BILL OF QUANTITIES

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK

Faculty Of Engineering

KNS 3333 CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY

BILL OF QUANTITIES

What Is

BQ?

BQ Format,

Description, Content

BQ in

Engineering

BQ

Preparation

Traditional Method (Building Works)

� Traditional General Contracting (TGC)

� Client engages architect or engineer to prepare design.

� Upon completion of design, the QS

prepares a Bill of Quantities based on drawings and specification.

� Contractors are invited to price the bill.

� Contractor submitting the lowest tender usually will be awarded the contract.

Design

Construction

Sequential

Client engages Architect and Engineers to design

Contractor constructs

TRADITIONAL METHODS

QS prepares BQ & Compiles Tender Document

Tender Exercise

What Is A Tender ?

A tender or a bid is an offer made by a

contractor to do certain work for a price,

stated in the form of tender and given

in detail in a priced Bill of Quantities.

Tender exercise is a process of sending out drawings and other tender documents to contractors

for them to prepare a tender price in competition

with each other and to be submitted at a fixed date.

Tenders submitted are later opened on a set date and evaluated before the contract can be awarded

to the most suitable contractor.

What Is Tender Exercise ?

What Is BQ?

What is Bill of Quantities (BQ) ?

A document produced by Quantity Surveyors (QS).

Who is a Quantity Surveyor?

A person who calculates the quantity of materials needed for constructing

buildings, etc. and how much they will cost.

Bill of Quantities (BQ)

Translate drawings, schedules and specification by Architect and Engineers into a document fully describing and accurately representing

the quantity and quality of the works.

Quantity Quality

Why produce Bills of Quantities?

BQ enables all Contractors tendering for a contract to price exactly

on the same information

Provides a basis for valuation of variations or changes to the works

Can be used by the Contractor to assist in ordering of building materials and

for assessing his labour requirements

Provides good basis for cost analysis for use on future contracts in Cost Planning Works,

e.g. approximate estimating and setting cost targets for budgeting purposes.

BQ Preparation

4 Stages Of BQ Preparation (Traditional)

Taking Off / Squaring / Abstracting / Billing

Taking OffTaking off is a process of transferring the dimension scaled or read from the drawings to a specially ruled paper called the dimension paper.

Squaring Squaring is a process of getting the total quantity whether in number, length, area or volume for each set of measurement in the dimension paper.

4 Stages Of BQ Preparation (Traditional)

Abstracting Abstracting is a process of transferring the squared dimensions to the abstract where they are written in a recognised order under the appropriate work section headings and subsequently totaled and converted to the required units or billing as stated in the Standard Method of Measurement.

BillingBilling is a process of re-writing all the items including their quantities taken from the abstract for the whole project, into the billing papers in a recognised format of a Bill of Quantities.

Taking Off / Squaring / Abstracting / Billing

BQ Preparation - Development

Taking Off

Working Up

Squaring

AbstractingProcess is very lengthy and tedious

Various ways of simplifying the process have been developed

“Bill direct” i.e. by transferring the items directly from the dimension sheet to the bill, eliminating the need for an abstract.

Further methods: “cut and shuffle” and computers systems were developed.

BQ Preparation - Development

DRAWINGS DIMENSIONPAPER

BILLINGPAPER

BILL OF QUANTITIES

(BQ)

Taking Off

Measurement of quantities

Squaring

Direct Billing

BQ Format, Descriptions, Content

Measured work needs to be arranged in a sequence that is recognised by the industry and can be easily

understood and priced by the contractor

BQ Format

Elemental Bills

Annotated Bills

Trade Bills

Operational BillsMost Common

Activity Bills

Elemental Bills

BQ Format

� Widely used in Malaysia in private consultancy firm and government departments.

� BQ can be abstracted easily and quickly, as measurement is already grouped in the elemental format.

� Under each element, the order of works generally follows trade or construction sequence.

� Terms of element used as per standard classifications published by Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (ISM).

