What a BOQ is for
A BOQ does three jobs across the life of a project, and it is the same document each time.
- Tendering on a like-for-like basis. Every bidder prices the same list of items and quantities, so the bids can actually be compared. Without it, one contractor's lump sum is not comparable to another's.
- Forming the contract. The priced BOQ becomes the schedule of the agreement — the rates in it are what the contractor is entitled to for the work described.
- Paying for work. Quantities are re-measured as the work is built and paid at the agreed rates. This is why a BOQ item's description matters as much as its rate: the description defines what is covered.
What a BOQ item contains
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Item number | 6.1.2 |
| Description | Brick work with common burnt clay F.P.S. bricks of class designation 7.5 in foundation and plinth in cement mortar 1:6 |
| Unit | cum |
| Quantity | 124.60 |
| Rate | ₹7,234.55 |
| Amount | ₹9,01,425.13 |
On a CPWD job the description and rate normally come straight from the DSR, and only the quantity is yours. That is what makes a government BOQ faster to prepare than a private one — and what makes an item the schedule does not carry into a piece of work in itself.
BOQ, estimate and abstract
These three overlap enough to be worth separating.
- An estimate is prepared before tender to establish a cost. It may be approximate — per square foot, or on plinth area — or fully detailed.
- A BOQ is the itemised, measured list issued for tender and used to contract. A detailed estimate becomes a BOQ once its quantities are firm and its items are the ones being tendered.
- An abstract is the summary of value at a point in time — items, quantities executed, rates and amounts — produced from the measurement book for each running account bill.
What makes a BOQ go wrong
- Descriptions edited from the schedule. Trimming a DSR description to make it fit a column narrows the scope of the item, and the narrowed version is the one in the contract.
- Missing items. Anything not in the BOQ has to be added later as an extra item, with a rate worked out and sanctioned — see the NS item rate analysis guide.
- Quantities that do not reconcile to the drawings. The first re-measurement finds it, usually in the form of a deviation beyond the permitted limit.
- Mixed units. An item measured in sqm in the BOQ and in cum on site is a dispute, not a rounding difference.
Frequently asked questions
What is the full form of BOQ?
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BOQ stands for Bill of Quantities — the itemised list of work items, with units, quantities and rates, that a project is tendered and paid against.
What is the difference between a BOQ and an estimate?
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An estimate establishes a likely cost before tender and may be approximate. A BOQ is the firm, itemised, measured list issued for tender and used as the contract schedule. A detailed estimate becomes a BOQ once its items and quantities are the ones being tendered.
Who prepares the BOQ?
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The employer's side — the department, its consultant or the quantity surveyor — prepares and issues it. Bidders price it; they do not write it. That is what keeps the bids comparable.
What happens if an item is missing from the BOQ?
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It becomes an extra item. The work still has to be done, but a rate has to be worked out and sanctioned by the competent authority before it can be paid, which is slower than having had it in the BOQ.