What is BOQ?
Important Point
BoQ full form Bill of Quantities. A bill of quantities is a document used in tendering in the construction industry in which materials, parts, and labour (and their costs) are itemized
Until the advent of activity schedules in the previous two decades, bills of quantities were probably the most used pricing/payment mechanism in construction contracts.
They are still used extensively in building contracts, whereas civil engineering contracts tender to favor target price contracts of one form or another.
The bill of quantities is often abbreviated to BoQ or ‘the bill.’ Bills of quantities were touched and are explained in more detail here.
A bill of quantities is a list of items taken from a standard method of measurement. Against each item, the total quantity is abstracted from the tender drawings (usually by the design organization).
The bill of quantities is rather like a shopping list, which the tenderer then completes by inserting the prices that will be charged against each item. Most of these items will be measured as either “rates” or “prices per unit.”
So we might have rates against meters of pipes, square meters of formwork, and cubic meters of concrete, but valves and pipe fittings would be measured as prices per unit against ‘number’ (nr).
The total of all the items is the tender price; this is the use of the BoQ as a pricing mechanism. During the course of construction, regular payments are made by measuring the actual quantities used on-site and multiplying them by the rate in the BoQ; this is their use as a payment mechanism.
In traditional contracts, such as ICE7 and JCT SBCO5, the bill of quantities is a pricing mechanism and a payment mechanism. It is used in NEC3 ECC option B in a similar way. Option D also uses bills of quantities, but here only as a pricing mechanism.
In JCT contracts, the bill of quantities is usually called the contract bill and is combined with the specification items relevant to each item in the BoQ.
The normal assumption of contracts using a bill of quantities is that it will be prepared by the design organization or a quantity surveyor and issued in the same format to all companies that are tendering.
The major advantages of a bill of quantities are consistency and a straightforward process for checking and comparing tenders.
Another advantage for the industry as a whole is that the bill of quantities is only prepared once, rather than by each tenderer, who must, of course, price it. So there is no abortive work effort by unsuccessful tenderers.
The profession that concentrates on the billing and measurement function is the quantity surveyor, or ‘QS.’
Quantity surveyors are usually employed in the building industry to take-off quantities, whereas those civil engineers who still have the skill base generally take off their own quantities. ‘Taking off’ is the term used for abstracting quantities and inserting them against the relevant item in the bill of quantities.
Tender documents, including the bill of quantities, are sent out to the contractors who will be bidding for the contract.
The contractor’s tendering department normally includes people called ‘estimators‘ who ‘price up the bill’ by inserting an appropriate rate (or price) against each of the items.
The bill of quantities can also be used by the design organization to estimate quite accurately the likely cost of the project.
This is done by inserting rates against the BoQ items. These rates may be obtained from previous similar con-tracts, published databases, or the designer’s own experience.
An experienced designer should be able to estimate the likely tender price within five or ten percent using these methods.
Tender comparison is much easier with contracts using a BoQ, because each BoQ contains the same items; only the tenderers’ prices differ, and these can be compared, examined in detail, and compared with prices for previous projects.
Finally, BoQs are often used in traditional contracts for determining the cost of changes (variations), where BoQ items are reasonably applicable to the varied work.
What is BoQ Meaning?
- “Bill of Quantities”(BoQ) meaning a document called therein as a Bill of Quantities issued to tenderer by or on behalf from the Principal, stating estimated quantities of work to be performed. (as per AS214 Australian Standard, General conditions of contract)
BoQ Format Sheet
Also, read: What Is Linear Measurement Surveying | Type of Linear Measurement Surveying
Advantages of a BoQ(Bill of Quantities).
- A BoQ is prepared a cost constantly. This detail to measured quantities of identified by specification and drawing n the tender documentation for construction works.
- A BoQ is issued to tenderers for them to prepare a price for carrying out the works. BoQ assists tender in the calculation of construction costs for their tender because all tendering contractors will price the same quantities. BoQ provides a fair and accurate system for tendering
- Before construction begins, the BoQ may notify the project budget along with also the modification of any elements of this design, which might be prohibitively expensive. Additionally, it may help clarify quantities so the correct materials could be secured ahead of their works starting.
- A BoQ is also as a reliable base for budget control and accurate cost reporting.
- BoQ enables the preparation of cash flow forecast and provide a basis for the valuation of variation, the preparation of interim payments, and the final account.
- BoQ helps create a low cost and low risk for tendering environment, which encourages the submission of competitive bids since the risk is better understood and defined.
Also, read: Methods of Design | Difference Between Working Stress Method and Limit State Method
What is BoM?
- BoM full form Bill of Material.
- When a product is designed, a key part of the design documentation is a bill of material.
- A bill of material or parts list, which is an itemized listing of the parts with quantities of each specified, is usually included in or with the initial detailed design drawings of an item and is updated as the design changes. This bill of material is a valuable source of material quantity information for the estimator.
- If it is not available, the estimator must be able to read and interpret drawings with sufficient skill to be able to envision and interpret the size, type, and quantity of material required based on measuring dimensions and interpreting notes from the drawing itself.
- Since there may be a number of different ways that materials can be applied to a design, it is always desirable for the designer or draftsman to specify the bill of materials rather than to rely on the estimator or the machinist to develop this information directly from the drawing.
- Material quantities are developed directly from a bill of material by adding scrap and waste allowances and by combining identical materials into a lot or quantity purchase.
BoQ Full Form
A bill of quantities (commonly known as BOQ or BQ) is a document prepared by a quantity surveyor or cost consultant to define the quality and quantity of works required to be carried out by the main contractor to complete a project.
BoQ and BoM
BOQ and BOM help project planners and contractors in understanding the inventory requirements associated with a project. While BOM is related to the list of inventory, including raw materials, parts, components, etc., BOQ lists the total number of materials required to complete a project.
BoQ Means
A bill of quantities is a document used in tendering in the construction industry in which materials, parts, and labor (and their costs) are itemized.
How Do You Prepare a Bill of Quantities?
Drafting Your Bill of Quantities. Set up a spreadsheet for your bill of quantities. Include columns for the item numbers, description, unit of measurement, quantity, rate for the item, labor, and total cost for the item.
What Is a Bill of Quantities in Construction?
A bill of quantities (commonly known as BOQ or BQ) is a document prepared by a quantity surveyor or cost consultant to define the quality and quantity of works required to be carried out by the main contractor to complete a project.
BoQ Preparation
The bill of quantities (sometimes referred to as ‘BoQ‘ or ‘BQ’) 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.
What Is the Purpose of BoQ?
It facilitates all contractors tendering for a contract to price on precisely for the same information. By providing the quantities to tenderers, bill of quantities gives a basic idea of the project. BOQ describes the scope of the work to be completed.
What Is Difference Between BoQ and BoM?
While BOM is related to the list of inventory, including raw materials, parts, components, etc., BOQ lists the total number of materials required to complete a project. BOQs help project developers in getting detailed quotes for project requirements and BOM give a clarity on what all is needed for completion.
Like this post? Share it with your friends!
Suggested Read –
- Low E Meaning
- Top 10 Tiles Companies in India 2021
- What Is EDM in Surveying | Type | Errors
- Top 10 Best Cement Companies In India 2021
- Difference Between One Way Slab and Two Way Slab | What is Slab
- What is Chain Surveying (Principal, Procedure, Method, Instrument)
- What Is a Bar Bending Schedule | Preparation as Per Bs 4466 | Tolerances as Per Bs 4466
- What Is Structural Settlement | Causes For Structural Settlement | What Is Soil Settlement & Foundation Structural Settlement
Really appreciate you sharing this blog.Really looking forward to read more. Awesome.