II.

Detailed Quantity Surveying

Measurement of civil works includes the billing of each trade of work either from
drawings or the building itself for defining the extent of works under each trade.

BILL OF MATERIALS vs BILL OF QUANTITIES

BILL OF MATERIALS BILL OF QUANTITIES

Detailed  Bulk
 Inventory  Summary
 Raw Materials  Often expressed in terms of cubic
 Sub components meters, lineal meters or square
 By parts meters
 Often expressed in terms pieces Typically used in bid documents

Specification Worksheet (BOQ form)

It is the format which is used in a bill of quantity to list (include) a short description of the
specification along with its measuring unit, quantity and unit prices to determine the total
cost for each trade of item.

Division of Bill Preparation

The traditional preparation of a bill of quantities divides itself into two distinct stages:

 The measurement of the dimensions and the compilation of the descriptions from
the drawings and specification. This process is commonly known as taking off.
 The preparation of the bill. This involves the calculation of volumes, areas, etc.
(squaring the dimensions). Traditionally, this was followed by entering the
descriptions and the squared dimensions on an abstract (abstracting) to collect
similar items together and present them in a recognized bill order. From this
abstact the draft bill is written (billing).
There are four clearly defined steps in preparation of Bill of Quantities:

1. Taking off- This is the process of preparing /defining a detailed list of all labour
and materials necessary for the work and entering the items on properly
dimensioned paper.
2. Squaring- The dimensions entered in Column 2 are squared or cubed as the case
may be, multiplied by the timising factor, and the result entered in Column 3. This
task is called squaring. All squared dimensions should be carefully checked by
another person before abstracting, and if correct the item should be ticked with
red. Use two decimal places.
3. Abstracting- The squared dimensions are transferred to abstract sheets and all
similar dimensions are collected in the same category to obtain the total quantity
of each item.
4. Writing the final Bill of Quantity- After the abstract sheets have been completed
and checked, the final bill of quantity is written. The dimensions are copied from
the abstracts, and as each item is transferred it should be ticked by a vertical line
from the abstract sheets. The description of each item in the final BoQ should be
short, precise and descriptive as per the specification.

More recently, through the utilization of computerized systems, the various stages have
become more integrated. The facility now exists for direct input of quantities and
formulation of descriptions through the use of standard libraries of descriptions, and the
lengthy collating and bill preparation processes is carried out automatically. It should be
noted that there is often still the need to produce preliminaries and preambles separately
and input uncommon items that are peculiar to the particular project. Checking total
quantities and careful editing of the bill are still required to identify any data entry
problems.

The development of computerized measurement and billing system, each with its own
structure for inputting dimensions and calling up dimensions, has made the more
traditional procedures less common nowadays. However, it is only by explaining the basic
principles of setting down dimensions and descriptions in traditional form.

Take off and measuring Techniques

Taking off is the process of preparing defining a detailed list of all labor and materials
necessary for the work and entering the items on properly dimensioned paper. The
standard form used for entering the dimensions taken or scaled from drawings to
determine the accurate quantity in each trade of work, except reinforcement steel, is
called Take Off Sheet or Dimension Paper. The dimensions are measured from the
drawings by the taker-off using paper ruled as follows:

 Column A is used for stating the number of times an item occurs and is called the
timesing column.
 Column B is called dimension column as it is used to enter the dimensions of the
items of works. The dimensions are entered in the order indicated below: Length,
Width, Height or thickness.
 Column C is called squaring column. The stated dimensions in column B are
multiplied to determine the quantity of the work either in ml, m2, m3 or in Pcs. or No.
 Column D is called description column and description of the work item is briefly
stated. The column is also used to demonstrate methods of assessing dimensions in
column B known as waste calculations and how multiplications are assessed for
column A.

