INTRODUCTION
It consists of various items of work in the form of a statement depicting quantities, description and rate per unit. It is used to define the quality and quantity of works to be carried out by main contractor for completing work. It is made in tabular format and is mainly used for inviting tender and supplied to contractors to fill up the rates. On receipt of tenders the rates are compared and decision is made regarding the work. It is prepared by quantity surveyors and building estimators to be handed over to contractor.
PURPOSE
Some of the purposes are-
To standardise the tendering process
To provide a fair and accurate method to price the project
To enable employer’s consultants to carry out analysis between prices of various individual items and overall costs.
To help quantity surveyor to confirm that individual contractors have submitted bonafide tenders compliant with tender information.
COMPONENTS
Two components of Bill of Quantities (BOQ) are Firm bill of quantities
Approximate bill of quantities
Approximate Bill of Quantities – When there is lack of information to prepare at the tender stage, or when there arises no need for firm bill of quantities then this form is adopted. One of its advantage is that less time is required to prepare this and also less cost is involved. Sometimes there is greater cost uncertainty which is one of its major drawbacks.
Firm Bill of Quantities
To get lump sump price for a fully designed project this form is adopted. One of its advantage is that it can be price accurately. It provides a good basis for assessing the cost of those changes which are made necessarily to the works described in tender documents.
STEPS INVOLVED IN PREPARING
Following are the steps involved in preparing bill of quantities-
Measurements are taken from actual plot or plan and various quantities are calculated like volume, area, etc.
Rates are then taken from standard guidelines and total amount is calculated by comparing it with standard guidelines.
Various labourers involved are estimated as well as contingencies and lump-sump of other extra quantities.
Finally, an amount is calculated as a whole and then handed over to contractor for carrying out the work as per tenders.
SOFTWARE USED
Dimensions are taken through software like AUTOCAD and then bill of quantities is prepared generally in Microsoft Excel.Other software are there like Cubit Standard, Primus and many more. But widely Microsoft Excel is used because-
- Linking of quantities with rates is easy in Excel as all tables can be connected
- Changing in one quantity automatically changes the other quantities so lots of work gets done in a very short time.
- Printing from Excel is easy in any format and can easily be converted to readable format.
ADVANTAGES
Some advantages are
1. It eliminates any guesswork involved by providing accurate information.
2. It helps to create a low risk and low-cost tendering environment.
3. It helps to clearly visualize the prices involved and if prices go up then it provides ideas to cut off extra charges.
4. It provides more transparency in the relationship between owner and contractor as well as builder.
CONCLUSION
It has endless scope in future and without it nothing in construction industry is possible. Although the process has evolved from manual calculation to software mode, many progresses are still needed. It is very important that a BOQ is prepared to a standard methodology recognised by everyone involved in the project to avoid any misunderstandings or ambiguities. A BOQ is also a valuable document during the process and settlement of any dispute resolution. It also acts as a legal document in case any dispute arises.