Elemental bill of quantities
A bill of quantities (sometimes referred to as a 'BoQ' or 'BQ') is a document, typically prepared by a cost consultant (often a quantity surveyor), that provides measured quantities of the items of work identified by the drawings and specifications in the tender documentation for a project. It is issued to tenderers to allow them to prepare a price for carrying out the works.
According to NRM2, RICS new rules of measurement, Detailed measurement for building work, there are three main breakdown structures for bill of quantities:
- Elemental bill of quantities.
- Work package bill of quantities.
- Work section bill of quantities.
The elemental breakdown structure undertakes measurement and description by group elements, with each group element forming a separate section of the bill of quantities, irrespective of the order of work sections in NRM 2. Group elements are sub-divided through the use of elements, which are further sub-divided by sub-elements, as defined by NRM 1: Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building works.
This structure can make it easier for the cost consultant to analyse contractors' tender prices and collect real-time cost data.
NRM 2 suggests that an elemental breakdown structure for a simple project might be:
- Bill No. 1: Preliminaries (main contract).
- Bill No. 2: Facilitating works.
- Bill No. 3: Substructure.
- Bill No. 4: Superstructure.
- Bill No. 5: Internal finishes.
- Bill No. 6: Fittings, furnishings and equipment.
- Bill No. 7: Services.
- Bill No. 8: External works.
- Bill No. 9: Risks.
- Bill No. 10: Provisional sums.
- Bill No. 11: Credits.
- Bill No. 12: Daywork (provisional).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Advantages of a bill of quantities.
- Approximate bill of quantities.
- Bill of quantities.
- Bill of quantities breakdown structures.
- Common Arrangement of Work Sections (CAWS).
- Common mistakes in bill of quantities.
- Comparison of SMM7 with NRM2.
- Elemental cost plan.
- Firm bill of quantities.
- How to take off construction works.
- Measurement.
- NRM1.
- NRM2.
- NRM3.
- Schedule of rates.
- Standard Method of Measurement (SMM7).
- Taking off.
- Tender.
- Tender documentation.
- Tender pricing document.
- Types of bill of quantities.
- Uniclass.
- Unpriced bill.
- Work package bill of quantities.
- Work section bill of quantities.
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