Bidding with a Bill of Quantities
Practical checklist for contractors pricing a BOQ tender: completeness, clarifications, and risk review.
Bid checklist
Confirm you have every addendum, drawing revision, and BOQ version. Price every item or state exclusion per instructions—non-compliance can void bids.
Sense-check overall value against benchmarks and programme; extremely low rates may signal missed scope.
Assign an owner per trade package so nothing falls between estimating and procurement handoff.
Clarifications and qualifications
If the tender allows, list assumptions on access, working hours, and supply chain—especially for long-lead items.
Avoid vague “subject to site survey” unless the employer accepts qualified bids; some forms forbid it.
Submission hygiene
Double-check arithmetic extensions, PDF page order, and required forms—admin rejections waste weeks of effort.
Keep an internal copy of the priced BOQ exactly as submitted; post-tender interviews reference it constantly.