Bill of

Quantities
Preparation
Week 8
Lara Tookey

1
Learning objectives:

Define • Define a BoQ.

• Explain the importance of a BoQ for a

Explain Client and Contractor

Dissect • Dissect the various parts of the BoQ.

2
A Bill of Quantities is a document that comprises a
list of items of work to be executed, provides brief
descriptions, provides quality and quantities of the
finished work in a construction project.
• The bill of quantities ('BoQ') is a document prepared by the cost consultant (often
a quantity surveyor) that provides project specific measured quantities of the
items of work identified by the drawings and specifications in the tender
documentation.
• The work included in the item is defined in detail by the rules in the Standard
Methods of Measurement (SMM) – ANZSMM 2018
What are Specifications?
• Specifications are written instructions concerning project requirements.
• It became customary to include bidding and contract documents together
with the technical specifications referred to as "Project manual," "Project
handbook," or "Specs.“
• "Specifications" refer to specific statements concerning requirements of
materials, workmanship, tools and equipment, etc.
• The drawings show what is to be built, and the specifications describe how the
project is to be constructed and what results are to be achieved.
• Because specifications are written they usually have greater legal strength.
• Specifications are prepared and written by the designers, i.e., architect, structural
engineer, services engineer, etc., and is usually incorporated into the BQ. The
specification describes:
• Quality of materials.
• Standard of workmanship.
• Tests that are required (e.g., mix of concrete).
• It is usually one of several contract documents that have to be read in relation to each
other such as the drawings and BQ.
• A “good” or “tight” specification gives detailed information on the accepted steps in each
trade and has back-up clauses to ensure that work is done properly, although this may
not happen without proper supervision.
A BoQ may be:
• With quantities
• Without quantities
• With approximate quantities

• BOQs are suitable in contracts where the drawings and specifications are
available well in advance since detailed design must be completed before
tendering.
• The BOQ is not appropriate for all types of work, e.g.
• In minor works
• In a project whose nature and extent of the work is unknown.
Purpose at pre-contract stage
• It provides uniform basis for tendering as all bidders are able to price the items of
work on precisely the same information:
• As a pricing document bidders (tenderers) are given copies of the document
to price and come up with their bids (tenders).
• The tenderer who submits the lowest price conforming bid (tender) is
generally awarded the contract.
• Its use avoids duplication in quantifying construction works.
• Makes tender adjudication of tenders easier since competition is narrowed to
the rates only since all bidders are have the same tender information.
Other uses
• Re-measure form of contract : An estimate measure of the work for the tendered price,
to be used to arrive at a revised contract price once the actual quantities of work carried
out are measured.
• Provide a schedule of rates as the contract basis for valuing variations in the work.
• Provide a basis for measure of the value of work completed for interim payments.
• Provide a basis for the preparation of the final account.
• Assist the management of Contractor’s work – prepared works in section: sub-contract
packages - easier for the contractor to obtain accurate and competitive prices from sub-
contractors.
• A source of cost data / cost reference for QS
 Item - Each item in the bill is indexed by letters and/or numbers
Description - Description should confirm to the requirements of ANZSMM and
should give necessary details for pricing
General format of Unit – The relevant units in ANZSMM should be used (No, m, m2, m3, kg)
Quantity – When transferring quantities to the bill from the measurement sheets
the BoQ (take-off sheets), it should be rounded up to the next whole unit (expect for kg
where it is billed to 1 decimal places)
Rate & Amount - The rate is the price per unit (unit rate) and when this rate is
multiplied by the quantity, you get the total amount of that item.
Sample trade
section page

• Numerical prefix
• Unit rate column
• Costs transferred to trade
summary page
Sample general
summary page
The Group Method of Creating a BoQ

Measure/Taking- The Squaring The Abstract The Draft Bill

off stage stage stage stage
Measure/Taking- The Squaring The Abstract Billing
off stage stage stage

