What is Temporary Heat?
Definition of Temporary Heat in Construction
Term used to identify any means of heating a space or construction process, on a temporary basis, to properly complete the work. Temporary heat may include the installation of propane heaters around the site, or it might consist of the installation of large gas heaters and blowers, with appropriate ductwork, to distribute the heated air throughout the project. Any activity that generates additional heat throughout the jobsite, or encloses the structure, to adhere to the specifications for the individual construction processes and the general efficiency of the workforce is considered temporary heat expense.
Temporary heat is a general condition line item and, in many instances, regarded as an allowance on the project. An allowance for the temporary heat is established to ensure that there is money in the budget for this expense, however the actual expense is impossible to determine. Temporary heat is based upon the weather, and that prediction is impossible. In some cases, temporary heat can be a tremendous burden on the project, depending on the timing of the construction activities as well as the construction schedule. Delays and acceleration of the construction schedule can alter the amount of temporary heat required to properly maintain the required temperatures, in accordance with the specifications.
Both the owner and the architect will attempt to determine from the contractor the exact value of the temporary heat on a construction project. Contractors should be extremely careful to expose any type of exact figure for temporary heating, due to the unpredictability of the weather, the movement in the project schedule due to additional work and revised scope conditions, as well as the exact timing of each construction activity. If the building has not been enclosed, the cost of temporarily enclosing the structure may be considered temporary heat. If the windows are not installed, the sealing of all the window openings, may be considered a temporary heat expense. Contractors have won and lost bid proposals due to their predictions of the value of temporary heat. An allowance, set aside, for the temporary heat, removes the gambling that is required to include an exact value in the proposal, and fairly establishes a set cost, that all bidders should include for any temporary heat required on the project. The temporary heat line item on the project should include, all the tarps, propane, heaters, blowers, poly, scaffold to install the poly, admixtures, inefficiencies in labor, or any other expense that is affected by the cold, snow, ice and winter weather, or cold weather, on the construction process.