What is a BOQ (bill of quantities)?
A bill of quantities is the itemised list of every piece of work in a contract, with its unit, its quantity and its rate, and it is the price list every later bill is measured against.
Also called BOQ, BoQ, schedule of quantities.
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Bill of quantities in plain words
Each line is one item: say, M25 concrete in footings, in cubic metres, at an agreed rate. Quantity times rate gives the line value, and the lines add up to the contract price. Every running bill is built from the same lines, so the BOQ decides what can be billed and at what rate.
How is bill of quantities calculated?
line value = quantity × rate; contract price = sum of line values
On an item rate contract the quantities are estimates and the rates are fixed. On a lump sum contract the BOQ is often only a way to split the price.
Why does bill of quantities matter?
A bill can only claim what a BOQ line allows. Work that fits no line becomes a variation, and a line executed beyond its quantity becomes a deviation, and both slow certification.
Where does bill of quantities mislead?
Whether quantities are re-measured or fixed depends on the contract type, so the BOQ is not binding in the same way everywhere. Read the contract's measurement clause before treating a BOQ quantity as a limit.
What do people get wrong about bill of quantities?
- Billing an item that has no BOQ line
- It will be sent back, or paid as a variation after a negotiation. Raising the variation first is faster than defending the bill.
- Treating estimated quantities as guaranteed work
- On a re-measurement contract the contractor is paid for what is measured, not for what the BOQ listed. A BOQ quantity is a forecast, not an entitlement.
How does Crestline measure bill of quantities?
Crestline matches each RA bill line to its BOQ line, so a bill that exceeds a quantity or uses an unlisted item is flagged before it goes to the client.
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