Agencies use it for work that cannot be defined or estimated accurately enough to set a unit price up front. That often includes unforeseen conditions or extra work added by change order. Because it is reimbursed at documented cost, it requires careful daily tracking of crews, equipment hours, and material. It is generally reserved for work that cannot be scoped within reasonable accuracy.
The contract usually fixes how each cost component is reimbursed: actual wages and burden for labor, published or contract rates for equipment, and invoiced cost plus a stated markup for materials, with separate caps on overhead and profit. Both sides typically sign daily force-account records as the work proceeds. Reconstructing labor and equipment hours after the fact is where most disputes and lost margin originate. Spotting force account provisions early helps contractors plan the documentation burden and protect margin. Nonlinear's Spec Takeoff flags force account and change-provision language in the bid documents, so estimators understand how out-of-scope work will be priced before they bid.
