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FAR Clause

52.211-16

Variation in Quantity.
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Effective Date
APR 1984
Active Deviations
Versions
2 (since 2017-01-01)
RFO
RFO Removes This Clause

The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul marks this clause as [Reserved]. The clause content below is as it appears in the most recent eCFR data, which has not yet incorporated the RFO. For contracts using the RFO model, this clause is removed.

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52.211-16 Variation in Quantity.

As prescribed in 11.703(a), insert the following clause:

Variation in Quantity (APR 1984)

(a) A variation in the quantity of any item called for by this contract will not be accepted unless the variation has been caused by conditions of loading, shipping, or packing, or allowances in manufacturing processes, and then only to the extent, if any, specified in paragraph (b) below.

(b) The permissible variation shall be limited to:

__ Percent increase [
Contracting Officer insert percentage
]

__ Percent decrease [
Contracting Officer insert percentage
]

This increase or decrease shall apply to __ *

(End of clause)

*Contracting Officer shall insert in the blank the designation(s) to which the percentages apply, such as (1) the total contract quantity, (2) item 1 only, (3) each quantity specified in the delivery schedule, (4) the total item quantity for each destination, or (5) the total quantity of each item without regard to destination.

[48 FR 42478, Sept. 19, 1983. Redesignated and amended at 60 FR 48251, 48256, Sept. 18, 1995; 64 FR 10538, Mar. 4, 1999]
11.703(a)
(a) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.211-16, Variation in Quantity, in solicitations and contracts, if authorizing a variation in quantity in fixed-price contracts for supplies or for services that involve the furnishing of supplies.
Prescription data sourced from eCFR as of 2026-06-10 03:16 UTC. Cross-references within the prescription are not resolved automatically.

Regulatory Stack

The layers of regulation that govern this clause, from the FAR prescription through agency-specific supplements and any active deviations.

RFO RFO Version Overhauled clause text
The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul publishes a revised version of this clause. See the RFO Version tab for the controlling authority under the RFO model.

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FAR FAR Prescription 11.703(a)
(a) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.211-16, Variation in Quantity, in solicitations and contracts, if authorizing a variation in quantity in fixed-price contracts for supplies or for services that involve the furnishing of supplies.

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Version History

Version history is sourced from the codified eCFR. Changes published only as class deviations or by the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul do not appear here until they are incorporated into the eCFR. For RFO-driven changes see the RFO Version tab and any active deviations cited above.

2 versions tracked from 2017-01-01 to 2018-01-24.
JAN 2018 January 24, 2018 CURRENT SUBSTANTIVE
Removed in this version
Added in this version
Unchanged
JAN 2017 (previous)
JAN 2018 (current)
2 added, 2 removed
(b)
(b) The permissible variation shall be limited to: _ Percent increase [Contracting Officer insert percentage] _ Percent decrease [Contracting Officer insert percentage] This increase or decrease shall apply to __ * (End of clause) *Contracting Officer shall insert in the blank the designation(s) to which the percentages apply, such as (1) the total contract quantity, (2) item 1 only, (3) each quantity specified in the delivery schedule, (4) the total item quantity for each destination, or (5) the total quantity of each item without regard to destination.
(b)
(b) The permissible variation shall be limited to: __ Percent increase [Contracting Officer insert percentage] __ Percent decrease [Contracting Officer insert percentage] This increase or decrease shall apply to __ * (End of clause) *Contracting Officer shall insert in the blank the designation(s) to which the percentages apply, such as (1) the total contract quantity, (2) item 1 only, (3) each quantity specified in the delivery schedule, (4) the total item quantity for each destination, or (5) the total quantity of each item without regard to destination.
JAN 2017 January 1, 2017 SUBSTANTIVE
Earliest version available from the eCFR

RFO Version

Comparison of the codified eCFR text against the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul revision. Highlights show additions (green) and deletions (red, struck through).

Clause Text

RFO marks this clause as Reserved. The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul removed this clause under the overhauled FAR model. The eCFR text on the Current Text tab remains in force for contracts not using the RFO model.

Prescription

RFO prescription not available. See the eCFR prescription on the Prescription tab.

Source: acquisition.gov RFO Part 52

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