What is BOQ?
Bill of Quantities
A BOQ (Bill of Quantities) is the itemised list of work or supplies in a tender, with quantities and units, against which bidders quote rates.
What is a BOQ?
A Bill of Quantities lists every item of work or supply the buyer wants, with a description, a unit of measurement and an estimated quantity. Bidders fill in a rate for each item, and the total becomes their quoted price.
BOQs are standard in construction and works tenders, and also appear in supply and service tenders. On e-procurement portals the BOQ is usually a locked spreadsheet in which bidders can fill only the rate cells.
What a BOQ contains
Quantities are the buyer’s estimate. In many works contracts, payment is made on the quantities actually executed and measured, at the rates you quoted.
- Item number and description, often linked to a schedule of rates or specification
- Unit, such as cubic metre, square metre, number or running metre
- Estimated quantity
- Rate and amount columns for the bidder
- In some works tenders, a field to quote a percentage above or below the estimated cost instead of item rates
Tips for bidders
Check the BOQ against the drawings and specifications. A wrong quantity or a missing item changes your margin.
Read each item description in full. It often includes materials, labour, carriage and other costs that your rate must cover.
Watch items with large quantities; a small error in their rate has a big effect on the total. Upload the BOQ in the portal’s format without altering the file, as a changed file may be rejected.
Common questions
Common questions about BOQ in government tenders.
The buyer or its engineer prepares it from the drawings and specifications before the tender is published. Bidders only fill in the rates.
No. You quote rates against the given quantities. If you find an error, raise it at the pre-bid meeting or through the tender’s clarification process.
The estimate is the buyer’s internal costing of the work. The BOQ is the version shared with bidders, usually with quantities but without the buyer’s rates.
Let's talk about your workflows
Book a discovery call or send us a message.
We’ll get back to you within one business day.
30 minutes to walk through how your team bids or procures today. No pitch, no pressure—just a focused conversation about your tender workflow.
- See where AI can save your team the most time
- See QuickBid on tenders from your industry
- Get a recommended product and setup
Schedule a discovery call
Tell us about your goals, and we’ll tailor our expertise to fit your needs. Fill out the form below, and we’ll get back to you soon.