Why the survey comes before the BOQ
A bill of quantities (BOQ) is only as good as the site facts behind it. Quantities taken from drawings alone miss what the drawings do not show: a 1.2 m difference in level across the plot, a buried water main where the footing should go, a lane too narrow for a transit mixer, or a client who expects the old boundary wall to be demolished as part of the job. Each of these turns into an extra item, a claim or a loss once work starts.
Government contracts put the risk on the bidder. The CPWD General Conditions of Contract 2023 say the contractor is deemed to have satisfied himself before tendering as to the correctness and sufficiency of his tender and the rates quoted. The schedule of handing over of site in Schedule F splits the site into portions without hindrance, portions with encumbrances and portions dependent on other work. A site visit is how you find out which part is which. On a private job the position is the same in practice: whatever you did not see, you priced at zero.
This guide sets out what to check, how to record it so an estimator who was not on site can use it, and a printable checklist at the end.
Before you leave the office
- Scope documents. Drawings with revision numbers, the specification, the client's brief or the tender's schedule of quantities. Note which drawings are preliminary.
- Site identity. Address, map pin, the client's site contact and their mobile number, and the hours you are allowed in.
- Previous reports. Any soil investigation report, topographical survey or earlier condition survey. CPWD's Works Manual 2022 says a soil investigation report appended to an EPC tender is for indicative purposes only, so treat any report you are given as a starting point, not a guarantee.
- Template. Pick a checklist that matches the job: a building, interior fit-out, road, shed, waterproofing or MEP survey ask different questions.
Access and logistics
Access decides how material and plant reach the work, which often decides the method and the rate.
- Approach road width, turning radius and load limits for trucks, transit mixers, concrete pumps and cranes.
- Gate width and height, overhead cables or trees on the route, and any time restrictions on heavy vehicles.
- Space for stacking material, a cement store, a site office and labour facilities. If there is none, allow for double handling or off-site storage.
- Distance from the stacking point to the work face, and the floor or level at which the work happens. Lead and lift change the rate.
- Whether the building or premises stay occupied during the work, and any rules on noise, dust or working hours.
Ground, levels and drainage
- Existing ground levels at the corners and at a grid across the plot, tied to a benchmark you can find again. Record the benchmark itself.
- Type of soil as seen in any open pit, cutting or neighbouring excavation; signs of filled ground, rock or a high water table.
- Where rainwater goes now and where it will go once the site is built up. Low spots and waterlogging marks on walls.
- Trees to be cut or protected, and whether felling needs a permission.
Levels drive earthwork quantities. A plot that is 0.5 m below the road over 1,000 square metres needs about 500 cubic metres of filling before the plinth, an item that is easy to leave out when the drawings show only finished levels.
Existing services and structures
- Overhead electric lines: voltage if marked, height above ground and distance from the work. Note them as a safety risk as well as a constraint on cranes and scaffolding.
- Underground water, sewer, gas, electric and telecom lines: manhole and valve chamber positions, markers, and what the client or the utility says.
- Source of construction power and water, the distance to the connection point and who arranges it.
- Existing structures to retain, modify or demolish, their condition, and anything that needs propping or protection. Photograph cracks before you start so they are not blamed on you later.
Measurements and how to record them
Measure in the format the estimate will use. For each item, write the location, the description, the number of units and the length, breadth and height, then deduct openings. Keep the formula with each row, so an estimator can check it and a later amendment can trace what changed.
| Location | Item | Nos | L (m) | B (m) | H (m) | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground floor, room 1 | Wall plaster, internal | 2 | 5.00 | 3.00 | 30.00 m² | |
| Ground floor, room 1 | Wall plaster, internal | 2 | 4.00 | 3.00 | 24.00 m² | |
| Ground floor, room 1 | Less: door 1.0 × 2.1 | 1 | 1.00 | 2.10 | −2.10 m² | |
| Ground floor, room 1 | Less: window 1.5 × 1.2 | 2 | 1.50 | 1.20 | −3.60 m² | |
| Net quantity | 48.30 m² | |||||
The numbers above are illustrative. Whether openings are deducted, and above what size, depends on the method of measurement in the contract. CPWD's GCC (clause 6) applies the measurement procedure in the specifications and, where an item is not covered, the relevant Bureau of Indian Standards method of measurement (the IS 1200 series). For a private job, write down which method you used.
Photos that will be useful later
Take a fixed set every time, so that every survey can be compared: the front, each side, the access route, the existing condition of anything you will work on or next to, and close-ups of defects. Add a photo for each risk you record. Label photos by location, not just by number. Before sharing photos outside the company, remove location data embedded in the files.
Client inputs and approvals
- What the client expects to be included and what they will provide themselves: materials, power, water, demolition, debris removal, approvals.
