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Service 02 / 07

BOQ Preparation

Bills of Quantities set out in work sections. Every item is described, measured, given its unit and traced back to the drawing it came from.

Output
Bill of Quantities
Workflow
Covers Drawing, Intelligence, Takeoff, BOQ, then human review.
See the outputHow it's checked
A-301 · Wall section · BOQ items · Rev BIllustrative Example
Illustrative wall section tagged with Bill of Quantities items: E.1 blockwork wall, E.2 lintel over the opening, M.1 floor finish and M.2 skirting, with a 2.60 metre storey height and the foundation below ground.FFL ±0.00EXTERNAL2.60 mE.1E.2M.2M.1BLOCKWORKLINTELSKIRTINGFLOORSECTION 1 · A-301 · REV B

Bill structure

Bill structure (illustrative)
ItemDescriptionQty
EMasonry
E.1Blockwork wall41.60 m²
E.2Lintels over openings3 nr
MFinishes
M.1Floor finish44.80 m²
M.2Skirting27.20 m

Section › item › unit › quantity

What it does

A bill that is structured, described and traceable

A Bill of Quantities lists the measured work as items under work sections. Each item has a reference, a description of the work, a unit and a quantity.

The structure is set out before measurement starts. The bill then reads consistently, and every item traces back to its drawing and specification.

SECT.Work sections
Items grouped under clear headings
E › E.1Item hierarchy
Section, item and sub-item references
DESC.Descriptions
Written from the drawings and specification
UNITUnits
Stated for every item
QTYQuantities
Measured, not guessed
SHEETDrawing references
Where each item was measured

Inputs

What we work from

The project's own documents. Core inputs are needed for this service; the others are used where the project has them.

  • Architectural drawings

    Core

    Plans, sections and elevations.

  • Specifications

    Core

    Item descriptions are written from it.

  • Structural drawings

    Where relevant

    Substructure and frame items.

  • Schedules

    Where relevant

    Doors, windows and finishes.

  • Existing takeoff

    Where relevant

    Measured quantities to structure into a bill.

Workflow

From measured work to a structured bill

The structure comes first, so every measured item has a place and a reference before it is written into the bill.

  • Estimator
  • AI-assisted suggestion
  • Controlled calculation
  • Human review
  1. 01

    Drawing

    Plan the structure

    Work sections and item references are set out before measuring.

    Who: Estimator

  2. 02

    Intelligence

    Read drawings and specification

    AI-Assisted Drawing Intelligence highlights information for the estimator to verify.

    Who: AI-assisted suggestion

  3. 03

    Takeoff

    Measure items

    Each item is measured from the drawings, with its unit.

    Who: Estimator

  4. 04

    BOQ

    Describe

    Items are described from the specification so the work is clear.

    Who: Estimator

  5. 05

    BOQ

    Structure the bill

    Items are numbered and grouped under their work sections.

    Who: Estimator

  6. 06

    Review

    Review

    Descriptions, units and quantities are checked against the drawings.

    Who: Human review

Deliverable

Bill of Quantities

Work sections with numbered items. Each item has a description, unit, quantity and source sheet.

Every output includes

  • Work sections and item references
  • Item descriptions
  • Unit and quantity per item
  • Drawing reference per item
BOQ-01Bill of Quantities
Illustrative Example
Illustrative bill of quantities page
ItemDescriptionUnitQty
E · Masonry
E.1Blockwork wall, 100 mm, external wall W-01A-301 · Rev Bm²41.60
E.2Lintels over openingsA-301 · Rev Bnr3
M · Finishes
M.1Floor finish to room A-03A-101 · Rev Bm²44.80
M.2Skirting to room A-03A-101 · Rev Bm27.20
Illustrative Example — not a real projectSheet 1 of 1

Checked and traceable

Each item described, measured and referenced

The bill is checked as a document, item by item, before it is issued.

Checked before issue

  1. 01Every item has a description, unit and quantity
  2. 02Item references are unique and in sequence
  3. 03Descriptions match the specification
  4. 04Quantities traced to drawing sheets
  5. 05No work measured twice across sections

One line followed back to its source, and one drawing revision handled. Neither is real project data.

Illustrative Example
Trace · BOQ item E.1

  1. Source

    A-301 · Wall section · Rev B

  2. Measured

    W-01 · 16.00 m × 2.60 m

  3. Quantity

    41.60 m²

  4. BOQ item

    E.1 · Blockwork wall

  5. Work section

    E · Masonry

  6. State

    Reviewed

Revision · E.1 · Blockwork wall

Was 39.52 m² · Rev A

changed to 41.60 m² · Rev B

The item quantity follows the re-measured wall. The description and reference are unchanged.

BOQ Preparation

Turn the drawings into a structured bill

A structured bill is ready to price. Next, see how its items are built up into a cost estimate with explicit rates.

Get a quoteNext: Cost Estimating

Related services

  • Output · Quantity schedule

    Quantity Takeoff

    Quantities measured from drawings and specifications, organised by element with units and drawing references.

  • Output · Cost estimate

    Construction Cost Estimating

    Cost estimates built up from measured quantities and explicit rates, with the calculation inputs kept visible for review.

  • Output · Tender estimate pack

    Tender Estimating

    Quantities and estimates prepared to support tender submissions, with scope assumptions recorded.