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A page from a sample civil bill of quantities

Civil bills of quantities and take-offs

An Excel bill of quantities (and PDF) measured to CESMM4 Revised, MCHW or NRM2, with each item referenced to the drawing it was measured from.

Price
From £950Per package, for NRM2 up to 10 drawings. CESMM4, MCHW and larger packages are quoted within 1 working day.
Turnaround
5 to 7 working daysSet by the number of drawings and the measurement method.
Quote
1 working dayOnce we've seen the drawings.
Typical job

25 drawings measured to CESMM4, with the Excel bill and PDF back in 7 working days.

Quote
Within 1 working day
Excel bill and PDF in
7 working days
Sample civil bill of quantities, second content page (watermarked extract)Sample civil bill of quantities, first content page (watermarked extract)

What you get back

  • Excel bill of quantities in your format, plus a PDF
  • Each item referenced to the drawing it was measured from
  • Query list ready to raise as tender queries
  • Gaps and clashes found during measurement

How a take-off works

We measure each item from the drawing and carry it to a line in the Excel bill that names the drawing, so any quantity can be traced back. This is an example drainage package.

MH1MH2MH3MH4To existing sewerKerb lineKerb line225 mm surface water drainDrain 86.0 mBed and surround 86.0 mManholes 4 nrGullies 6 nrKerbs 2 × 56.0 mDrainage layout · exampleHVR-ILL-001 · Rev ANot to scale
Each measured item, highlighted in orange, becomes a referenced line in the Excel bill.
Bill of quantities · DrainageCESMM4 Revised · example
Example bill of quantities for the drainage run
CodeDescriptionUnitQtyRate £Amount £
I223Concrete pipe, 225 mm nominal bore, in trench, depth 1.5 to 2 mm8668.005,848.00
L331Granular bed and surround to 225 mm pipem8614.501,247.00
K153Manhole, precast concrete rings, 1200 mm diameter, depth 1.5 to 2 mnr41,450.005,800.00
K361Trapped road gully, precast concrete, with gratingnr6210.001,260.00
R711Precast concrete kerb, 125 x 255 mm, straight, on concrete bedm11228.003,136.00
Total carried to summary17,291.00

Checked · V. Ravindran CEng MICE · Issued as an Excel bill and PDF

The codes, quantities, rates and amounts are made up for this example. We measure quantities; budget rates are a separate estimate if you want one.

From drawings to bill

  1. Send the drawings

    Day 0

    The tender drawings, specification and return date.

  2. Quote

    Within 1 working day

    Method of measurement and fee.

  3. Take-off

    Per the quote

    Quantities measured from the drawings and built into the Excel bill, each line referenced to its drawing.

  4. Check and sign-off

    Before issue

    Item coverage and quantities checked.

  5. Bill issued

    Excel and PDF

    In your format, with the query list.

Fees

Single package
From £950NRM2, up to 10 drawings · larger packages and CESMM4 or MCHW quoted within 1 working day
Monthly estimating service
Monthly rates on requestFor contractors sending drawings every month · costs less than buying each package

Measurement methods

CESMM4 Revised
Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement, for civil works bills.
MCHW
Method of Measurement for Highway Works, for highways schemes.
NRM2
RICS detailed measurement for building works.
Your own format
We measure to the bill structure your estimators already price from.

BoQ questions

Do you price the bill?

No, we produce the quantities. If you want budget rates we can add them as a separate estimate.

Which packages do you measure?

Drainage, earthworks, kerbing and paving, highways, structures, utilities and general civils.

Which CAD formats do you work in?

DWG and PDF as standard. If your client has a template, send it over.

Can I check the quantities?

Yes. Each line in the Excel bill gives the drawing it was measured from, so your estimator can trace any quantity back. If you want the marked-up take-off drawings too, ask and we'll include them.

Is there a monthly rate?

Yes. If you send drawings every month, a monthly estimating service costs less than buying each package one at a time. Ask and we'll quote it, with a schedule of what's included.

Sample pages

Two pages from a sample bill. Ask and we'll send the whole thing.

  • Cover from the civil bill of quantities extract sample (watermarked)
    Cover
    Preambles and bill extract from the civil bill of quantities extract sample (watermarked)
    Preambles and bill extract

    Civil bill of quantities extract

    CESMM4 bill with drawing references for each item, and a query list.

    Request the full sample

The samples use made-up projects, so the names and figures aren't real.

Send the drawings and the return date.

We confirm the method of measurement, the fee and the delivery date.