Source: https://www.quantsurv.com/resources/glossary/boq Content format: Markdown version of the public page. Content reviewed: 2026-09-30 # BOQ (bill of quantities): definition and example A document that lists the work item by item, with quantities, for pricing. By [Jack Butler-Kettle]() · Updated 30 September 2026 Guidance for England and Wales. Check the contract, amendments and facts that apply to your job. ## What it means in practice Read this alongside [NRM 2: Detailed measurement for building works](). A bill of quantities separates work into descriptions, units and quantities for pricing. Whether those quantities are fixed or remeasured depends on the contract. A rate may help value a change, but only if the valuation rules and the character of the changed work make it applicable. Keep the original bill, revisions and measurement records together. [Variation recovery]() involves connecting changed work to its contractual valuation basis. ## Worked example ### The facts A bill lists 100 metres of ductwork at £40 per metre, giving £4,000 for that item. ### What happens 1. A later instruction adds 20 metres of comparable work. 2. The subcontractor checks whether the same rate is applicable before calculating a proposed £800 addition. ### What this shows The arithmetic is straightforward, but the right to use that rate still comes from the subcontract. ## Sources 1. [NRM 2: Detailed measurement for building works, UK 2nd edition, October 2021 (reissued October 2022 as RICS practice information)](). RICS.