BOQ preparation: what to prepare and how to define the work
BOQ preparation starts with deciding what you need to receive at the end: a basis for a contractors' tender, a budget estimate, a review of quotes or quantities for ordering material. When the purpose, the design version and the boundaries of the work are defined in advance, it is possible to build a document whose reader understands what was measured and on what basis. This guide gathers the material and the decisions worth preparing before you hand the work to a quantity surveyor.
BOQ preparation: define the deliverable first
A BOQ for a tender has to let contractors price a common scope. A list of materials for ordering sometimes needs more detail, by floor, flat, colour or model. A cost estimate is also a separate deliverable: it adds prices and pricing assumptions to the quantities. So it is worth writing in your request what the purpose is and who will use the file, instead of asking for a "complete BOQ" without saying complete for what.
It is also important to state the planned form of contract: a main contractor, separate subcontractors or management on behalf of the client. The split affects how the chapters are organised and the boundaries between the trades. For an explanation of the columns of the document and how they relate to each other, see what a bill of quantities includes. At the preparation stage we also agree which chapters will be delivered, in what format, and which checks are included in the work.
Gather the documents and record which version is valid
There is no need to send several folders named "final" in no particular order. Prepare a short list of the project documents, with the discipline, the drawing name, the date and the revision, and note what was superseded. When new material arrives during the work, it is important to explain whether it replaces the previous material or adds to it. A permit drawing and a construction drawing can show different levels of detail, so state the design stage as well.
- Architecture: plans, sections and elevations, the area schedule, the finishes specification, the sales specification (the list of finishes attached to the flat sale contracts) and the aluminium, metalwork and joinery schedules, as far as they exist and are relevant.
- Structure: drawings and details of the foundations, the floors and the elements included in the requested scope.
- External works and landscape: drawings, levels and construction details for the areas to be included in the calculation.
- Specifications and consultants: the material relevant to the scope, such as waterproofing and safety. Sending a consultant's drawings does not automatically add that consultant's BOQ to the order.
I can work from PDF or DWG drawings, or from a Revit model, depending on the material and the agreed scope. For a model, state what it includes, which linked files come with it and what has not been modelled yet. A model file does not replace the specification, and an element missing from the model does not prove that the work is not needed. The way the material is checked is described in the guide to quantity takeoff from drawings and models.
Set the breakdown before the measuring starts
For useful BOQ preparation, agree whether a breakdown by building, floor, flat or construction zone is needed. For example, a total flooring quantity can suit a budget summary, but ordering according to the buyers' choices needs a distinction between the flats and the types of flooring. This is an example of a difference in the deliverable, not a description of a specific project.
With repeated floors, define which floors really are identical and which differ in design or specification. A basement, an entrance floor, a typical floor and a roof are not the same unit of calculation. Exceptions and alternatives are noted separately, so that the quantity of one area is not copied to another by mistake. If the breakdown you want does not appear in the material, mark it as information to be completed.
Write the type of project, its location, the design stage, the purpose of the BOQ, the chapters you need and the target date you want. Add which drawings or models exist and what is still missing. After I review the material, we can define the scope and the deliverable, and I can prepare a written quote.
Gaps, order quantities and design changes
When information is missing, mark it as missing and add it to the list of questions to be answered. A zero quantity means something different from missing information, so it must not be used to fill a cell that has not been calculated yet. If an assumption is used for an early estimate, state it and its source, and keep it apart from a quantity measured from a valid drawing.
A quantity for measurement, a quantity for payment and a quantity for ordering are not necessarily the same either. Additions for pack sizes, cutting or waste are checked according to the material and the scope, and shown separately. Do not add a fixed percentage to every type of work. For more, see the difference between the types of quantities.
When a new revision arrives, keep the previous version and record what changed: the source document, the area and the items affected. The scope of the update and its price are set in the quote and in the engagement. It is worth agreeing delivery and review points in advance, and making clear who collects the designers' answers, so that there is an agreed source for the rest of the work.
What to check in the service quote and at delivery
Before you order BOQ preparation, check that the quote lists the chapters, the files to be delivered, the breakdown of the measurement and how changes are handled. At delivery, check that the item descriptions, units and quantities match the agreed scope, and that assumptions and open questions can be identified. An orderly file lets you go back to the source of a question and pass it to the right person.
I am a quantity surveyor and registered building technician. To fit the service to your material and to the purpose of the project, you can reach me as a quantity surveyor for construction projects through the contact form on the site. The price and the timetable are set in the quote for the project, after I check its scope.
Frequently asked questions
Can we start before all the drawings are ready?
I can review the existing material and define what can be calculated at the current stage. The gaps and their effect on the deliverable have to be stated; a partial BOQ does not become a BOQ for construction just because it was saved in Excel.
Do I need a Revit model?
No. Measuring can also be done from PDF or DWG drawings, depending on the quality of the material and the scope of the work. I check the available sources before we close the scope and the form of delivery.
Does the BOQ also include prices and material orders?
Only if those deliverables are included in the order. It is worth separating in the quote the measuring of the quantities, the cost estimate and the breakdown for orders, and defining the level of detail needed for each of them.
Have a project? Tell me briefly what the project is and what already exists. When the project is a good fit, I usually reply with focused questions and a written quote.
Contact me for a quote* 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.