BOQ
What is a BOQ (Bill of Quantities)?
A BOQ, or bill of quantities, is an itemised list of every material, part and unit of labour a construction project needs, each with its measured quantity and rate. It turns a design into a priced, line-by-line schedule that is used to estimate cost, invite tenders, award work, and bill for progress as it is completed.
What a BOQ contains
A typical BOQ lists each item of work (for example concrete, steel, brickwork, plaster, tiling), the unit of measure, the estimated quantity, the rate per unit, and the amount. Items are usually grouped by trade or by building element, so the totals roll up into a project estimate.
Why the BOQ matters
The BOQ is the backbone of both cost control and billing. It sets the baseline against which actual quantities and rates are compared, so overruns are visible early. On the payment side, running-account bills are prepared against BOQ items as work is executed and measured.
BOQ and running-account billing
As work progresses, the quantity actually executed for each BOQ item is measured and certified, and a running-account (RA) bill is raised for that portion, less retention. Linking bills to BOQ items keeps quantities traceable and disputes rare.
How Fortera does it
In Fortera, quantities and progress are linked so that running-account bills are prepared against measured work, with retention and a three-way match before payment. That keeps billing fast and every quantity on the record.
Related questions
A little more detail.
- What is the difference between a BOQ and an estimate?
- An estimate is an approximate total cost, often early and high-level. A BOQ is a detailed, itemised, priced schedule of quantities that supports tendering, award and progress billing. A BOQ produces a precise estimate as one of its outputs.
- Who prepares the BOQ?
- A quantity surveyor or estimator usually prepares the BOQ from the drawings and specifications. On smaller projects the builder's own technical team may prepare it.