RFQ, BOQ & Evaluation

BOQ Template for Construction Procurement: How Buyers Use It for RFQ and Comparison

A BOQ can do much more than list construction quantities.

For procurement teams, a well-structured BOQ can become the common pricing baseline used to issue RFQs, collect supplier prices, identify exclusions, and compare quotations more fairly.

The main problem is not that suppliers quote different prices.

The bigger problem is that suppliers often quote different scopes.

One supplier may exclude freight. Another may omit accessories. A third may change the material specification. If those differences are not controlled, comparing quotation totals can be misleading.

The procurement objective is therefore:

Make every supplier price the same defined items, quantities, units, and scope before comparing the commercial result.

A practical workflow is:

Receive BOQ → Clean Procurement Scope → Issue RFQ → Collect Supplier Prices → Identify Deviations → Normalize Quotations → Compare on the Same Baseline

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What Is a BOQ Used for in Construction Procurement?

A Bill of Quantities, or BOQ, is a structured list of project items, descriptions, units, and quantities.

In procurement, it can be used to:

• define which items suppliers must price;
• provide a common quantity baseline;
• separate procurement packages;
• collect supplier unit prices;
• identify missing items;
• record supplier deviations;
• support quotation comparison.

The BOQ used for supplier sourcing does not always need to be identical to the document used later for contract measurement.

For procurement purposes, the key requirement is simpler:

Suppliers should clearly understand what they are expected to price.

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Start With the Latest Approved BOQ

Before issuing anything to suppliers, confirm that you are using the correct source document.

Once the procurement-ready BOQ is stable, it should be issued inside a structured Construction Material RFQ so every supplier receives the same commercial and technical pricing basis.

Check:

• BOQ revision number;
• issue date;
• latest drawings;
• latest specification;
• approved quantity schedule;
• correct procurement package.

This sounds basic, but revision control matters.

If Supplier A receives BOQ Rev.02 while Supplier B receives Rev.04, their quotations may contain different quantities or scope.

The prices may look comparable while the underlying basis is different.

Always record the BOQ revision inside the RFQ.

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Step 1: Define the Procurement Package

Large construction BOQs may contain hundreds or thousands of line items.

Do not automatically send the full document to every supplier.

Split the BOQ into logical procurement packages.

Examples include:

• tiles;
• sanitary ware;
• shower enclosures;
• doors;
• architectural hardware;
• lighting;
• flooring;
• roofing;
• waterproofing.

A tile supplier does not need the shower enclosure package, and a shower enclosure supplier does not need the entire building BOQ.

A useful principle is:

One procurement package should represent a scope that can be quoted, evaluated, and potentially awarded as one commercially manageable package.

This also makes RFQ tracking and quotation comparison easier later.

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Step 2: Clean the BOQ Before Sending It to Suppliers

An internal project BOQ is not automatically ready for external quotation.

Review it before issue.

Remove or correct:

• duplicate items;
• obsolete items;
• irrelevant packages;
• blank quantities;
• missing units;
• unclear descriptions;
• inconsistent naming;
• hidden rows;
• outdated drawing references.

Also check for internal information that should not be sent externally.

This may include:

• internal budget rates;
• previous supplier prices;
• cost codes;
• internal QS notes;
• formulas;
• confidential allowances.

The supplier-facing BOQ should be simple enough to price without exposing unnecessary internal information.

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Step 3: Make Every BOQ Line Clear Enough to Price

Each line should contain enough information for a supplier to understand what is required.

Useful fields include:

• item number;
• product or category;
• description;
• specification reference;
• size or model;
• material;
• finish;
• unit;
• quantity.

Depending on the product, you may also need:

• drawing reference;
• standard;
• performance requirement;
• color;
• accessory requirement;
• installation location.

For example:

Weak BOQ Line

Shower door — 150 sets

Better BOQ Line

Sliding shower enclosure, 1200 × 2000 mm, 8 mm tempered glass, matte black frame — Set — 150

The BOQ does not need to repeat every technical specification.

Detailed drawings and specifications can remain separate documents.

But each BOQ line should point clearly to the product being priced.

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Step 4: Check Units and Quantities

Quotation comparison becomes difficult when suppliers use different units.

Common units may include:

• pcs;
• sets;
• m;
• m²;
• m³;
• kg;
• ton;
• box;
• lot.

Try to use the same pricing unit for every bidder.

For example:

Supplier A quotes:

$20/m²

Supplier B quotes:

$42/box

You cannot compare those prices until you know how many square meters each box contains.

The same issue appears when one supplier quotes per set and another quotes components individually.

Standardize the unit before comparison whenever practical.

