Slip testing for tenders, priced before you bid
If the package asks for slip resistance testing, an AS 4586 slip rating, or a pendulum test of the finished floor, you can price it as a real line rather than a guess. Sliptest tests installed floors on site to AS 4663:2013 in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
What the specification is usually asking for
Tender clauses mix two documents. AS 4586:2013 is the classification language for pedestrian surfaces: P ratings from a wet pendulum, and D0 or D1 from dry floor friction. That standard is written for new materials. Once the floor is down, the method that applies on site is AS 4663:2013. The classes you hand over are the same P and D labels. The work is a field test of the floor as laid, not a laboratory ticket for an uninstalled tile.
That distinction matters when you are pricing. A builder who allows only for a product data sheet will be short when the superintendent asks for an on-site slip test of the foyer, the wet rooms and the external stairs. Sliptest does the on-site work. We do not classify new, uninstalled product in a laboratory.
AS 4586 slip rating language
When a specifier writes “P3 entry” or “P4 commercial kitchen”, they are using the AS 4586 class table. A wet pendulum British Pendulum Number with Slider 96 of 35 to 44 is P3; 45 to 54 is P4; above 54 is P5. Areas that stay dry use a different instrument and come back as D0 or D1. HB 198:2014 is what turns those letters into a location target. Your tender line should assume the on-site result will be reported in that language, compared with the location type, not stamped as a generic pass or fail.
Read the method pages if you need to brief a QS: wet pendulum slip testing and dry floor friction testing.
- On-site AS 4663:2013, reported in AS 4586 P and D classes
- Wet pendulum wherever the finished floor can get wet
- Dry floor friction for corridors and offices that stay dry
- Written report suitable for the handover pack
- Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane; Perth and WA by arrangement
Need the test after the floor is down?
Pricing is one job. Booking the visit before practical completion is another. See slip test before handover.
What to include in the slip testing tender price
A useful line item is more than “slip test, one visit”. These are the parts that change the number, and the parts a superintendent will expect to see later.
Number of areas
One location is one area of one surface. Stone then vinyl in the same foyer is two. Count entries, wet rooms, ramps, stairs and every other finish the spec names. If the schedule is thin, allow extras the superintendent may add on the day. How to scope locations.
Wet and dry methods
Most commercial jobs need both. The wet pendulum belongs on any floor that can be wet in service. Dry floor friction belongs on offices and corridors that stay dry. Price both unless the specification is explicit about one method only.
Report and retest allowance
The deliverable is a written slip test report, not a verbal result. If a location is short of the specified class, someone will ask for a retest after a clean or a treatment. Allow a return visit in the prelims. No outcome is promised.
How quotes work
A single metropolitan site in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane can be priced online: choose the city, list the areas, and a fixed price appears before you book. Nothing is charged to book. The invoice follows the visit. That path suits a defined fit-out or a one-building package where the locations are already named.
A slip testing tender that covers several buildings, a finish schedule that is still moving, or a prelims item you need to hold as a rate should come through a call or the enquiry form so we can scope it with you. Call 1300 207 915 or request a quote. We reply to enquiries within one business day. After a booking request we confirm a time within one business day. Most metropolitan visits are scheduled within a couple of weeks, sooner where the matter is urgent.
Perth and WA slip testing is by arrangement and quoted per site. Regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland are quoted on request. The method and the report format stay the same when a job proceeds.
Ready to price a site
- One metro site: price it online
- Tender pack or several sites: send the scope
- Phone: 1300 207 915
- Coverage: see service areas
Tender and builder questions
Does an AS 4586 slip rating in the spec mean a laboratory test?
Usually no. AS 4586:2013 is the classification language for P ratings and dry-floor D classes. Once the floor is installed, Sliptest tests on site to AS 4663:2013 and reports those same classes. Laboratory classification of uninstalled product is a different service and not what Sliptest does.
What should a builder include in a slip testing tender line?
The number of areas, wet pendulum and dry floor friction where each applies, the written report, and a retest allowance if a location is short of the specified class. Call 1300 207 915 or request a quote if the finish schedule is still moving.
How do Sliptest quotes work for builders?
A single metropolitan site in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane can be priced online: choose the city, list the areas, and a fixed price appears before you book. Tender packages, multi-site jobs and incomplete schedules should be scoped by phone or the enquiry form. We reply to enquiries within one business day.
Do you cover Perth or regional sites in a tender?
Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane metropolitan sites are the regular coverage. Regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland are quoted on request. Perth and WA slip testing is by arrangement and quoted per site.
Send the finish schedule, or price one site now
Call 1300 207 915 for a tender pack, or list the areas online for a single metropolitan site.