Put the fee in the right month.
Match cost timing to the obligation behind the line.
Begin the lessonBoth total £60k. Only one matches payment at appointment.
ARGUS Developer / cost distribution.
The fee is right. Its timing is wrong.
The appraisal has the right fee total, but you are reviewing when that cost reaches the cash flow.
Choose a distribution that represents when this particular fee is paid. An S-curve may suit a pattern of construction expenditure; that does not make it the right default for an appointment fee due at the start. Check the fee’s timing and its distribution separately from the construction line.
The method you will practise
- Confirm the fee’s payment terms and the period in which it is due.
- Inspect its start, duration and cost distribution in the appraisal.
- Use the appropriate timing for that fee and inspect the period cash flow. Then review any resulting funding change.
ARGUS Developer / cost distribution.
Does a construction S-curve automatically suit the appointment fee?
Choose what you expect. The feedback will help you test your starting idea.
Compare two simple payment patterns
Compare the cases below. Notice what changes, then read the explanation of why.
The second row is an even spread, not an S-curve. Both rows total £60,000; only the first matches the stated payment terms.
Another fee is payable in three equal milestones. What should drive its distribution?
Give me a hint
Confirm the fee’s payment terms and the period in which it is due.
Now try it in your software.
In a test appraisal, inspect this cost line’s timing and distribution separately from construction. Reconcile both the period payments and the total to its agreed terms. The two patterns here are arithmetic examples, not an S-curve engine.
You can challenge a plausible total using the actual payment pattern.
Need help with your own example?
The Companion is where you ask about the task on your screen. Include your software version, what you changed and the result you expected.
Read this module’s Companion exampleThis sample checks your reasoning here. It cannot inspect or certify your work in another application.