04 — After the award
Half of construction contracts end above their awarded amount
Among construction contracts from an open call, published up to 2022 and observed for at least four years, 51% end with a final value above the award, usually by a little: median at 107% of the award. In services it happens less often (39%) but by more: median at 147%.
A higher final value is not necessarily an overrun: it includes changes the body asked for. SEAO publishes a reason for each change, with no amount, and for 21% of them that reason is only an amendment or change-order number.
More recent contracts are not read: a change often arrives years after signature, and a recent contract would wrongly look unchanged.
- Construction51%median 107% when above
- Services39%median 147% when above
- Goods31%median 130% when above
See the data
| Category | Contracts | Above | By more than ten percent | Median when above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 18,788 | 51% | 18% | 107% |
| Services | 18,340 | 39% | 30% | 147% |
| Goods | 8,780 | 31% | 22% | 130% |
Only 55% of published changes name a cause, under the 70% bar set for showing their breakdown.
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