- Brand or specification preferences that change cost.
- Permissions in place or awaited: building plan approval, society or landlord consent, road cutting, tree felling, fire and pollution clearances where relevant.
- Who will approve the BOQ and who signs the measurement book later.
Record what the client said in their words, and get an acknowledgement that the visit took place. An acknowledgement confirms the visit and the facts recorded, not a price.
Risks, assumptions and exclusions
Write each risk with a severity and what you assumed. These become the notes and exclusions in the BOQ and the quotation.
- Assumption: soil is ordinary earth to 1.5 m depth; rock, if met, is extra.
- Exclusion: shifting of the existing overhead line, to be arranged by the client with the electricity board.
- Risk: monsoon working from June; dewatering may be needed for footings.
Assumptions and exclusions written at the survey stage are much easier to defend than ones added after a dispute starts. On a government contract, compare them with the tender's own conditions: you cannot exclude what the tender makes your responsibility, but you can price it.
Printable site survey checklist
| Area | Check | Record | Done |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documents | Drawings and revision numbers, specification, scope or tender BOQ | List with dates | ☐ |
| Access | Road width, gate, turning space, vehicle limits, time restrictions | Dimensions and photos | ☐ |
| Access | Stacking, store, site office and labour space | Sketch with sizes | ☐ |
| Access | Lead and lift from stacking point to work face | Distance, floor level | ☐ |
| Ground | Existing levels on a grid, benchmark | Level sheet | ☐ |
| Ground | Soil type, fill, rock, water table, drainage | Remarks and photos | ☐ |
| Services | Overhead lines, underground utilities, chambers | Positions on sketch | ☐ |
| Services | Construction power and water source | Distance, who arranges | ☐ |
| Structures | Retain, modify or demolish; existing cracks | Photos of condition | ☐ |
| Measurements | Nos × L × B × H for each item, openings deducted | Measurement sheet | ☐ |
| Photos | Front, sides, access, existing condition, each risk | Labelled set | ☐ |
| Client | Inclusions, client-supplied items, preferences | Written notes | ☐ |
| Permissions | Plan approval, consents, road cutting, felling | Status and reference | ☐ |
| Safety | Hazards: height, excavation, live services, traffic | Severity | ☐ |
| Risks | Assumptions and exclusions for the BOQ | List | ☐ |
| Sign-off | Client acknowledgement of the visit | Name, date | ☐ |
From survey to BOQ
Turn each measured item into a BOQ line with its unit and net quantity, then apply rates. Check each line against the survey: an item that appears in the BOQ but not in the measurements, or the reverse, is usually a mistake. Carry the assumptions and exclusions into the BOQ notes word for word. Keep the approved BOQ version fixed; if the site changes or the client asks for more, amend it as a new version so you can see what changed.
For reinforced concrete items, the concrete and steel quantity estimator gives a quick cross-check on cement, sand, aggregate and steel. If the job is a tender, read the guide to reading a CPPP tender for the conditions that change your price, and the price variation guide if the contract will run long enough for prices to move.
K-Survey keeps the checklist, GPS check-in, required photo angles, measurement sheet, observations and client acknowledgement for each visit, and turns measured items into a BOQ for approval. An approved BOQ can then start a project in K-Projects, where the measurement book and RA bills take over.
Common questions
Is a site visit compulsory before bidding for a government tender?
Many tenders do not make it compulsory, but the CPWD General Conditions of Contract say the contractor is deemed to have satisfied himself before tendering as to the sufficiency of his rates. Whatever a visit would have shown is treated as your risk, so read the tender's own instructions and visit where you can.
Which method of measurement should a survey follow?
The one the contract will use. CPWD's GCC applies the measurement procedure in the specifications and otherwise the relevant Bureau of Indian Standards method (the IS 1200 series). For private work, agree the method with the client and write it on the measurement sheet.
Can I rely on the soil investigation report in the tender?
Treat it as a starting point. CPWD's Works Manual 2022 says the soil report appended to an EPC tender is for indicative purposes only. Look for signs on site that disagree with it and record them.
What should go into the BOQ notes from the survey?
Every assumption, exclusion and client-supplied item recorded on site, in the same words. Notes written at the survey stage are easier to rely on than ones added after a dispute begins.
What does a client acknowledgement of the site visit prove?
That the visit took place and what was recorded at it. It is not acceptance of a price or of the BOQ; that needs a separate approval.
Sources
- CPWD General Conditions of Contract 2023: tender conditions, clause 6 (measurements) and Schedule F (schedule of handing over of site), CPWD publications
- CPWD Works Manual 2022, chapter 4 (soil investigation report in EPC tenders) and chapter 5 (contract management)
- Bureau of Indian Standards: IS 1200 series, method of measurement of building and civil engineering works