The document that turns a drawing into a number, and turns a number into something you can hold a contractor to.
A bill of quantities is an itemised measurement of everything a project requires, taken directly from the drawings and specification: quantities of blockwork, volumes of concrete, lengths of reinforcement, areas of finishes, each with a rate against it.
Its first job is pricing. Because every contractor prices the same measured quantities, you can compare tenders meaningfully instead of comparing three different assumptions dressed up as three different prices.
Its second job is control. During construction the bill becomes the reference for valuing work done, assessing variations and settling the final account. When a client asks why a payment request is what it is, the bill answers.
If a contractor offers you a single lump sum with no measured backup, you are being asked to trust a figure you have no way to interrogate.
Planning a project and want this applied to your specific site and budget? Send us the details and we will come back to you.
