BOQ standards, language, currency and account settings
BOQ standards decide how a bill of quantities is organised: which numbering it follows, how chapters, sections and items nest, and what every line has to say. In Israel the usual skeleton is the chapter numbering of the general specification, in the UK it is NRM2, and in the US it is commonly CSI MasterFormat. In AiN Engine, the BOQ software I develop and use in my own work as a quantity surveyor, you choose the language and the standard together in the Settings menu. Below I explain how each structure is built and what the settings actually change.
Three BOQ standards and how each one is built
The bills I prepare follow the chapter numbering of the Israeli general specification for building works, published by an inter-ministerial committee. Each chapter is a type of work with a two-digit number: 00 preliminaries, 01 earthworks, 02 cast-in-place concrete, 04 masonry, 05 waterproofing, 09 plastering, 10 flooring and tiling, 11 painting, 12 aluminium and 40 site development. Chapters split into sub-chapters and sub-chapters into items, so an item number carries its chapter, its sub-chapter and a running number.
Each item is one line: number, description, unit and quantity, in cubic, square or running metres, number or lump sum. On larger projects the chapters are also grouped into construction stages, structure, building works and finishes, and the consultants' bills for electrical, plumbing, HVAC and lifts sit next to the building bill. Each chapter carries its own measurement rules, but the rules that apply are set for each project.
NRM2 is the RICS rulebook for detailed measurement of building works, used to prepare bills of quantities in the UK. It is divided into work sections, such as excavating and filling, in-situ concrete works, masonry and waterproofing, and each work section has tabulated rules: what is measured, in which unit and what the item description must contain. A bill can be arranged by work section, by building element or by work package, and preliminaries have rules of their own.
CSI MasterFormat is published by the Construction Specifications Institute together with Construction Specifications Canada. It sorts construction information into numbered divisions from 00 to 49, for example 03 Concrete, 04 Masonry, 09 Finishes and 26 Electrical, and gives each topic a six-digit number in three pairs, such as 03 30 00 for cast-in-place concrete. It is a classification, not a method of measurement: it says where an item belongs, not how to measure it.
| Topic | Israeli chapter format | NRM2 | CSI MasterFormat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main division | Chapter by type of work | Work section, element or work package | Numbered division |
| Preliminaries | Chapter 00 | Separate rules of their own | Division 01, General Requirements |
| Measurement rules | At the end of each chapter; the particular specification may change them | Tabulated rules for each work section | None; classification only |
| Pair in AiN | Hebrew with the Israeli standard | English (UK) | English (US) |
What you see in the settings
The settings are open to every user and sit in two places: the Settings menu in the top bar, and Account Settings, which opens from the Connect or Sign up button.
- Language and BOQ standard: three fixed pairs. Hebrew with the Israeli standard, English (US) with CSI MasterFormat, and English (UK) with NRM2.
- Country, currency and unit system: regional display preferences, separate from the choice of standard.
- Model processing location: a choice of where the model is processed.
- Account: sign-in and sign-up with email, Google or Microsoft, secure two-factor login, a personal area and password reset.
- AiN guide: a bubble that tells you which window you are in, with tips that open in two stages as you hover.
- Help and feedback: the question-mark button opens a help page, and the feedback link in the footer opens a form with types such as bug and wrong data, plus free text.
What the settings change in the bill of quantities
Choosing a pair sets the interface language and the BOQ standard, and you see the standard in the export. The File menu of the full BOQ has a Hebrew Excel export in the Israeli chapter format and an English Excel export whose structure follows the standard you chose: CSI MasterFormat for US English, NRM2 for UK English. Downloading files needs an active subscription; the options are described on the page about exporting a BOQ to Excel.
The full BOQ window shows the structure itself: chapters and sub-chapters that open and close, and on every line an item code, a description, a unit and a quantity, with a column for approving the quantity. A chapter row shows how many items and model elements it holds. Where the model has no quantity for an item, the line is marked as missing and is never filled with a zero. More about it on the page about the full BOQ window.
How to use it
- Open Settings in the top bar and pick the pair that suits the people who will read the bill.
- Set the country, currency and unit system, and the model processing location if you need to.
- Load a model. The full BOQ opens by itself when processing finishes, or from the BOQ button in the top bar.
- Go through the chapters and items, and look closely at the lines marked as missing.
- Export to Excel from the File menu, in Hebrew or in English by your standard, with an active subscription.
- When something is unclear, use the guide bubble, the help page or the feedback form.
Worth knowing before you choose. The standard in the menu sets the language and the structure the bill comes out in. The measurement method that binds a project is set by its contract and specification, so whichever of the BOQ standards you use, state at the top of the bill what it was measured by. The Hebrew interface also has an English view of the full BOQ, but it is still a draft.
Frequently asked questions
Which of the BOQ standards should I use?
The one your contract and your readers expect. In Israel that is usually the chapter format of the general specification, which contractors and consultants know. NRM2 or CSI MasterFormat suit a client who works to UK or US practice, for example an international company.
What is the difference between NRM2 and CSI MasterFormat?
NRM2 is a method of measurement: it says what to measure, in which unit and what the description must contain. MasterFormat is a classification: it says which division and number a topic belongs to, not how to measure it.
Do I need an account to change the settings?
No. The Settings menu is open to every user, and most windows open without an account. Saving a bill of quantities, history, cloud work and approvals need you to sign in, and downloading files needs an active subscription.
Where do I get help inside the software?
The guide bubble shows which window you are in and offers tips, the question-mark button opens a help page, and the feedback form, opened from the footer, goes to the AiN team.
The rest of AiN's windows are collected on the BOQ software page, and my work as a quantity surveyor in Israel is described on the home page.
Want to see AiN on your own model? The AiN Engine site has the demo video, the pilot for one project and the login. For quantity surveying work in Israel, write to me through the form.
AiN Engine website Contact form* Created with AI for marketing, for illustration only. Not reviewed by Yaakov Avital and not professional advice. Every project must be checked on its own by a professional quantity surveyor and an engineer.