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Certainty in Numbers
Professional Bill of Quantities Service
Get fair, like-for-like bids with our NRM2-compliant Bill of Quantities service for your UK project.
Professional Bill of Quantities (BoQ) Service UK
In the world of formal construction tendering, ensuring every contractor prices a project on the exact same basis is paramount. Comparing tenders can be a complex task, but the industry-standard solution is a professional Bill of Quantities (BoQ). This document acts as a “single source of truth,” translating project drawings and specifications into a clear, itemised list for pricing.
Therefore, our specialised BoQ service is designed to bring fairness, transparency, and accuracy to your tender process. Our experienced team, including qualified quantity surveyors, prepares meticulous documents that form the foundation of a well-managed and financially sound construction project.
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The Tendering Standard
What is a Bill of Quantities?
A Bill of Quantities (BoQ) is a comprehensive document that meticulously itemises all the work and materials required for a construction project. It is prepared according to strict industry standards, most commonly the RICS New Rules of Measurement (NRM2). Unlike a standard estimate, the BoQ provides precise quantities for every work item.
Consequently, this forces all competing contractors to price the same items and quantities, ensuring their tender submissions are directly comparable. This “like-for-like” comparison is the core purpose of a BoQ, eliminating ambiguity and creating a fair and transparent procurement process. Our quantity surveyor services are expert in producing these critical documents.
Every Component Detailed
What's Included in Our BoQ Service?
When you commission our BoQ preparation service, you receive a formal document structured for clarity and compliance. We believe in thoroughness, which is why our BoQs typically include:
All measurements and descriptions follow the RICS NRM2 standard, ensuring industry-wide consistency.
A complete take-off and quantification of every single element of your build, from the foundations to final finishes.
Clear, unambiguous descriptions are provided for each item, which carefully details the full scope of all included work.
A full breakdown of the project's indirect costs, covering areas like site setup, professional management, and welfare.
Professionally structured pages making it simple to assess overall project costs and review all key sections.
Clearly defined 'Provisional Sums' for any work that is not yet fully designed, ensuring comprehensive cost coverage.
The Benefits of a Professional BoQ
Utilising a professionally prepared BoQ provides significant advantages beyond just comparing prices. The primary benefits include:
- Accurate & Fair Tendering
A BoQ is the cornerstone of any effective tender process. It ensures all bids are precise and directly comparable for you.
- Simplified Variations
A priced BoQ provides agreed rates for all work items, making the valuation of changes a simple and very transparent process.
- Avoid Project Disputes
By clearly defining the scope of work for every single item, a BoQ significantly reduces any potential for costly disputes.
- Improved Forecasting
A priced BoQ offers a detailed financial roadmap, enabling accurate cash flow forecasting and monitoring through the project.
- Faster Tendering
A BoQ saves all tendering contractors significant time, resulting in a faster bidding process and more competitive returns.
- Efficient Procurement
The detailed, quantified lists within the BoQ can be used directly for material procurement, ensuring accurate ordering.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Bill of Quantities (BoQ) is a formal document prepared by a quantity surveyor or specialist estimator that meticulously measures and itemises all the work and materials required for a construction project. It translates drawings and specifications into a quantified list, allowing for precise and comparable pricing during the tendering process.
A standard cost estimate predicts the likely total cost of a project. In contrast, a BoQ provides a detailed list of quantified items without prices. This document is then given to competing contractors, who apply their own rates to each item. This ensures every contractor is pricing the exact same scope of work, making tender comparisons fair and transparent.
NRM2 (the RICS New Rules of Measurement) is the industry-standard set of rules for measuring building works in the UK. Adhering to the NRM2 standard ensures that your BoQ is prepared with consistency and is universally understood by contractors and consultants, which is essential for a formal and professional construction tendering process.
A BoQ service is typically recommended for larger, more complex projects, or for any project requiring a formal, competitive tender process (such as public sector work). For smaller or simpler projects like a standard house extension, a detailed cost estimate is often sufficient for effective cost control.
This is one of the key benefits of a BoQ. Because each item in the document has a priced rate from the winning contractor, it creates a pre-agreed schedule of rates. If work is added or removed, the cost of this variation can be calculated easily and transparently using these rates, which significantly reduces the potential for disputes.
A formal Bill of Quantities should be prepared by a qualified professional with expertise in measurement standards. This is typically a chartered quantity surveyor or a specialist building estimator who has in-depth knowledge of NRM2 and construction technology.
The upfront cost for preparing a full BoQ is generally higher than a standard estimate due to the meticulous level of detail and measurement required. However, this cost is an investment that provides significant value by ensuring accurate tenders, simplifying variation management, and reducing the risk of costly disputes later in the project.

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Your trusted partner for precise and reliable construction estimating services across the UK.
Contact Info
- 4th Floor, Silverstream House, 45 Fitzroy St, London W1T 6EB
- Mon - Fri : 08:00-17:00
- contact@myprojectestimating.com
- 020 3576 2913