Also distinguish between:

BOQ quantity

and

supplier MOQ

If your BOQ requires 1,200 pieces but the supplier's MOQ is 2,000, do not change the BOQ quantity to 2,000.

Keep:

Required Quantity = 1,200

and record:

Supplier MOQ = 2,000

as a commercial issue.

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Step 5: Add Supplier Quotation Columns

A procurement BOQ becomes much more useful when suppliers are asked to enter prices in a defined structure.

After issue, manage supplier response dates, revisions and clarifications in an RFQ Tracking Log rather than turning the BOQ itself into a full sourcing-status register.

A basic supplier pricing schedule may include:

• unit price;
• total price;
• currency;
• brand or model;
• country of origin;
• lead time;
• MOQ;
• compliance;
• supplier remarks;
• deviation;
• included / excluded.

A simple format could look like this:

The advantage is not only convenience.

It reduces the amount of work required later to convert several completely different supplier quotation formats into one comparison sheet.

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Step 6: Define What the Supplier Price Must Include

This is one of the most important parts of the BOQ and RFQ process.

Two suppliers can quote the same product and still include different commercial scope.

Clarify whether the requested price should include:

• product;
• standard accessories;
• spare parts;
• packaging;
• labeling;
• pallets;
• testing;
• certificates;
• tooling;
• installation accessories;
• inland transportation;
• export handling;
• freight;
• insurance;
• taxes or duties where applicable.

Also define:

• currency;
• Incoterm;
• delivery point.

For example:

Supplier A:

$100/unit EXW

Supplier B:

$112/unit FOB

These prices are not directly comparable.

Supplier B's price includes more logistics scope.

A well-prepared RFQ should state the required pricing basis so all suppliers quote against the same commercial assumption.

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Step 7: Require Suppliers to Identify Exclusions and Deviations

Never assume that a supplier has priced exactly what you requested.

Add clear fields for:

• Included
• Excluded
• Alternative Offered
• Technical Deviation
• Commercial Deviation

Suppliers should state deviations instead of silently adjusting the specification.

Possible deviations include:

• different material grade;
• alternative glass thickness;
• different finish;
• different brand;
• excluded accessories;
• different packaging;
• changed warranty terms;
• MOQ applied to particular lines.

This matters because:

A lower quotation is not actually cheaper if part of the required scope has been removed.

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Step 8: Keep Optional and Alternative Items Separate

Construction procurement often involves optional specifications.

Examples include:

• 304 vs 316 stainless steel;
• 8 mm vs 10 mm glass;
• standard vs premium finish;
• standard packaging vs reinforced export packaging;
• locally sourced glass vs complete imported set.

Do not combine these options into the base quotation total.

Instead, structure them separately.

For example:

This allows all suppliers to be compared first on the same base requirement.

Optional improvements can be evaluated afterward.

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Example Procurement BOQ Template

A more complete procurement BOQ may look like this:

At package level, also record:

• supplier name;
• quotation date;
• currency;
• Incoterm;
• quotation validity;
• production lead time;
• payment terms;
• freight;
• tooling;
• total package value.

This allows the same structure to support both:

RFQ issuance

and

later quotation comparison.

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What If Suppliers Return Their Own Quotation Format?

This happens frequently.

Even when buyers provide a BOQ, suppliers may return:

• PDF quotations;
• their own Excel template;
• proforma-style quotations;
• product catalogues with pricing;
• combined package prices.

Do not compare these quotations immediately.

First map the supplier's response back to your BOQ.

Check:

• Which BOQ lines are included?
• Which items are missing?
• Were multiple items combined?
• Did the supplier change the unit?
• Did quantities change?
• Was an alternative specification offered?

You can keep the supplier's original quotation for reference.

But the comparison should return to your own common baseline.

Supplier quotation format may differ. The evaluation structure should not.

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Normalize Supplier Quotations Before Comparison

Once quotations arrive, normalize major commercial differences before comparing totals.

Once scope, currency, freight, units and exclusions have been normalized, move the completed bids into Construction Material Quotation Comparison or Construction Bid Leveling for the actual evaluated comparison.

Typical differences include:

• currency;
• Incoterm;
• freight;
• unit;
• quantity;
• packaging;
• tooling;
• accessories;
• taxes where relevant;
• excluded services.

Consider:

Supplier A

Product: $90,000 Freight: Excluded

Supplier B

Product + Freight: $96,000

It would be misleading to simply compare:

$90,000 vs $96,000

If estimated freight for Supplier A is $9,000, the evaluated comparison becomes:

Supplier A = $99,000

Supplier B = $96,000

The supplier with the lower original quotation is no longer the lower evaluated cost.

