A unit price contract specifies $85 per cubic yard for concrete work. The original estimate was 1,200 cubic yards, but actual quantities used were 1,450 cubic yards. What is the total payment for concrete work?
Correct Answer
A) $123,250
In a unit price contract, payment is based on actual quantities used: 1,450 cubic yards × $85/cubic yard = $123,250.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Unit price contracts pay based on actual quantities installed, not estimated quantities. Payment = 1,450 cubic yards × $85/CY = $123,250. The original estimate of 1,200 CY is irrelevant to the final payment — it was only used for bidding purposes.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: $135,750
$135,750 would result from multiplying a wrong quantity or unit price. For instance, using $93.62/CY × 1,450 or another incorrect combination does not correspond to the given numbers and reflects a calculation error.
Option C: $125,500
$125,500 does not result from any logical combination of the given numbers and likely reflects a rounding error or incorrect quantity used in the calculation.
Option D: $102,000
$102,000 results from using the original estimated quantity instead of actual quantities: 1,200 CY × $85 = $102,000. This is the classic wrong-answer trap for unit price questions — confusing estimated with actual quantities.
Memory Technique
UNIT PRICE = pay for what you actually use. The estimate is a budget guess; the field measurement is the invoice. Think of it like paying for gas by the gallon — you pay for what you pumped, not what you thought you'd need.
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