Last edited 09 Aug 2018

Work section bill of quantities

A bill of quantities (sometimes referred to as a 'BoQ' or 'BQ') is a document, typically prepared by a cost consultant (often a quantity surveyor), that provides measured quantities of the items of work identified by the drawings and specifications in the tender documentation for a project. It is issued to tenderers to allow them to prepare a price for carrying out the works.

According to NRM2, RICS new rules of measurement, Detailed measurement for building work, there are three main breakdown structures for bill of quantities:

Elemental bill of quantities.
Work section bill of quantities.
Work package bill of quantities.

The work section breakdown structure undertakes measurement and description by the work sections listed in NRM 2. This structure may be preferred by contractors, as similar products and components are grouped together, rather than being spread across a number of different elements as they are in an elemental breakdown. This can make pricing easier for contractors.

NRM 2 suggests that a work section breakdown structure for a simple project might be:

Bill No. 1: Main contractor’s preliminaries.
Bill No. 2: Off-site manufactured materials, components and buildings.
Bill No. 3: Demolitions.
Bill No. 4: Alterations, repairs and conservation.
Bill No. 5: Excavating and filling.
Bill No. 6: Ground remediation and soil stabilisation.
Bill No. 7: Piling.
Bill No. 8: Underpinning.
Bill No. 9: Diaphragm walls and embedded retaining walls.
Bill No. 10: Crib walls, gabions and reinforced earth.
Bill No. 11: In-situ concrete works.
Bill No. 12: Precast/composite concrete.
Bill No. 13: Precast concrete.
Bill No. 14: Masonry.
Bill No. 15: Structural metalwork.
Bill No. 16: Carpentry.
Bill No. 17: Sheet roof coverings.
Bill No. 18: Tile and slate roof and wall coverings.
Bill No. 19: Waterproofing.
Bill No. 20: Proprietary linings and partitions.
Bill No. 21: Cladding and covering.
Bill No. 22: General joinery.
Bill No. 23: Windows, screens and lights.
Bill No. 24: Doors, shutters and hatches.
Bill No. 25: Stairs, walkways and balustrades.
Bill No. 26: Metalwork.
Bill No. 27: Glazing.
Bill No. 28: Floor, wall, ceiling and roof finishings.
Bill No. 29: Decoration.
Bill No. 30: Suspended ceilings.
Bill No. 31: Insulation, fire stopping and fire protection.
Bill No. 32: Furniture, fittings and equipment.
Bill No. 33: Drainage above ground.
Bill No. 34: Drainage below ground.
Bill No. 35: Site works.
Bill No. 36: Fencing.
Bill No. 37: Soft landscaping.
Bill No. 38: Mechanical services.
Bill No. 39: Electrical services.
Bill No. 40: Transport.
Bill No. 41: Builder’s work in connection with mechanical, electrical and transportation installations.
Bill No. 42: Risks.
Bill No. 43: Provisional sums.
Bill No. 44: Credits.
Bill No. 45: Daywork (Provisional).