Bill of Quantities

Pudz21

Hi all we are looking for advise on our build of an 1850sqft house. We are putting it out to tender at the min and the more I read threads like this one im wondering how important is a bill of quantities and what it can do for us?

We are getting prices in for €75-80 per sqft for a builders finish standard spec, im just wondering how a bill will help with that. And what has anyones experience been on this issue.

Any advice would be great thanks in advance guys.

Pudz21

Any advice?

Paulyh

well the bill of quanities would form part of your contract between you the employer and the main contractor. you would need to get a QS to do one up for you.
the contract is given the BOQ at tender stage and he fills in his rates beside each item.
the BOQ is important as during the project if and when variations to the contract or extras occur they will be measured from the BOQ as per the contract, this is a safe net for you and the contractor. it would be up to you (your QS) to go through the tendered bill at the start and make sure you are happy with his rates.
The BOQ will nearly always go with the RIAI contract (yellow form) and i would advise to use one.
this makes sure that contractor cannot charge crazy money for variations (in theory) and makes sure the contractor has priced for the entire job without missing anything.
do you have an Architect to supervise the works???

ps: this is a very brief explanation, and is open to correction.

kkelliher

The Bill of Quantities at the outset gives you a like with like comparison between contractors pricing the project as each item of work is listed and specified therefore the price you get back will included in each and every case for the same items and the same standard for each item.

It also as stated previously gives you an idea of the cost of each and every item so either prior to or during the project you can make economic judgements on various objects whilst knowing at the outset the base cost of and item and therfore th true cost of such a change is more transparant.

If the completed BOQ gives a figure in excess of your budget it also allows you to change particular item specifications and resultant price changes in order to get to your budget figure whilest not trying to hammer down a global figure with the associated possible change in specification across the board.

It also helps in payment throughout the project as you can easily assess the completed works based on the BOQ.

As a QS I would of course advise you consult with a quantity surveyor prior to the project as they will earn back their fee a number of times over.

Best of luck with your project

Pudz21

thanks for the advice I think it would be defo worth to get a BOQ done.

How much should I be looking at for a house of 1850sq ft and a garage?

Again thank for the posts they really have helped.

Paulyh

no probs, best of luck with it, it will probably be the most stressful thing you ever do!!:)

as for price, i havent work on any one off houses in about 6 years! so i wouldnt have a clue what builders are charging now a days, but to me 75-80 per square foot seems pretty good.

but again a BOQ will ensure you get the most accurate quotes, and unless your familiar with a builder, i would have a look at previous work, and if possible talk to previous clients. The cheapest may not always be the best.

MKMaguire

The memory wont bring forward the exact details .... however when arranging 'house insurance' and seeking competative quotes, it is recommended to access the Quantity Surveyors institute (just can't remember the exact title for site) and use their sq. mtr. costing for replacement building, and this doesn't include the site of course. You'll have to recalculate to a sq.ft. rate from this. Good guide.

Pudz21

Thanks Paulyh again, it is stressfull because it is the unknowen for people like us who are not in the building business because we are spending alot of money and need the best job done. And yes that is the kind of prices that we are getting per sqft at the min without the BOQ.
Taking your and the other posters information I could use the BOQ as a bargaining tool with the contractors to get the best bang for my buck.

Just one more question how much would I be looking at spending on a QS?

MKMaguire

It is amazing when intending to spend so much on building NOT to seek professional advice. More so if you are borrowing / mortgage to fund ... just take a few mins to calculate, if borrowing, what the total repayments will add up to over the given period.

With any professional help, Q.S., Architect. S.Engineer, ask what the 'bill' will be for their input BEFORE you commit. Ask what certification they will provide for that work where supervision of contract is included. Saves a huge amount of worry at some future date!

Paulyh

i'm not sure what a QS would charge, i would only be guessing........
i would try and get one to produce the BOQ but i would also request that he stick around throughtout the project to advise on the interm payments and with any contractual issues/ disputes. A good QS will be very good at the contract admin side of things which will keep everthing as per the signed contract. there is a hell of a lot to concider........to make sure you or the contractor is not in breach of contract.
do you have an architect to manage the project?? if not, i would advise to get one a board.

Pudz21

MKMaquire yes you are correct it is better to talk to people in the business that have the knowledge and experience, and I will be defo seeking a QS if it is going to save us some hassle and money in the long run.

Paulyh, yes I have an architect/engineer that will be looking after the inspection of the build/project.

Paulyh

ah sure your fine then! at least you can kick their arse if some goes wrong:D

MKMaguire

www.pricebeforeyoubuild.ie may be of help to you. Again be sure you agree in detail with your professional advisors on their costs, what do you get, does this include supervision throughout the build and critical also that final certification is included on completion ... what ever you arrange avoid that 'arse kicking' senario ... it'll cost you dearly!

Good building.

kkelliher

MKMaguire wrote: »

www.pricebeforeyoubuild.ie may be of help to you. Again be sure you agree in detail with your professional advisors on their costs, what do you get, does this include supervision throughout the build and critical also that final certification is included on completion ... what ever you arrange avoid that 'arse kicking' senario ... it'll cost you dearly!

Good building.

As a Quantity Surveyor with 10 years experience I cannot see how a detailed bill of quantities can be produced for €150 as per the link to the site mentioned. None of those listed as part of the organisation are quantity surveyors so I would love to know how they are doing this and what standard the finished bill of quantities is.

guggyegg

I'd have my doubts about pricebeforeyoubuild. They are not listed on the SCS website nor do any of the people on their site state their qualifications (they should have ASCS or FSCS after their name if their a chartered qs ).
Also I wouldn’t trust a company who tender your project to trades who have to pay them a subscription fee to be on tender lists, seems like a conflict of interest to me.

OP be careful when choosing a QS for your project, get them to give you a fixed price for the services and make them include for preparing your BQ, reviewing tenders received, assessing stage payments and final account preparation. Also make sure they have PI insurance as a cover for you if they make a mistake in the BQ. Ask your architect does he know any good QS's in your area.

MKMaguire

As in all matters of business ... buyer beware! With any selection process ask for 'referrals' on previous contracts, whom you will contact to evaluate ability and value for you.

DavidK99

Hi All,
I work for the company mentioned below, and I'd like reply to some of the comments made in this earlier post:

guggyegg wrote: »

I'd have my doubts about pricebeforeyoubuild. They are not listed on the SCS website nor do any of the people on their site state their qualifications (they should have ASCS or FSCS after their name if their a chartered qs ).

All of our surveying work is carried out by Lawlor and Partners of Ennis, Co. Clare, and Baggot St. Dublin, with whom we have a business partnership. They are one of the leading QS companies in Ireland and they also have offices in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Naturally, they are SCS registered. The Bills of Quantities that we create for our clients are always of the highest standard.

guggyegg wrote: »

Also I wouldn’t trust a company who tender your project to trades who have to pay them a subscription fee to be on tender lists, seems like a conflict of interest to me.

Under no circumstances would we ever tender any part of our clients' projects to trades or anyone else. In fact, our business works in the opposite way. Along with their Bill of Quantities, we provide our clients with a list of reputable trades, specialists and suppliers in their area. If they choose to do so, our clients can use this list when getting quotes and prices for labour and materials for their build, but this is totally at their own discretion. We can categorically state that client information will never be passed on to our subscribers.

Hope this clears things up. If anyone would like more information on our services, our phone numbers and email contact info are all on our website.