During the planning phase of a construction project, it is often necessary to submit requests for tender to contractors. To make the process fair and objective, it is best to prepare a Bill of Quantities (BOQ).
A BOQ breaks down work into measurable units. This allows contractors to price the scope accurately and fairly, ensuring that you can choose the right contractor for your project.
Item Numbers
If you’re preparing a bill of quantities, you need to know how to correctly format your item numbers. These unique identifiers are used to distinguish and categorize retail items, and are essential for invoicing. They’re also crucial for establishing a clear hierarchy of inventory.
Creating your bill of quantities begins with “taking off” the quantities from construction drawings and specifications. A quantity surveyor can help you take off the quantities and prepare a complete spreadsheet of them for use in your project.
Once you’ve completed your BOQ, it can be sent out to contractors and suppliers for pricing. It will save you time and money by helping you select the best contractor for your project.
To create a BOQ, navigate to the Client Contracts tool and locate the contract you want to update. Click the Number link. Then click the Bill of Quantities tab. After importing the BOQ, any existing line items are replaced with the line items currently in the project’s budget. This can take several minutes. Once the process is complete, a GREEN banner appears to indicate that the import was successful.
Units of Measurement
A unit of measurement is a definite magnitude of a quantity, defined and adopted by convention. It is used as a standard for measurement of the same kind of quantity, and any other quantity can be expressed as a multiple of it.
For example, a length is measured in units of metres. When a number is referenced, such as the height of the Eiffel Tower, it’s 300 metres.
Similarly, a price is measured in units of money. When a price is quoted, it’s usually given in dollars or pounds.
When you prepare a bill of quantities (BOQ) for a project, you need to assign a unit of measure to each item and determine the unit price. This is done by reviewing the project scope, drawings, and specifications to identify the required materials, parts, and labor. The quantities and prices are then summed up to produce a project cost estimate. This document is then central to the request for bids that are sent out to construction contractors. It also provides a basis for valuing variations to the project scope.
Quantities
Preparing a Bill of Quantities (BoQ) is one of the key steps in cost estimation and tendering. It also serves as a basis for valuation of variation orders. A BoQ is a detailed list of the materials, parts, and labor required to complete a construction project based on measurements, drawings, or specifications.
The owner will make this document central to the request for bids that they put out to construction contractors as it informs how much it will cost to execute the project. Construction contractors will then use it to formulate their pricing for the work and those responsible for invoicing will reference it to track progress.
The main reason for preparing a BoQ is to ensure that you don’t underestimate the amount of materials or labour needed to complete a project. This is achieved by using a process called taking off. Essentially you take the quantities listed on an architect’s plan and copy them into your BoQ spreadsheet, with a row for each item. This is a very accurate way of estimating the materials, parts and labour required for a project and can save you thousands in the long run.
Rates
Preparing a Bill of Quantities is a necessary component of the planning stage of construction projects. It provides contractors with a comprehensive inventory of the scope of work that enables them to submit accurate bids for each task. Bills of quantities are typically prepared by a quantity surveyor or quality surveyor. They are also used in the tendering process to ensure that each contractor is submitting prices for the same scope of work.
The main purpose of a bill of quantities is to ensure that all materials, including labor and equipment, are properly specified. This helps to prevent misunderstandings and reduce rework. It also makes it easier for project managers to track material costs and estimate the project’s overall cost.
If you’re working on a large construction project, preparing a bill of quantities can be challenging. But, with some practice, you can master this document and get your project off the ground smoothly. Learn how to create a BOQ that will make it easy for you to get the most accurate quotes from suppliers.
Labor
Construction projects require a lot of materials and labor to finish. Our free Bill of Quantities Template helps you manage these tasks better by listing all the materials, parts, and quantities needed for the project. This will help you get accurate estimates from contractors, and will also give you more control during the bidding process.
To make a BoQ, start by taking off quantities from a set of drawings or specifications. Then, enter them into your spreadsheet as the item numbers, units of measurement, descriptions, and unit prices. Remember to add 15% to the total quantity, as this will account for wastages.
When you have the items and quantities in your BoQ, send it out to multiple contractors and ask them to submit their quotes. This will enable you to compare the bids and choose the best contractor for the job. You can also use this document as a reference during the project to track progress and ensure that all tasks are completed on time. This will help you keep the project on schedule and avoid any delays or cost overruns.