CLC Project Budgeting & Specification 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A lighting designer applies a 10% contingency to a $95,000 base lighting budget. What is the total budget with contingency?
- $99,500
- $104,500 (Correct answer)
- $105,000
- $100,500
Correct answer: $104,500
$95,000 × 1.10 = $104,500 total budget including contingency.
Question 2: Which specification delivery method requires the contractor to design and build the lighting system to owner-defined performance outcomes?
- Design-bid-build
- Construction management at risk
- Design-build (Correct answer)
- Integrated project delivery
Correct answer: Design-build
In design-build, a single entity is responsible for both designing and constructing the lighting system to meet the owner's program.
Question 3: On a lighting spec section, what does the term 'basis of design' identify?
- The lowest-cost product acceptable
- The specific product used to establish design intent and performance benchmarks (Correct answer)
- The required testing laboratory
- The installation method standard
Correct answer: The specific product used to establish design intent and performance benchmarks
The basis of design product is the specific luminaire or system the designer used to develop the lighting solution, setting the performance benchmark.
Question 4: A project requires 80 recessed downlights at $220 list price each with a 40% trade discount. What is the total fixture cost?
- $10,560 (Correct answer)
- $12,800
- $17,600
- $8,800
Correct answer: $10,560
$220 × (1 − 0.40) = $132 net; $132 × 80 fixtures = $10,560 total fixture cost.
Question 5: Which document formally communicates a change in lighting scope and its cost impact during construction?
- Request for Information (RFI)
- Submittal log
- Change order (Correct answer)
- Punch list
Correct answer: Change order
A change order is the formal contract document that records agreed-upon scope changes and adjusts the contract price accordingly.
Question 6: When estimating lighting energy costs, a consultant calculates watts per square foot. A 5,000 sq ft office lit at 1.0 W/sq ft operated 2,600 hours/year at $0.12/kWh. What is the annual energy cost?
- $1,560 (Correct answer)
- $1,820
- $624
- $3,120
Correct answer: $1,560
5,000 W × 2,600 hrs = 13,000,000 Wh = 13,000 kWh; 13,000 × $0.12 = $1,560 annual cost.
Question 7: Which procurement method involves the owner selecting a contractor based on qualifications and then negotiating the contract price?
- Hard bid
- Qualifications-based selection (Correct answer)
- Lowest responsible bidder
- Unit price contract
Correct answer: Qualifications-based selection
Qualifications-based selection (QBS) chooses the contractor on merit and experience first, with price negotiated afterward.
CLC Project Budgeting & Specification 3
A lighting designer applies a 10% contingency to a $95,000 base lighting budget.
What is the total budget with contingency?