Input preparation
Prepare a BOQ for a reviewable pricing exercise
A practical checklist for quantities, units, scope, rate assumptions and review before an Excel or CSV BOQ pricing trial.
Original instructional workflow. This guide does not provide market rates, a tender recommendation or verified quantity take-off.
Start with a quantity schedule you can explain
A priced bill of quantities starts with quantities and a defined scope. Keep an unchanged source copy, then make a working copy with one measurable item per row. Give each row a stable item reference so a reviewer can trace it back to its drawing, specification or measurement note.
The public CAIS demo accepts an existing BOQ in Excel or CSV for a pricing trial. It is not a public drawing-to-quantity trial. If the quantities came from AI take-off, review them independently before using them for pricing.
- Separate section headings, subtotals and grand totals from measurable rows.
- Use explicit units. A square-metre quantity and a cubic-metre rate cannot be multiplied meaningfully.
- Keep exclusions and uncertain quantities visible instead of silently replacing them with zero.
Create a small input register
The following is a suggested review register, not a mandatory upload schema. Check the current form and the sample BOQ for the accepted layout. Keep source notes separately if they do not belong in the upload.
| Field | Review question |
|---|---|
| Item reference and description | Is the material, location and work scope unambiguous? |
| Unit and quantity | Do the unit, measurement basis and drawing revision agree? |
| Rate source and date | Is this a quotation, an approved internal rate, an assumption or an AI suggestion? |
| Included and excluded work | Are labour, material, plant, transport and temporary works accounted for once? |
| Reviewer decision | What changed, why did it change, and which source supports it? |
Define the pricing basis before comparing totals
Record the intended location, pricing date, currency, specification level and programme assumption. Define whether tax, overhead, contingency, escalation and profit are inside the item rates or added separately. An unexplained total is difficult to compare even when every multiplication is correct.
A historical or generated rate is a starting point for review. Obtain suitable current supplier or subcontractor evidence when a real decision depends on the price, and document the adjustments rather than describing an unverified rate as a quotation.
Review the output before using it
Work from the largest and most uncertain items first. Recalculate quantity × rate, compare the unit basis, and reconcile each subtotal to the overall total. Record unresolved scope gaps as open decisions.
- Check that every input row is accounted for and that headings were not priced as work items.
- Look for duplicates, omitted items, implausible units and allowances applied twice.
- Have an appropriate human reviewer confirm quantities, scope and rate evidence before a tender, budget commitment or procurement decision.
Use a safe practice file
Start with the public sample or a file containing invented data. Upload real project documents only when you are authorised to share them, and remove unnecessary personal details. Read the published privacy and security information before choosing material for a trial.
Our synthetic pricing example shows the arithmetic and assumptions explicitly. It is an editorial exercise, not evidence of a CAIS run or customer outcome.