This is why procurement teams should compare:

Comparable evaluated scope

rather than only the supplier's quoted grand total.

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Mark Missing and Non-Compliant BOQ Lines

For large BOQs, add a status for each supplier response.

Useful statuses include:

• Quoted
• Not Quoted
• Alternative
• Clarification Required
• Non-Compliant

For example:

This makes missing scope visible immediately.

Without this step, a supplier may appear cheapest simply because several items were never priced.

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Common BOQ Procurement Mistakes

Sending an Unclean Internal BOQ

Suppliers may receive obsolete items, internal notes, or unclear descriptions.

Clean the document before issuing it externally.

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Allowing Different Quantities

If suppliers quote different quantities, total prices become unreliable.

Keep one buyer-controlled quantity baseline.

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Comparing Only Grand Totals

A total price means little until you know what is included.

Compare scope first.

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Ignoring Exclusions

Freight, packaging, accessories, certification, or tooling exclusions can materially change final cost.

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Mixing Alternatives Into the Base Bid

Separate optional products or upgrades from the required base scope.

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Losing Control of BOQ Revisions

All bidders should price the same current revision.

If the BOQ changes, clearly issue the new revision to all active suppliers.

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BOQ Preparation Checklist Before RFQ

Before sending a BOQ to suppliers, confirm:

• Latest BOQ revision is being used
• Procurement package is clearly defined
• Irrelevant items are removed
• Duplicate items are removed
• Item descriptions are clear
• Technical references are included
• Units are standardized
• Quantities are checked
• Pricing basis is defined
• Currency is defined
• Incoterm is defined
• Supplier price columns are included
• Exclusion fields are included
• Deviation fields are included
• Optional items are separated
• Supplier quotation instructions are clear
• BOQ revision is shown in the RFQ

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Tools and Resources for BOQ and RFQ Management

Construction procurement teams can use several types of resources to manage BOQ-based sourcing, including:

• BOQ spreadsheet templates;
• RFQ templates;
• quantity takeoff tools;
• Excel and Google Sheets templates;
• Smartsheet procurement templates;
• quote comparison templates;
• bid leveling tools;
• construction estimating software.

Different tools solve different parts of the workflow.

A quantity takeoff tool may help produce quantities.

An RFQ template helps issue the sourcing request.

A BOQ spreadsheet creates the pricing structure.

A bid comparison tool helps evaluate completed quotations.

Build Procurement Hub organizes these resources around actual procurement tasks so buyers can move from BOQ preparation to RFQ, quote tracking, and comparison without repeatedly searching for unrelated tools.

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What Comes After the BOQ Is Issued?

Once the procurement-ready BOQ is complete, it becomes part of the RFQ process.

After commercial and technical comparison, the final choice can feed into a broader Construction Supplier Evaluation Scorecard alongside capability, compliance and supplier-performance evidence.

The workflow is:

Prepare BOQ

↓

Issue RFQ

↓

Track Supplier Responses

↓

Receive Quotations

↓

Check Completeness

↓

Clarify Missing Items and Deviations

↓

Normalize Quotations

↓

Technical Evaluation

↓

Commercial Comparison / Bid Leveling

The BOQ is therefore not only a quantity document.

For procurement teams, it is the structure that connects the RFQ to the final supplier comparison.

The key principle is:

Before deciding which supplier has the best price, make sure every supplier has priced the same scope.

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Make Every Supplier Price the Same Procurement Scope

Use RFQ, BOQ & Evaluation resources to structure supplier pricing, track responses, normalize quotations and compare bids. The BOQ should remain the buyer-controlled baseline from RFQ issue through final commercial evaluation.

Explore RFQ, BOQ & Evaluation Tools Browse Common Procurement Tools

FAQ

What is a BOQ in construction procurement?

A BOQ is a structured list of construction work or material items, descriptions, units, and quantities. Procurement teams can use it as a common pricing baseline for supplier RFQs and quotation comparison.

Can a BOQ be used as an RFQ template?

Yes. A procurement-ready BOQ can form the pricing schedule within an RFQ, provided the buyer also supplies the required technical documents, commercial terms, and quotation instructions.

What should a supplier enter in a BOQ?

Suppliers commonly provide unit price, total price, product or model information, compliance status, and any exclusions or deviations. Buyers may also request lead time, MOQ, origin, and other commercial information.

How do you compare supplier quotations using a BOQ?

Map each supplier quotation back to the same BOQ items, quantities, units, and scope. Then identify missing items and deviations, normalize commercial differences such as freight or Incoterms, and compare the resulting evaluated bids.