Formally measured, NRM or SMM7 compliant Bills of Quantities — priced or unpriced — prepared for tender submission, procurement and contract award. Produced by a RICS Chartered Surveyor.
Explained clearly
A Bill of Quantities is a formal measured document used in construction procurement. It sets out every item of work required to complete a project — measured to a recognised standard, described consistently and presented so that multiple contractors can price the same document and be compared on a like-for-like basis.
A BOQ is not the same as an estimator's pricing schedule or a simple schedule of rates. A proper Bill of Quantities is prepared to a defined method of measurement — either NRM2 or SMM7 — which dictates how items are measured, described and presented. This ensures every tenderer is measuring and pricing the same things.
Because the BOQ is prepared by the client's QS (or an independent party) rather than each contractor measuring their own quantities, it removes a significant source of tender variation. It also becomes a contract document — forming the basis for valuing the works, assessing variations and agreeing the final account.
When to use a BOQ
A BOQ is not always mandatory — but it is often the most effective procurement tool. Here's when it's required, when it's strongly advisable and when a simpler document will do.
Local authority, NHS, education and government projects typically require a BOQ as part of compliant procurement. The BOQ ensures the tender is assessed fairly and provides cost certainty for budget holders.
In a two-stage process, the BOQ is often prepared after the first stage to facilitate the second-stage negotiation. The contractor prices against the BOQ, which then forms the basis for the contract sum and any post-contract adjustments.
On private projects above roughly £500k, a BOQ becomes increasingly valuable — it reduces scope uncertainty, supports cost control through the build and provides a clear mechanism for valuing changes. Most sophisticated clients and their consultants will prefer a BOQ over a simple schedule.
For smaller projects or straightforward scopes — where speed matters more than formal procurement — a priced schedule of works or trade-by-trade Excel schedule may be sufficient and more practical than a full BOQ. I can advise which document best suits your project.
Standards explained
The two measurement standards in common use are NRM2 (current RICS guidance) and SMM7 (the predecessor, still referenced in some contracts). Understanding which to use depends on the contract type, the client and the procurement context.
NRM1 (New Rules of Measurement, Part 1) covers order of cost estimating and cost planning — used at early design stages to produce cost plans and elemental estimates.
NRM2 (Part 2) is the standard for detailed measurement of building works for Bills of Quantities. It replaced SMM7 as the RICS standard in 2012 and is what most consultants and clients now expect for formal BOQ preparation.
The Standard Method of Measurement, 7th Edition — the previous RICS standard for Bills of Quantities. Formally superseded by NRM2, but still referenced in some existing contracts and frameworks where the original BOQ was prepared under SMM7.
If you're administering a contract that was originally tendered using SMM7, variations and re-measurements should be assessed consistently against the same standard. I can prepare and assess documentation against SMM7 where the contract requires it.
Not sure which standard applies? Get in touch and I'll advise based on your contract documents.
Deliverables
Both priced and unpriced versions of the BOQ are available depending on how you're using the document — for competitive tender, negotiation or contract administration.
A completed and priced Bill of Quantities with rates, extensions and totals entered for each item. Used to demonstrate your cost build-up during a negotiated tender, to price a job where you've been invited on a sole-source basis, or to produce a cost plan for a client who needs to understand what they're buying.
An unpriced Bill of Quantities contains the full measurement and description of every item but with the rate and total columns left blank — for tenderers to complete. This is the document issued to contractors at tender stage so each can insert their own rates and return a completed BOQ as their bid.
A simple pricing schedule or schedule of works is a list of items the contractor completes with their own prices — it does not follow a defined measurement standard, each contractor may interpret scope differently, and it cannot easily be used to assess variations or value the works through the contract. A Bill of Quantities provides a single set of formally measured quantities that all parties work from — it is a more robust procurement and contract administration tool.
Pricing
Every BOQ engagement is priced on a fixed fee based on the scope, number of trades and complexity of the project. Send your drawings and documents and I'll quote a fixed price before work starts.
Also see: Tender Pricing & Estimating and Quantity Take-Off Services
Get in touch
Send your drawings and let me know the procurement context — I'll advise on the right document and confirm a fixed fee the same day.