Reading the BOQ (Bill of Quantities)

The “Secret” Price List

Your contractor gives you a 10-page document. “Bill of Quantities” (BOQ). You look at it. “Concrete… 500k.” “Steel… 300k.” Looks legit? NO.

Most people just look at the total at the bottom. “2 million? Okay, I can afford that.” Sign. Then 3 months later: “Sir, we need more money.”

How to read it properly

1. The “Lot” Scam Look for the word “Lot”. “Plumbing… 1 Lot… 150,000 pesos.” What is included? Pipes? Faucets? The septic tank? “Lot” means “I am guessing.” Ask for a breakdown. Itemized. length of pipe. number of elbows.

2. The Concrete PSI trick Check the strength. Standard for a house is 3000 PSI (for columns/beams). If the BOQ says “Concrete Class A” or just “Reinforced Concrete”… ask for the PSI. They might use 2000 PSI (weak) and charge you for 3000.

3. The Rebar Switch BOQ says: “16mm Rebar”. Site delivery: “12mm Rebar”. OR… they use “commercial grade” (substandard) instead of “PNS 49” (standard). Undersized bars = weak house. Check the tags on the steel when it arrives.

A Real Example (2025 Prices)

I got this from a project in Metro Manila (150 sqm house). Use this as a cheat sheet.

Note: Prices vary. provincial is cheaper. BGC is expensive.

Red Flags

“Miscellaneous”: If this is more than 5% of the total… what are they hiding? Beer money?

“Allowances”: “Tile Allowance: 10k.” For the whole house?? You can buy like 5 tiles with that. Allowances are usually underestimated to make the total price look low.

My Advice

Don’t be shy. Go line by line. “Why is this 100k?” “Why do we need 500 bags of cement?” A good contractor will explain. A bad one will get annoyed.

If they get annoyed… find a new contractor.