Bill of quantities template for Excel (free download)
This free bill of quantities template for Excel lists a job’s work items with their dimensions, unit and quantity. Its formulas work out each line’s quantity from the dimensions, the purchase quantity with waste and the labour hours from your labour consumption figures, with a total of hours at the bottom.
Download the template (XLSX)What is in the bill of quantities template?
Each line has a trade or building part, a description, the dimensions, the unit and the waste. Quantity, purchase quantity and labour hours are calculated by formulas.
| Column | What goes in |
|---|---|
| Length, width, height | the dimensions in metres; leave out what the unit lacks |
| Count | the number of identical items |
| Deductions | openings and other areas you subtract |
| Quantity (calculated) | length × width × height × count − deductions |
| Waste | the waste factor for the material |
| Purchase quantity (calculated) | quantity × (1 + waste) |
| Labour (h/unit) | your recorded hours per unit |
| Labour hours (calculated) | quantity × labour consumption |
How do you fill in a bill of quantities?
- Group the lines by trade or by building part, in the order the work is done.
- Enter only the dimensions the unit needs: length for metres, length and width for m², all three for m³, and the count alone for pieces.
- Subtract openings in the deductions column.
- Enter the waste for materials and the labour consumption for work.
How to measure, what to deduct and the quantities people forget are in the guide to material takeoff. The priced quote is covered in the contractor quote template.
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Questions and answers
- What is a bill of quantities?
- A bill of quantities lists the work items on a job with a unit and a quantity for each: surfaces in m², long items in metres, separate items as pieces and volumes in m³. Pricing adds waste, labour consumption and unit rates to it.
- Does the template work in Google Sheets and LibreOffice?
- Yes. The formulas use only basic functions, so the file works in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
- Why is waste only added to the purchase quantity?
- A take-off measures the finished work. Waste is material you buy but do not install, so it raises the purchase quantity, while labour hours are calculated from the quantity actually built.