How to Read a Bill of Quantities (Quick Guide)
Practical tips for reading a BOQ: sections, units, provisional items, and where to look before you price.
Reading order
Start with the table of contents and any preamble that defines measurement rules, inclusions/exclusions, and contract priorities. Then scan preliminaries and PC/provisional blocks before trade sections.
Check units carefully—switching m for m² is a common pricing error.
Map the BOQ version to the drawing issue register: if the BOQ predates a major drawing revision, you need an addendum or clarified basis of pricing.
What to flag
Flag provisional quantities, items “supplied by others,” and daywork allowances. Note attendances and obligations buried in preliminaries.
If something is unclear, raise a query before bid day; assumptions get expensive after award.
Highlight items with “design responsibility” or performance specs—these can shift risk from supply-only to design liability.
Before you fill in rates
Build a checklist: have you priced attendance to other trades, testing, samples, mock-ups, and temporary protection where referenced?
Sense-check subtotals by trade against benchmarks or historical jobs; outliers often reveal a missed column or wrong unit.