Unpriced BOQ and pricing schedule: what to expect and what to return
An unpriced BOQ is the bill as issued to tenderers: items, units and quantities, with the rate and amount columns empty. A pricing schedule is the form in which you enter your prices, sometimes the same bill, sometimes a separate spreadsheet. You return it fully priced, in the format requested, with the totals agreeing.
By BOQ Estimator. Published .
What arrives in a tender pack
The pack usually holds the instructions to tenderers, the form of tender, the preambles, the unpriced bill as a PDF, a spreadsheet or both, the drawings, the specification and any addenda issued during the tender period. The instructions say how to price, what format to use and when to return it, and they override anything here.
A pricing schedule is not a schedule of rates. A priced schedule of rates is applied to work later, while a priced bill adds up to a tender sum. The difference is set out in BOQ vs schedule of rates.
Before you price anything, pull five points from the instructions into a one-page note: the deadline and the submission route, the format of the return, what to do with blanks and included items, whether alternatives or qualifications are accepted, and how arithmetical errors are treated. Keep the note at the top of the pricing file.
General information. This is not legal advice. The tender instructions decide what is compliant, so query anything unclear before the deadline.
Step by step
From issue to return
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Log what arrived
List each document with its version and date, and re-check the list whenever an addendum arrives.
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Read the pricing instructions
Note the format, what to do with items you consider included, whether alternatives or qualifications are allowed, and the rounding and currency rules.
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Get the bill into a working sheet
Convert the PDF or copy the issued spreadsheet, then check the item count and sections against the document before pricing.
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Price every line the bill asks you to price
Carry sums as stated, price rate-only lines, and write included only where the instructions permit.
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Keep the issued format
Do not change quantities, descriptions, item order or numbering. If you think a quantity is wrong, raise a query rather than editing it. See errors and omissions.
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Complete the totals
Carry the collections to the summary, and make the tender sum agree with the form of tender. Tender arithmetic checks lists the tests.
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Assemble the return
Include the signed form of tender and the priced bill, plus anything else called for, such as the programme or a preliminaries breakdown. Check the deadline and the submission route.
Checklist
What a return usually contains
| Item | Usually required | Check before sending |
|---|---|---|
| Form of tender | Yes, signed as instructed | Tender sum equals the priced summary. |
| Priced bill or pricing schedule | Yes, in the issued format | Every line priced or marked as allowed; quantities unchanged; totals agree. |
| Preliminaries breakdown | Often | Fixed and time-related parts shown as asked. |
| Programme and method statement | Often | Duration consistent with the time-related preliminaries. |
| Daywork rates | Sometimes | A rate for each listed labour, plant and percentage line. |
| Sub-contractor and supplier list | Sometimes | Names and scopes match what you priced. |
| Qualifications or clarifications | Only if the instructions allow | Few, and tied to item numbers. |
| Acknowledgement of addenda | Often | The list matches your log. |
Watch for
What goes wrong with unpriced bills
- Pricing a superseded version. An addendum replaced pages after you converted the bill.
- Altered format. Rows added or deleted, or quantity cells edited, can make a return non-compliant.
- Blanks. An unpriced line may be read as zero, as included or as an error, depending on the instructions.
- Qualifications in the wrong place. An exclusion written into a description cell, instead of the route the instructions give, may be ignored.
- Total mismatch. The form of tender and the bill summary show different sums.
- Copying rates by hand at the last hour. Paste by item reference and recheck the totals afterwards.
- Submission mechanics left late. A portal that closes at a fixed time, a file-size limit or a naming rule can defeat a good tender. Test the upload route early.
- Protected cells overridden. An issued spreadsheet may lock formulas or layout. Unprotecting it to fix something can break checks the client relies on, so raise a query instead.
The tool
How BOQ Estimator helps
BOQ Estimator reads an unpriced tender PDF into one sheet: item numbers as printed, wrapped descriptions joined, section headings carried onto every item, and provisional sums and rate-only lines tagged. The Excel file leaves rate cells blank and sets each blank Amount to Quantity x Rate, so the sheet totals itself as you price. It is your working sheet; most tenders still want prices entered in the issued document. 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 is an unpriced bill of quantities?
The bill as issued to tenderers: item descriptions, units and quantities, with the rate and amount columns blank for you to complete. Provisional sums are normally already filled in.
What is a pricing schedule?
The form in which a tenderer enters prices. It can be the bill itself or a separate spreadsheet, and may be called a pricing document or price schedule. Use whatever the instructions name.
Can I change the quantities in an unpriced BOQ?
Not unless the instructions allow it. If you think a quantity is wrong, raise a query before the deadline and keep the written reply. Silent edits can make a tender non-compliant.
What do I do with items I think are included in other rates?
Follow the instructions. Some allow included or a nil entry; others require a price on every line. If the instructions are silent, ask.
Can I return my own spreadsheet instead of the issued one?
Generally only if the instructions allow. Many tenders require prices in the issued document, with the same item order and numbers, so copy your rates across.
What if the PDF and the Excel pricing schedule disagree?
Raise a query. The instructions or the preambles may say which governs, so do not guess.
How should I handle addenda during the tender period?
Log each one, check which pages or items it replaces, and re-run your checks on the changed parts. List the addenda you received if the form of tender asks for it.