Carried to Collection and summary pages: how BOQ totals roll up
In a bill of quantities, each page's amounts are added and carried to collection. The collection page adds the page totals for a bill or section, and the bill totals are carried to the summary page, which gives the tender sum. Every printed figure should equal the sum of the figures beneath it.
By BOQ Estimator. Published .
The chain from item to tender sum
Layouts vary, but the chain is usually the same: item amounts, page total, collection, bill total, summary, tender sum. For example, pages carried to collection at 59,607.45 and 42,863.00 give a section total of 102,470.45. Some bills use running totals, carried forward and brought forward, instead of a collection page. Summary pages can add provisional sums, prime cost sums and other lines before the final figure.
In an unpriced tender copy these totals are blank for you to complete. In a priced bill, such as a previous tender, they are printed, which lets you prove that a spreadsheet reproduces the document.
Read the first and last pages of a bill before you rely on the chain. The opening pages usually show how this bill collects: running totals, a collection page, or both. The closing pages show where the section ends and how it reaches the summary. Where the summary sits at the front and the collections at the back, the same chain has to be followed in two places.
Step by step
How to rebuild the totals in Excel
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Give every item a section and a page
Keep a Section column on every row, and the source page where you know it, so each total can be rebuilt from the rows.
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Total each page
Add the Amount column for the page and compare it with the figure printed at its foot.
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Total each section
Add the page totals, or use
SUMIFon the Section column, and compare the result with the collection page. -
Carry bill totals to the summary
Make each summary line a formula pointing at its section total, not a typed figure, so a changed rate flows through.
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Add the other summary lines
Provisional sums, prime cost sums, contingencies and percentage additions go in as the summary lists them. See provisional and prime cost sums.
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Check the final figure
The tender total should equal the figure on the form of tender. Fix any difference before submission.
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Keep a reconciliation list
List each section with its item count, your amount sum, the stated total and the variance, so a reviewer can see in one place which sections tie and which do not. Refresh it whenever an addendum or a rate change touches a page.
Reference
What each label adds and how to check it
| Label | Where it appears | What it adds | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carried to Collection | Foot of a page or part | Amounts on that page, or since the previous checkpoint | Equals the sum of those amounts. |
| Collection | End of a bill or section | The page totals carried to it | Equals the sum of the pages. |
| Carried forward / Brought forward | Foot and head of consecutive pages | A running total through the section | Brought forward equals the previous carried forward. |
| Page total | Foot of a page | That page only | Equals the sum of its lines. |
| Summary (general summary) | Front or back of the bill | One line per bill, plus other lines the summary lists | Each line equals its collection. |
| Tender sum | End of the summary | The summary lines | Equals the form of tender. |
Watch for
What goes wrong with collections and summaries
- A subtotal added as an item. A Carried to Collection row summed with the amounts doubles the section.
- Running totals added twice. With carried and brought forward figures, adding both the page amounts and the running total counts a page twice.
- A page missing. The next collection does not tie, and the gap is a page of lines.
- Typed totals. A summary figure typed over a formula stays stale when a rate changes.
- Rounding differences. Totals printed from unrounded amounts can differ from the sum of rounded lines by a unit in the last decimal place. Know the tolerance before chasing a difference.
- Addenda pages. A re-issued page changes its collection and everything after it.
The tool
How BOQ Estimator helps
BOQ Estimator treats rows such as Carried to Collection, Carried forward, Brought forward, Page total and summary lines as checkpoints, not items. It compares each stated figure with the amounts above it, shows the variance, and gives item count, amount sum, stated total and variance per section. An unpriced bill prints no amounts, so there the checks are item count and duplicate item numbers. Try it on the BOQ to Excel converter. Free: 1 file per day, up to 10 pages, no account. Files over 10 pages are converted up to page 10 on the free allowance; a page code converts the whole file, up to 150 pages. See plans and limits.
Related
Related guides
FAQ
Questions estimators ask
What does carried to collection mean?
The total of a page or part is carried, or transferred, to the collection page, where the totals for the whole bill or section are added. Each Carried to Collection row is a subtotal, not a work item.
What is a collection page in a BOQ?
The page at the end of a bill or section that gathers the totals carried from each page or part, so the summary can add them up.
What is the difference between carried forward and carried to collection?
Carried forward is a running total passed to the next page and brought forward at its head. Carried to collection sends each page or part total to the collection page instead. Bills often use one or the other, so check which yours uses.
What is the summary page in a BOQ?
The page that lists the total of each bill, plus provisional sums and other lines, and adds them into the tender sum. It is often called the general summary or main summary.
Why does my total not match the collection figure?
The usual causes are a missing or repeated line, a misread digit, a subtotal added as an item or a re-issued page. Sometimes the printed addition is wrong. Compare the page before changing either side.
Do I have to type totals into the issued bill?
Follow the tender instructions. Many require the priced bill in its issued form, with page totals, collections and the summary completed. Use formulas in your working sheet and copy the results across.
Are provisional sums on the summary page?
Usually they are listed there, or in their own summary line, so that they reach the tender sum. Check that each is counted once.