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To turn a bill of quantities into a supplier RFQ, preserve the original BOQ references, convert each relevant item into a defined supply package, and record how quantities or scope change. The finished inquiry must tell a supplier what to price while still allowing the project team to reconcile it with the original measured work.
This matters because a construction BOQ can describe installed work, while a product supplier may quote only goods, fabrication and packing. Copying the BOQ description into an email can leave installation in one price and outside another. It can also confuse net measured areas with actual order quantities.
Download the completed BOQ-to-RFQ crosswalk, clarification register and revision log.
1. Keep the BOQ baseline and identify its measurement rules
Record the original reference, wording, unit and quantity before adding procurement fields. Do not replace the BOQ’s 100 m² with 77 cartons in the same cell: the first records measured work and the second records a purchasing instruction.
Confirm which measurement rules the project uses. RICS NRM 2 addresses detailed measurement for building works, but its use cannot be assumed for every international project. Keep the actual project’s measurement basis with the inquiry.
Add a drawing register containing the current plan, schedule and specification revisions. The result of this step is a stable baseline: you can show exactly what came from the BOQ and what the buyer subsequently decided for the supplier package.
2. Close document conflicts before treating a quantity as final
Consider item 08.15. The original BOQ says 18 complete door sets; door schedule D01 R03 shows 20. The buyer raises Q-001 rather than letting suppliers choose a count. In this example, the authorized project lead confirms 20 sets for the supplier inquiry. The buyer issues RFQ revision R02 with the decision attached.
| Record | Completed example |
|---|---|
| Original BOQ baseline | 08.15 / complete installed internal door sets / 18 sets. |
| Conflict | D01 R03 identifies 20 required sets. Q-001 asks which count governs the product inquiry. |
| Authorized resolution | Use 20 sets for the supplier RFQ. The cost manager retains the original BOQ and handles any contract quantity adjustment through the project’s process. |
| Supplier instruction | Price D-01 as 20 complete supply sets against D01 R03; list leaf, frame, trim and scheduled hardware. Installation and making-good are outside this supply line. |
| Audit trail | Original BOQ remains 18; procurement requirement is 20; difference +2; authority Q-001; issue RFQ R02. |
The supplier quantity is now usable, and the difference has an owner and explanation. The crosswalk has not silently rewritten the construction contract. Where a conflict remains unanswered, mark the line provisional and give a single temporary pricing basis with a clear revision trigger. Do not release manufacture from an unresolved count.
3. Convert net floor area into a whole-carton order
For item 09.04, the BOQ contains 100 m² of installed porcelain floor finish. The example team approves an additional 8 m² for cuts and breakage and two whole cartons for maintenance stock. The selected product’s stated coverage is 1.44 m² per carton. The resulting purchasing instruction is:
| Calculation step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Working area before carton rounding | 100 m² net + 8 m² approved allowance | 108 m² |
| Working cartons | Round up 108 ÷ 1.44 to whole cartons | 75 cartons |
| Separate maintenance stock | 75 + 2 approved spare cartons | 77 cartons total |
| Supplied area | 77 × 1.44 | 110.88 m² |
The 8 m² allowance applies to this project layout. The actual layout, tile format, cuts, selection and replacement strategy determine the allowance. Check whether the source quantity already includes procurement allowances before adding anything.
The RFQ should state both 77 cartons and 110.88 m² at the assumed 1.44 m²/carton. Require the supplier to confirm the pack coverage. If the offered pack size differs, rerun the calculation instead of keeping an outdated carton count. Identify maintenance cartons separately so they are not all consumed during installation.
4. Turn installed items into explicit supply boundaries
Now build the supplier crosswalk. Keep the original unit and quantity on the left, then add the product requirement, procurement quantity, conversion basis and excluded site work.
| BOQ baseline | Supplier RFQ line | Procurement quantity | Boundary retained in the record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08.15 / installed doors / 18 sets | D-01 / complete internal door supply per D01 R03 and Q-001. | 20 sets | Leaf, frame, trim and scheduled hardware identified. Site installation excluded. |
| 09.04 / installed tile / 100 m² | T-01 / tile supply per sample T-01 and F01 R03. | 77 cartons / 110.88 m² | Working allowance and maintenance stock shown separately. Adhesive, grout, waterproofing and installation excluded. |
| 12.07 / installed joinery / 1 item | K-01 / cabinets K-B01–K-B06 on K01 R02, with listed panels and hardware. | 1 defined package | Supplier returns tag-level breakdown. Countertops, appliances and installation remain separate. |
“One item” in a BOQ does not mean one cabinet. A single measured joinery item may contain several cabinet types. The supplier schedule must describe the package and its components, while keeping the original item reference for reconciliation.
Similarly, “complete door set” needs a component definition. List the leaf, frame, trim and hardware scope or point to a current door and hardware schedule. If a required component is supplied by another party, name that responsibility. A general note saying “complete” does not replace this allocation.
5. Issue the resolved inquiry and control the next revision
Send the BOQ extract, crosswalk, drawing register, specifications, sample references and closed-query decisions together. Ask suppliers to state their unit rates, extensions, scope qualifications and price validity against the same revision.
| Inquiry revision | Change | Supplier response required |
|---|---|---|
| R01 → R02 / D-01 | Door requirement changes from 18 to 20 after Q-001. | Reprice 20 sets; identify any changed type mix or quantity conditions. |
| R02 / T-01 | Whole-carton basis and separate maintenance stock confirmed. | Confirm 77 cartons, pack coverage, supplied area and batch basis. |
| R02 / K-01 | Joinery supply boundary clarified through Q-003. | Return cabinet breakdown and identify excluded adjacent products and site work. |
If a supplier returns an alternative, keep it outside the compliant base response. Record the original requirement, changed material or configuration, price difference, evidence and decision owner. Acceptance for evaluation does not automatically mean approval for manufacture.
Check the returned quotation against the crosswalk
Use four tests before relying on the total. First, do all BOQ-linked supplier IDs appear? Second, do the quantities and units match the latest instruction? Third, has the supplier confirmed the product and revision? Fourth, are exclusions recorded against the relevant line rather than buried in a general footer?
For the tile example, a quotation for only 100 m² has not answered the 110.88 m² supply request. A quotation for 77 cartons at a different coverage also needs reconciliation. For the doors, a low total based on 18 sets cannot be compared directly with a 20-set response.
A blank rate, an unexplained lump sum or a changed pack size should become a recorded clarification. Once resolved, update the same crosswalk rather than creating a disconnected list. That document can then carry the approved quantities into the purchase order, inspection schedule and receiving plan.
Bring the BOQ and current drawings to the same discussion. Share your extract, revisions, destination and open queries with NOVARMIA. Identify the product categories to be supplied and the site activities retained by your team. The project workflow helps place the inquiry within the later approval and delivery stages.