• QS will • Calculating • Collecting the • Reproducing

analyse the and totaling totals from the items
drawing / the area, dimension from the
plan received length, paper on to abstract on to
from volume, an abstract to bill paper in
engineers’ / numbers, produce a draft form
architect. item of the final total for ready for
• Prepare query dimension to each typing.
list (if obtain the individual
necessary). exact description
• Measuring quantities for
from each
drawings and measured
entering item in the
dimensions dimension
on to 3 sheet.
column
dimension
paper.
Measure/Taking-
off stage
The Squaring stage
• Squarer may not alter side casts and dimensions
• Check side casts and calculations
• Check dimension groupings
• Totaling all dimensions and marking in Columns C
• Commences when a reasonable number of dimension sheets are available
• Checking
• Recalculation of answers
• All pages put in correct sequence and numbered
The Abstract stage
• Gathering together of identical/similar items with quantities into correct order
within trades.
• Taking off, squaring and checking must be complete.
• Arrange in order as per BoQ layout.
The Draft Bill stage
• Billing paper used
• Transfer from abstract to Bills of Quantities
• A mark is used in the dimension paper to signify that an item and its quantity have
been transferred to the Billing paper. This helps avoid omission or duplication).
• Principles of preparing bills – heading, sub-headings, complete descriptions.
• Edit draft bills of quantities
• Copy bills
• Binding bills
• Issue bills of quantities
Trade-by-trade
This has been outlined for you on pages 38 and 39 on your Course Delivery
Resources pack.
General Rules of Billing:
• Descriptions in the Bills of Quantities shall be:
• Complete (in full)
• Clear (No ambiguity)
• Where quantities of any item of work cannot be accurately determined during
the preparation of the BOQ, such work is described as “Provisional” e.g.
substructures, Plumbing work, external works, etc.
• (This means the work will be remeasured upon execution on site).
• The name of the project must appear on every sheet, which shall also
be numbered and dated.
• Additional rules page 39 of Course Delivery Resource pack
 Preliminaries

Preambles
Several
Component Measured Quantities

Parts of BoQ
Provisional Sums

Prime Cost Sums (PC

Sums)
Preliminaries
• The “preliminaries bill”, usually the first section in the BoQ, describes
the nature and extent of the work that affects the physical execution
of the works.
• The preliminaries section comprises all general costs not specifically
related to any one trade.
• This bill also covers many important financial matters which relate to
contract as a whole (see Page 4-8, of ANZSMM)
• Mainly consists of “Note” and “ Item” descriptions.
Preliminaries
Global information, which given as ‘Notes’
• Examples:
• Names of the parties
• Description of the works
• Description of the site
• Conditions of contract
• Tender conditions
• Contingencies
Preliminaries
General particulars giving “items” for the various contractual conditions
and site conditions as listed in ANZSMM.
• Examples:
• Allow for all necessary charts and schedules
• Allow for erecting and maintaining a site notice board and for removing same
on completion of the works
• Allow for setting out the works
Preliminaries
• An example of a section of the
preliminaries bill.
• Occurs first in the BoQ.
Preambles
• Defined as general
descriptions of workmanship
and materials relating to the
work sections, which may
affect price but are probably
better excluded from the
item descriptions.
• Usually inserted at the start
of each work section bill.
Preambles
• Used as a ‘tool’ to inform the contractor’s surveyors about changes in
the method of measurement.
• If the method of measurement is changed, the QS is required to write a
preamble clause stating the changes.
Measured Quantities
• This is the main component
of the BoQ.
• For each item in the sections,
the quantity is given and is
priced by the contractors
during the tendering process.
• The measurement sheets are
used to show in detail how
each quantity was derived.
Provisional Sum
Where the work
• cannot be entirely foreseen, defined or detailed, at the time the
tendering documents are issued, it shall be stated as a provisional
sum.
• This usually occurs where design details are not available to the
quantity surveyor for taking-off quantities.
Prime Cost Sum (PC Sum)
• A sum provided for works or services to be executed by a nominated
subcontractor, or for materials or goods to be obtained from a
nominated supplier.