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Introduction to Detailed Measurement & BOQ fundamentals
1-Introduction-to-Detailed-Measurement-and-BOQ-Fundamentals
1.1 Purpose and uses of a bill of quantities — who uses it and why it matters to cost control.
1.2 Types of BOQ and procurement routes — firm vs approximate BOQ and implications for measurement.
1.3 Professional responsibilities & information flow — what input you need from design and client teams.
Project information & pre-measurement data requirements
2-Design-Coordination-and-Documentation
2.1 Drawings and schedules required (GA, details, room data, plant lists).
2.2 Site reports and surveys (geotech, environmental, asbestos, topographic).
2.3 Interpreting specifications — prescriptive vs performance specifications and their measurement consequences.
Bill structure & breakdown strategies (WBS / CBS / BQBS)
3-Bill-Structure-and-Breakdown-Strategies
3.1 Elemental, work-section and work-package breakdowns — when to use which.
3.2 Linking WBS to cost breakdown structure for reporting and control.
3.3 Practical coding and numbering for traceability and re-sorting.
Preliminaries: content, pricing schedules & handling
4-Preliminaries-in-Construction-Content-Pricing-Schedules-and-Handling
4.1 Information & requirements section — drafting employer’s requirements.
4.2 Preliminaries pricing schedule — time-related vs fixed charges and contractor returns.
4.3 How to extract, request and validate contractor breakdowns for preliminaries.
Units, measurement conventions & description standards
5-NRM2-Measurement-Conventions-and-Description-Standards
5.1 Units of measurement and ordering of sizes (length x width x height).
5.2 Framing unambiguous descriptions for legal clarity.
5.3 Page totals, carried forward, and bill layout rules.
Excavation, earthworks & ground preparation measurement
6-Excavation-Earthworks-and-Ground-Preparation-Measurement
6.1 Measuring excavation volumes, battering, benching and disposal allowances.
6.2 Foundations trenches, blinding and temporary works related to earthworks.
6.3 Ground remediation, contamination handling and provisional items.
Piling, underpinning & retaining structures
7-Piling-Underpinning-and-Retaining-Structures
7.1 Quantifying piling: lengths, piles by type, pile caps and testing allowances.
7.2 Underpinning and embedded retaining walls — measurement methods and interfaces.
7.3 Specialist items and attendance to statutory undertakers.
In-situ concrete works & formwork
8-In-Situ-Concrete-Works-and-Formwork
8.1 Volumes for slabs, beams, columns and cores — allowed tolerances and measurement points.
8.2 Reinforcement: billing in tonnes, bar schedules and bar-bending interpretation.
8.3 Formwork, finishing and allowances for temporary works.
Precast and composite concrete elements
9-Precast-and-Composite-Concrete-Elements
9.1 Measuring precast units: pieces, connectivity, and fixing allowances.
9.2 Handling composite elements: hybrid measurement and contractor-designed portions.
9.3 Transport, lifting and storage allowances in the BOQ.
Masonry, blockwork & loadbearing walls
10-Masonry-Blockwork-and-Loadbearing-Walls
10.1 Area and thickness measurement rules for walls and partitions.
10.2 Openings, movement joints and cavity work allowances.
10.3 Mortars, ties, reinforcement and associated incidental items.
Structural metalwork, carpentry & joinery basics
11-Structural-Metalwork-Carpentry-and-Joinery-Measurement-Fundamentals
11.1 Structural steel: tonnage measurement, connections and surface finishes.
11.2 Timber framing and carpentry measurement conventions.
11.3 Joinery: items, unit billing and making allowances for site fitting.
Roofing, waterproofing and roof finishes
12-Roofing-Waterproofing-and-Roof-Finishes
12.1 Measuring sheet coverings, tiles, slates and associated underlay works.
12.2 Flashings, gutters, rainwater goods and roof drainage items.
12.3 Roof access, fall protection and testing/commissioning allowances.
External finishes, cladding & facade elements
13-External-Finishes-Cladding-and-Facade-Elements
13.1 Cladding systems: unit counts, area measurement and interface works.
13.2 Glass, curtain wall areas and glazing allowances (including framing and sealants).
13.3 External insulation, rainscreen, vacuum/prefinished panels and ancillary closures.
Internal finishes, floor, wall and ceiling treatments
14-Internal-Finishes-Floor-Wall-and-Ceiling-Treatments
14.1 Floor finishes: area measurement, fixing, thresholds and underlay allowances.
14.2 Wall finishes, tiling and decorative works — unit and m2 rules.
14.3 Suspended ceilings, insulation and acoustic treatments.
Doors, windows, ironmongery & specialist fittings
15-Doors-Windows-Ironmongery-and-Specialist-Fittings
15.1 Door and window schedules — sizing, unit counts and ironmongery.
15.2 Builder’s work in connection with fittings & plant apertures.
15.3 Fittings, furnishings & equipment: schedules and provisional sums.
Mechanical, electrical & transportation services measurement
16-Mechanical-Electrical-and-Transportation-Services-Measurement
16.1 Services packages: when to measure as items vs by element (e.g., boilers, AHUs, switchgear).
16.2 Builder’s work and openings for services — coordination measurement.
16.3 Lifts, conveyors and transport equipment measurement and price analysis.
External works, drainage & landscaping measurement
17-External-Works-Drainage-and-Landscaping-Measurement
17.1 Drainage above and below ground — manholes, pipes, chambers and bedding rules.
17.2 Hard landscaping, paving, kerbs and site furniture measurement.
17.3 Soft landscaping: soil preparation, planting schedules and maintenance allowances.
Non-measurable items: provisional sums, defined/undefined work & dayworks
18-Non-Measurable-Items-in-NRM2-Provisional-Sums-Defined-Work-and-Dayworks
18.1 Drafting and pricing provisional sums — defined vs undefined and how to set scopes.
18.2 Daywork schedules and how to set labour/plant/material hourly rates.
18.3 Provisional sums vs risk transfer decisions — contract and programming implications.
Risk handling, credits, overheads, profit and contractor designed work
19-Risk-Handling-Credits-Overheads-and-Profit-in-Construction
19.1 Preparing a schedule of construction risks and risk premium concepts.
19.2 Credits for materials from demolition/strip-out and how to list them in the BOQ.
19.3 Overheads, profit and director’s adjustments — where and how to show them in pricing.
Codification, data capture, post-tender cost control & lessons learned
20-Codification-Data-Capture-and-Post-Tender-Cost-Control
20.1 Coding systems for BQ items and mapping to cost plans for reconciliation.
20.2 Capturing priced BOQ data for benchmarking and future estimates (pricing summaries).
20.3 Post-tender checks, interim valuations, final measurement and archiving cost data.