What should be in a BOQ?

A BOQ describes measured work for pricing. Drawings establish location and form, specifications describe quality, and the contract sets obligations. Read them together: a BOQ replaces neither construction drawings nor the full contract.

RICS NRM 2 provides a systematic framework for measuring and describing building work. Its principles inform document review here; it is not a requirement that every Thai home project use this format or the same contract rules.

Identify whether the document is an early estimate, a quotation for incomplete design or a measured BOQ based on approved drawings. Each carries a different degree of uncertainty.

A line should identify the work code or category, location, description, unit, quantity, unit rate and amount. Separate material and labour where useful, while stating what each rate already includes.

“Timber cabinet” is too vague for comparison. Check the carcass, finish, doors, hardware, size and installation against the actual specification. A clear reference to a drawing or specification can avoid repeating every detail in the table.

Understand the measurement unit: square metres for a floor, metres for skirting, or sets for fittings. A lump sum can be appropriate, but its scope must be explicit rather than hidden behind “one lot”.

Identify the drawing revision used for measurement. If a cabinet grows or its finish changes but the BOQ still uses an old drawing, the price no longer describes the intended work.

Trace one familiar item, such as living-room flooring. Check which area is counted, how openings are treated and whether cutting waste is accounted for in quantity or rate. Avoid counting the same allowance twice.

Hypothetical arithmetic: 10 units at THB 100 per unit equal THB 1,000. These are demonstration figures, not market prices. The essential question is what the ten units represent and what their rate includes.

The main product may be priced while installation support is missing: preparation, transport, lifting, demolition, disposal, protection and making good. Ask where these costs are included.

Services meet fit-out work at interfaces such as cabinet lighting, appliance outlets and maintenance access. A cabinet is not automatically a complete functional system. Check responsibilities between trades.

Read the summary for site costs, overheads, profit, discounts and taxes. Some may already sit in unit rates. The goal is a clear payable amount, not forcing every contractor into an identical internal cost structure.

Unselected lighting or fittings may have allowances. State what each allowance covers, how actual selection changes the amount and whether installation is included. An allowance is not a promise that every option fits the budget.

For work measurable only after opening up, document assumptions and the later measurement process. “At actual cost” needs a basis, rate and approval procedure. Identifying uncertainty supports a more targeted contingency.

For a design change, request additions and omissions together. A flooring substitution should show unused original work and replacement work under the contract’s valuation rules, rather than only an extra charge.

Compare bidders on the same item schedule and mark omissions or differing specifications. Resolve them before selection: unclear items do not disappear when a total is accepted.

Retain the agreed version and attachments, with a separate change register. The BOQ can help identify completed work, while payment and acceptance still follow the actual contract.

You do not need to measure every detail personally. Ask a designer or quantity professional to review complex work. Your role is to identify unclear items and request a scope you can understand.