What should a Bali villa BOQ include before construction?

A bill of quantities organises construction work into measurable items so the owner, contractor and project team can price and track the same scope. It does not replace drawings, specifications, engineering, permits or a contract. A qualified quantity surveyor or appropriately appointed cost professional should prepare or verify it where required.

• Project name, location and client
• BOQ issue date, revision and status
• Drawing and specification register used for measurement
• Prepared by, checked by and pricing instructions
• Currency, tax treatment and validity period
• Required contractor return date and clarification process

• Mobilisation, temporary facilities and site protection
• Insurance, safety, supervision and permits assigned to the contractor
• Temporary utilities, access and security
• Testing, samples, shop drawings and coordination
• Waste removal and final cleaning
• Handover documents, warranties and as-built information

For renovations, measure survey work, protection, demolition, removal, disposal, temporary support and repairs separately. State which existing items are retained, relocated or handed to the owner. Unverified concealed conditions should not be hidden inside a vague lump sum.

• Earthworks, excavation and disposal
• Foundations, ground beams and slabs
• Concrete grades, reinforcement and formwork
• Columns, beams, suspended slabs and stairs
• Retaining, structural repair or strengthening
• Structural steel, timber or other load-bearing systems

• Masonry, partitions and plaster
• Roof construction, membranes, flashings and drainage
• Waterproofing systems and required tests
• Windows, external doors, glass and hardware
• External finishes, shading and façade elements
• Sealants, interfaces and weather-protection details

• Floor, wall and ceiling finishes by area
• Paint systems and preparation
• Internal doors, frames and hardware
• Fixed joinery, wardrobes, kitchens and vanities
• Sanitary accessories and mirrors
• Feature elements, screens and built-in furniture

Electrical, lighting, plumbing, hot water, drainage, air-conditioning, ventilation, pumps, tanks, data, security and specialist systems should reference the relevant consultant information. Avoid a single ‘MEP complete’ line when the design and performance requirements are not stated.

• Pool structure, waterproofing, finishes and equipment
• Decks, terraces, paths and driveways
• Drainage, retaining and external levels
• Planting, soil, irrigation and lighting
• Boundary walls, gates and external structures
• Utility connections and site-specific infrastructure

Separate built-in items from loose furniture, decorative lighting, appliances, artwork, linens and operating equipment. State whether the contractor supplies, installs, coordinates or excludes each item. Clarify delivery, storage, damage, warranty and import responsibility.

Each measurable item should use an appropriate unit—m², m³, linear metre, kilogram, number, set or lump sum—with quantity, unit rate and total. The measurement basis must be consistent across bidders. A zero quantity, blank rate or unclear lump sum needs clarification before comparison.

Link finishes and equipment to a brand, model, performance requirement or written allowance. An allowance is not the final selection price. State whether it covers supply only or supply and installation, and explain what happens if the approved choice is above or below it.

Use provisional sums only for work that cannot yet be defined, and identify what information will convert each sum into a fixed price. Keep owner contingency visible and controlled rather than distributing it across contractor rates. Spending it should require evidence and written approval.

List land, legal work, consultants, permits, utilities, furniture, equipment, taxes, external works and any other excluded responsibility explicitly. An exclusion affects the total project budget even when it is absent from the contractor's price.

State how overhead, profit, management, mobilisation and tax are applied. Confirm whether they are included in each rate, added as percentages or shown separately. Every bidder should follow the same pricing instructions so totals can be compared fairly.

The contract should define who can instruct a variation, the evidence required, which BOQ rates apply, how new rates are agreed and whether overhead, profit and time impacts are added. No site message should become paid extra work without a traceable written process.

Link payments to measured completed work, approved materials on site where permitted, tests, inspection records and the contract schedule. A percentage claimed by the contractor should be checked against the BOQ and actual progress before certification or payment.

• Issue the same drawings, specifications and BOQ to both bidders
• Check every quantity, blank rate, allowance and exclusion
• Separate arithmetic differences from scope differences
• Compare brands, performance and installation—not only totals
• Review programme, payment terms, warranty and variation rules
• Confirm the contracting entity, licences, insurance and responsible professionals
• Normalise the quotations before choosing a preferred bidder

Element's early partner-led construction benchmark starts from IDR 7,000,000/m² for an agreed scope, with supervision and project management referenced from 17% of the approved construction value. These figures help early planning; the actual contract value must come from the site, current drawings, specification, BOQ and defined responsibilities.

Element publishes USD 10/m² for Bali 3D concept design and USD 5/m² for the separate agreed drawing package. Professional design, surveys, engineering, permits, supervision and other consultant services should be identified separately from the contractor construction BOQ unless the procurement structure expressly combines them.

Hitomi Villa began as a half-built structure. The existing shell, demolition, repair, retained work and new finishes had to be understood separately. The published construction reference of IDR 7,000,000/m² applies to that agreed renovation scope through final finishes; it is not a universal rate for every incomplete villa.

• Exact location and access conditions
• Current drawings and survey information
• Existing-condition records for renovations
• Target built and design areas
• Room schedule and intended use
• Finish and furniture level
• Pool, landscape and external scope
• Target programme and budget range