Form of Dimensions

It is necessary to understand the dimensions as set down by the taker-off. All dimensions
are in one of five forms:

1. Cubic measurements
2. Square or superficial measurements
3. Linear measurements
4. Enumerated items
5. Items
 Take off and measuring Techniques

These are expressed in the first three cases by setting down the measurements
immediately under each other in the dimension column, each separate item is being
divided from the next by a line for example:

3.00 Indicating a cubic measurement 3m long,

2.00 2m wide & 4m deep
4.00

3.00 Indicating a superficial measurement 3m

2.00 long & 2m wide

3.00 Indicating a linear measurement of 3m

There is no need to label dimensions. It is obvious from the number of entries in the
measurement under which category it comes. It is usual to set down the dimensions in the
following order:

1. Horizontal Length
2. Horizonaal Width or breadth
3. Vertical depth or height

Although the order will not affect the calculations of the cubic or square measurement, it
is valuable in tracing measurements later if a consistent order is maintained. An incorrect
order in a description may even mislead an estimator in pricing.

Timesing

It often happens that, when the taker-off has written the dimension, it is found that there
are several items having the same measurement; to indicate that the measurement is to be
multiplied it will be timesed as follows:

3/ 3.00 Indicating that the cubic measurement

2.00 is to be multiplied by 3
4.00

2 / 5/ 3 3.00 Indicating that the superficial

2.00 measurement is to be multiplied by 30

The timesing figure is kept in the first column and separated from the dimension by a
diagonal stroke. An item timesed can be timesed again, each multiplier multiplying to the
right of if.
Dotting on

In repeating a dimension, the taker-off may find that it cannot be multiplied but can be
added. To make the train of thought clearer, dotting on can be used as follows:

2 3.00 Indicating that the cubic

3. 2.00 measurement is to be
4.00 multiplied by 3 + 2

The dot is placed below the top figure to avoid any possible confusion with decimals,
although these are usually avoided in timesing.

8.00 8.00 100m diameter clay Linear Measure

drain pipes Descriptions are usually abbreviated
to save space and time
10.00 10.00
12.00 12.00 Ditto but 150 mm
6.00 6.00 diameter
28.00 lm

3.00 Squaring is done by multiplication.

2.00 6.00 Terrazo Floor Tiles The total is placed in the squaring
4.00 column and is underlined or the
5.00 20.00 With20x20x2cm total is placed under a line drawn
7.00 dimension at the bottom of the description
3.00 21.00
47.00 47.00 m2
Volumentric Measure
7.00 Excavate -Dimensions are length, width and
1.00 foundation trench depth respectively
0.50 3.50 commencing at
4.00 surface strip level
Use of bracket is to link dimensions
1.00 max depth not and descriptions. To save duplicate
0.75 3.00 exceedign 1.5m writing of dimensions, the symbols
8.00 and is used to link descriptions to the
1.00 calculations, known as ‘anding on’.
1.00 8.00
14.50 m3

4/ 4.00 16.00 Wooden doors Enumerated items

Of 80x210cm -Works measured by enumeration
include: doors, windows, fittings etc
6.00 6.00 Ditto but
 90x120cm

35.00 35.00 20x120mm If only one dimension is required for

softwood square a list of works, the descriptions are
edge linked.

Prime general
surfaces of timber

One undercoat and

2 coats of paint

40.00 If errors occur and a set of

10.00 NIL Compact bottom dimensions is not to be included,
of excavations inserting NIL in the squaring column
will ensure the quantities are
excluded. In the sample, the squaring
of the first set of two dimensions are
8.00 ignored.
8.00 64.00
64.00 m2

4/ 1.20 Ddt 140mm chb for Where deductions are required, they are
1.20 (5.76) windows & noted and abbreviated as Ddt together with
Ddt 140mm chb for reasons and a reference. The same applies if
12/ 1.10 doors & there are additions when the word add is
used. The ‘anding on’ and linking is
2.10 (27.72) Ddt plaster to walls &
benefecial as it groups the sequence in a
(33.48) Ddt painting to walls logical manner. In the example, a
& deduction is made to areas of walling that
require reducing for the windows and doors
that create voids. Deductions are bracketed
as a reminder to ensure they are not added
in error.
 Method for finding Quantity for building

There are three methods:

1. Out – to - Out and In – to – In Method
2. Center Line Method
 All dimensions are taken center to center