Elemental Bills

1. Piling works2. Work below lowest floor3. Frame4. Upper Floors5. Roof6. Staircases7. External Walls8. Windows and External Doors8. Internal Walls and Partitions9. Internal Doors10. Internal Wall Finishes11. Internal Floor Finishes12. Internal Ceiling Finishes13. External Finishes14. Fittings and Furnishings15. Sanitary Appliances16. Plumbing Installation

Elemental Bills

17. Refuse Disposal18. Air Conditioning and Ventilation System19. Electrical Installation20. Fire Protection Installation21. Lift and Conveyor Installation22. Communication Installation23. Specialised Installation24. Profit and Attendance on Services25. Builder’s Work in Connection with Services26. Site Work27. Drainage28. External Services29. Ancillary Buildings30. Recreational Facilities

Trade Bills

BQ Format

� Works measured in trade formats not popular as subsequent preparation of bills of quantities is difficult if the format is not in trade formats.

� Under each type of trade, the works is broken down into various items.

Trade Bills

1. Excavator2. Concretor3. Bricklayer4. Drainlayer5. Asphalter6. Pavior7. Mason8. Roofer9. Carpenter10. Joiner11. Steel and Ironworker12. Plasterer13. Plumber14. Heating and Ventilating Engineer15. Electrician16. Glazier17. Painter

BQ DescriptionsA good and concise description is essential for proper pricing.

The essential ingredients of a good description are as follows:

� Must include all information which estimator will require to build up a realistic price;

� First few words should indicate clearly nature of works.� Order of stating dimensions shall be consistent and

generally in sequence of length, width and height.� Where sequence is not appropriate or where ambiguity

could arise, dimensions shall be specifically identified. � If an item of work cannot be accurately or fully described,

proper reference shall be made to drawn information or product details for construction, manufacture or assembly of work.

� Description must be concise and not too lengthy, can be shortened by references to specification.

BQ ContentBill of quantities must contain the basic information presented

in format that is easily understood

PreliminariesExplains type and scope of works, client’s needs, temporary site

facilities and other items affecting the implementation of the works.

IItems involved need not be measured but need to be described in

details and the contractor will have to price the items that will affect

the cost of the works in a lump sum figure. Items in this section will

not be incorporated into the works but are essential for the

completion of the works.

SpecificationsDescribe the quality of materials and workmanship of the works,

usually not practical to be presented in the drawings; including other

information necessary for the contractor to price the BQ.

BQ ContentMeasured Quantities

Measured quantities are produced from the measurement of all the

works measurable based on the approved Standard Method of

Measurement document. These quantities shall be measured as

accurately as possible so that no parties will make a loss during the

implementation of works.

Provisional QuantitiesProvisional quantities are produced similarly as above but it is for

works which cannot be accurately measured at the time of

preparation of bill of quantities. This situation happens due to

incomplete information of work or in cases whereby the extent of

work cannot be fully determined until the work is completed. Such

work will be subjected to remeasurement after the works has been

carried out.

BQ ContentPrime Cost Sum

Prime cost sum is included for work or services to be executed by a

nominated sub-contractor, a government or a statutory authority or

for material or goods to be supplied by a nominated supplier. Such

sum excludes the profit and attendance of the main contractor, of

which provision are made in the document for such inclusion by the

contractor.

Provisional SumProvisional sum is included for work or for costs that cannot be

entirely defined or detailed at the time the bill of quantities are

prepared.

Contingency SumContingency sum is a sum allocated for any unforeseen work that

cannot be determined at the time of bill of quantities preparation. It

will be a saving to the client if such contingency sum is not expended

due to no unforeseen work.

BQ In Engineering

Standard Method Of Measurement (SMM)

� Provides a uniform basis for measurement

� Act as a standardise reference

� Embodies the essentials of a good practice

SMM 2 = SMM for Building WorksCESMM = SMM for Civil Engineering Works

Malaysian Standard Method Of Measurement

Unnecessary disputes

Loss of productivity

Delays

Ad-hoc, random uncontrolled practices

Uniform basis, standardise references,

embodies good practices

Efficient

Competitive

Productive

SMM 2CESMM

Non-specific reference

BQ In Engineering

� Rare for a civil engineering project to be

fully designed and detailed during the pre-tender stage due to its nature.

� The most common type of contract used is

a remeasurement type.

� BQ has a different role in civil engineering:

(a) Basis for comparison of tenders;

(b) Provide schedule of rates for remeasurement;

(c) Tool for continued cost monitoring and

financial control.

BQ In Engineering

� Codifications

� Method Related Charges

� Work Classifications

Main Differences Between CESMM And SMM2