantities and the conditions. It is what a price is a price for.
Quotrium drafts the scope, sends it to the contractors you pick, and scores every bid against it line by line. See how it works.