Provisional sum of $3,000 for double handling. Proovable?

My build will be completed in 2 months.
At the end of the build, I would want my builder to show me receipts for all the "provisional sums", so that I may be able to get some money back.

In my contract, one of the provisional sums is this:
Provisional sum of $3,000 - Provide allowance for double handling allowance due to site fall and restriction by front boundary rock wall.

Site fall is 3.5m within the building envelope.
Front boundary rock wall is 0.9m height.

Do you think it's possible for the builder to produce proof (e.g. receipts) that the provisional sums was indeed $3,000 for "double handling" due to site fall ?

For starters the site fall is certainly steep enough for building supplies to not be able to be stockpiled on site for OHS reasons - the rock wall at the front also potentially means no easy "drive-on" access for delivery trucks, so the cost of actually getting materials on-site might be a bit higher due to the need for a larger crane to drop off the supplies.

It is actually a requirement that the builder provide such receipts upon request - however provisional sums aren't usually finalised until the final payment on your contract.

Still I did read somewhere that the builder is required to make receipts available to the customer upon request starting from a period 21 (?) days after the works are completed.

Having said that it might be difficult to "prove" with double handling unless they are using a third party warehousing service to store the building supplies (in which case they would have receipts from the warehousing business) - you can of course track delivery costs more easily.

If they are using their own warehouse then it will get messy - it might be doable by matching up delivery dates from the supplier with delivery dates to the property, but the paper trail is likely to be a pita to sift through if the goal is working out a final "cost".

That is almost correct. Receipts are required for items outside of provisional sums. But you are correct that provisional sums are finalised on final payment. When it comes to "double handling", don't be surprised if you get a proof of invoice with an item "double handling" then the price... like we did.

For something like our provisional sum for rock removal I'd expect to see a receipt from the rock removal contractor and I'm pretty sure you'd be entitled see to such a receipt.

For double handling though it would be less cut and dried though...

As professionally trained Quantity Surveyor I can tell you that Standard Method of Measurement of rock is in the solid (not when it is broken up and loose).

When excavated, rock and soil increases in volume sometimes more than 50% and you will be billed (wrongly) for the extra volume.

I would shudder to think how many people have been ripped off in ignorant bliss.

Think twice and get building expert advice