BILL OF QUANTITIES Part 1

Embarking on a construction project—from renovating your current house to building a new one--can be a stressful and daunting experience. You can feel overwhelmed with unknowns, risks, new terminology and details you may never have considered. The fear of construction costs exceeding one's budget is very real, but there is a professional tool available that will help even the layman throughout the duration of the project.

The bill of quantities ('BoQ') is a document prepared by a quantity surveyor that provides a clear, detailed description and measured quantities (number, area, volume, weight or time) of all the construction work and materials required to implement the architect's plans and specifications. 

The BoQ saves the cost and time of all the bidding contractors separately measuring the same drawings. Instead all the tenderers calculate their prices (including sub-contractors and optional works) based on the exact same quantities of the exact same components, so the BoQ provides a fair and transparent basis to solicit competitive bids. This helps avoid any guesswork, ambiguities or misunderstandings, and so prevents disputes arising from different interpretations of what has been priced.                                   

As opposed to the single price contract with minimal breakdown which affords considerable commercial advantage to the contractor, the playing field is now leveled, with offers that can only be submitted using the BoQ. Comparing the prices of not only the total job but also the individual items, allows a detailed assessment of which aspects of each bid offer good or poor value. This information will inform negotiations on both the micro and macro level.