BOQ

Quantity surveying emerged as a separate profession in Britain in the 19th

century. It is simply a task of measuring construction work required to
implement the architects' design for new or renovated buildings. The
purpose of the work is to produce quantified specifications of works
known as Bills of Quantities.
• When you are working on a construction project from design to
completion, it is important to have an accurate assessment of the
following things: 
• What work is being completed? 
• How much is being done? 
• What is the rate for the work 
• What is the total value of the work?
• A bill of quantities (BOQ) answers these questions.
What Is a Bill of Quantities?

• A bill of quantities is essentially a list of all the materials and labor that will be required
for your desired build. It’s often put together before a construction contractor has been
hired and is a guiding document for those companies that are bidding for the work.
• Once the construction project has been approved to move forward, an owner will usually
employ the architect or engineer to draw up the bill of quantities. Since the document is a
thorough listing of all the needed materials and labor, these two professionals will have
the clearest picture of what those materials and laborers are.
• The bill of quantities is then used as a means of forecasting costs, which helps the owner
and the bidding contractors in that they both have a better picture of the price of
completing the construction work. Therefore, owners know which bids are competitive
and bidding contractors can better estimate their profit margins.
• Materials and labor are some of the main resources that construction projects work with
and are instrumental to delivering a workable project plan.
When Should You Use a Bill of Quantities?

• The bill of quantities is used by the construction industry owner when

calculating the total cost for a project. This allows the owner to understand the
cost of the project and how it’ll be paid over the various phases of the project.
• This is all done before the execution of the project, but after the project has
been approved. The bill of quantities is then shared with the bidding
construction contractors, who used the information therein to help them come
up with their bids for the job.
• While the bill of quantities is generally used before ground is broken on the
construction project, it can be helpful in tracking progress after execution as
well. By looking at your list of materials and labor and seeing what’s been
done and what’s still to be done, you can get a general idea as to where you
are in the project.
Why Is a Bill of Quantities Important In Construction?

• The bill of quantities might seem like a straightforward construction document, and in many ways, it
is. This is where you first detail all the materials and labor you’ll need to execute your project. This
process is critical in finding the best prices for the materials and labor you need before you’re
committed to the execution of that construction project.
• It’s also helpful in figuring out the scope of the project. Once you have all the materials and labor
charted out on your bill of quantities, it’s only a small step forward to detail the tasks that’ll be
required to meet the goals of the project.
• As noted above, the bill of quantities is also helpful when a project owner is looking for construction
contractors. It makes the bidding process more precise as the owner understands how much the
project will cost. It also gives the bidding contractor a better idea of the range they can quote for a
realistic project price while leveling the playing field as all contractors are bidding on the same work.
• Finally, the owner of the project can use the bill of quantities as a cost control. The breakdown of the
bill of quantities will inform the project schedule which allows the project owner to understand the
amount of work that’ll be done in each billing cycle. They can then prepare the cash flow and
measure the project’s progress.
SOME OTHER ADVANTAGES OF THE USE OF BILL
OF QUANTITIES

• Save the cost and time of several contractors measuring the same
design in order to calculate their bids for competition.
• Provide a consistent basis for competitive bids so that the contractor
who is the most efficient and least expensive in providing the items of
work is likely to be commissioned for the job.
• Provide an open basis for the contract; the client provides an extensive
and clear statement of the work he/she requires and the contractor
states the price at which he/she is prepared to undertake the job.
• Provide a very strong basis for financial administration of the contract.
 What Should Be Included in a Bill of
Quantities?
• A bill of quantities can be used for many purposes, but its main goal is
to act as a list of all the materials and labor that’ll be used over the
course of a construction project. This means it must capture the
relevant details for these items to be useful. There are, of course,
different bills of quantities, but the following is usually the common
denominator among all of them.
Item Number
First, you’ll want to number your list. Each item, whether material or
labor, should have a corresponding number to make it easier to find as
the list grows long.
Item List
• Item List
• Now you’ll want to differentiate between the two types of items on your bill of quantities. Here’s where
you’ll note if it’s a material or labor.
Item Description
Next is the item description, for example, “paint” would describe an item. But you’ll want to add some
context, especially since there’s likely to be paint used for a number of different things in the construction
project. Consider adding paint with a short description, such as for the exterior of the building.
Measurement Unit
Whether the item is material or labor, you need to define how it’s measured. For instance, the material would
be by the gallon if it’s paint, while the painter would be measured by the hour because they’re a laborer.
Quantity
Another important piece of information that’s critical to a thorough bill of quantities is the quantity of each
item. How many gallons of paint will you need to paint the exterior of the building, and how many hours
will it take for the painters to do this job? The answer to these questions is detailed here.
Cost Per Unit
Also important is the price of the materials or the labor which is listed here. For example, a gallon of paint
might cost $5 while the painters are contracted at $25 per hour.
Total Item Cost
Finally, you’ll want to address the total cost for each line item. Multiply the paint’s price per gallon by the
amount of paint you need to do the job. The same is done for labor. At the bottom of your bill of quantities,
you’ll add all these totals together to get a grand total for all the materials and labor that’ll be used in the
construction project.
• Who Is Responsible for Creating a Bill of Quantities?
• The project owner is responsible for the bill of quantities. However, they’re rarely the ones who put
together the bill of quantities. While they need one in order to get accurate bids from contractors and
use it to provide to those contractors that are bidding on the project, they more often than not delegate
the responsibility.
• That’s perfectly reasonable as the construction project owner is not necessarily privy to all the details
of the project. That’s why they’ll give the task to the architect and the engineer, two professionals who
have a close relationship with the various materials and the labor necessary to build the construction
project.
• When Should You Use a Bill of Quantities?
• The bill of quantities is used by the construction industry owner when calculating the total cost for a
project. This allows the owner to understand the cost of the project and how it’ll be paid over the
various phases of the project.
• This is all done before the execution of the project, but after the project has been approved. The bill of
quantities is then shared with the bidding construction contractors, who used the information therein to
help them come up with their bids for the job.
• While the bill of quantities is generally used before ground is broken on the construction project, it can
be helpful in tracking progress after execution as well. By looking at your list of materials and labor
and seeing what’s been done and what’s still to be done, you can get a general idea as to where you are
in the project.
• https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/what-is-bill-of-quantities
• https://www.sdtconsultant.com/uploads/services/BoQ_and_Specs_.p
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