Construction Estimate & BOQ (Excel)
Prepare a detailed estimate the way engineers are taught to: take off the measurements (number × length × breadth × depth), carry the quantity to the bill of quantities, apply your rates and let the abstract of cost add everything up by section. The workbook adds overheads, contingency and GST, writes the total in words and shows the cost per square foot, so a client can compare it with other quotes.
Free · no sign-up · opens in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice and WPS Office. Files contain no macros.
Preview
Real view of the file with its sample data (yellow cells are where you type).
| ABSTRACT OF COST | |||
| Construction of ground-floor residence (G+0), 1,200 sq ft | |||
| Client: Mr. Harpreet Singh · Site: Plot 27, Green Avenue, Ludhiana · EST-2026-014 dated 02-11-2026 | |||
| S. No. | Section of work | Amount | % of works |
| 1 | Earthwork | ₹ 18,597.60 | 1.1% |
| 2 | Concrete (PCC / RCC) | ₹ 3,15,420.00 | 19.2% |
| 3 | Reinforcement steel | ₹ 3,27,600.00 | 20.0% |
| 4 | Masonry | ₹ 1,98,940.80 | 12.1% |
| 5 | Plastering | ₹ 1,79,800.00 | 11.0% |
| 6 | Flooring & tiling | ₹ 1,20,750.00 | 7.4% |
| 7 | Doors & windows | ₹ 72,800.00 | 4.4% |
| 8 | Painting | ₹ 1,28,700.00 | 7.8% |
| 9 | Plumbing & sanitary | ₹ 1,45,000.00 | 8.8% |
| 10 | Electrical | ₹ 92,800.00 | 5.7% |
| 11 | Waterproofing | ₹ 39,100.00 | 2.4% |
| 12 | Miscellaneous | ₹ 0.00 | 0.0% |
| Items without a section | ₹ 0.00 | ||
| Cost of works (total of BOQ) | ₹ 16,39,508.40 | ||
| Add: overheads & profit @ 0.0% | ₹ 0.00 | ||
| Add: contingency @ 3.0% | ₹ 49,185.25 | ||
| Total before GST | ₹ 16,88,693.65 | ||
| Add: GST @ 18% | ₹ 3,03,964.86 | ||
| Round off | ₹ 0.49 | ||
| GRAND TOTAL | ₹ 19,92,659.00 | ||
| Rupees Nineteen Lakh Ninety-Two Thousand Six Hundred Fifty-Nine Only | |||
| Cost per sq ft of built-up area | ₹ 1,661 | ||
What's inside
- Project sheet: name of work, client, site, estimate number, built-up area, overheads %, contingency %, GST % and your own list of sections (earthwork, concrete, steel, masonry and more)
- Measurements sheet with 500 rows: item number, location, Nos, length, breadth and depth or height; quantity calculates itself and negative Nos deduct openings
- BOQ sheet with 200 items: section, description, unit, quantity (typed or taken from the measurements), rate and amount
- Abstract of cost: amount and share of each section, overheads, contingency, GST, grand total, amount in words and cost per sq ft
- Sample estimate of a 1,200 sq ft ground-floor house to show how the sheets connect
How to use it
- Open the Project sheet and type the name of work, client, site, estimate number and the built-up area. Set the overheads, contingency and GST percentages you want to show.
- Check the list of sections on the right of the Project sheet. Rename or add sections to match the way you group your work.
- On the BOQ sheet replace the sample items with your own: item number, section, full description, unit and rate.
- For items you measure from drawings, write each measurement on the Measurements sheet under the same item number: Nos, length, breadth and depth or height (leave a dimension empty if it does not apply). For openings and deductions type the Nos as a negative number.
- Leave the "Qty (typed)" column of the BOQ empty for those items: the quantity comes from the Measurements sheet. For lump-sum or counted items, simply type the quantity.
- Open the Abstract sheet to see the cost by section, the grand total, the amount in words and the cost per sq ft. Print the Abstract and the BOQ, or save them as PDF for the client.
Tips
- Write the BOQ description the way you would want it read in a dispute: material, mix or grade, thickness, and what is included (for example "including curing and shuttering").
- Keep units consistent between the measurements and the rate: cum for concrete and excavation, sqm for plaster and flooring, kg or MT for steel.
- Rates change quickly for cement and steel. Write the month of the rates on the Project sheet so an old estimate is not used by mistake.
- Contingency is for genuine unknowns (rock in excavation, small design changes). It is not a place to hide profit; show overheads and profit separately if your rates do not include them.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between an estimate, a BOQ and an abstract of cost?
The detailed estimate is the full working: measurements, quantities and rates. The bill of quantities (BOQ) lists each item of work with its unit, quantity, rate and amount. The abstract of cost summarises the BOQ by section and adds overheads, contingency and taxes to reach the total.
How does the measurement sheet calculate quantity?
It multiplies the numbers you type in Nos, Length, Breadth and Depth or Height, ignoring empty cells. So 12 footings of 1.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 m give 40.5 cum, and a wall area needs only Nos, Length and Height. A negative Nos subtracts the quantity, which is how door and window openings are deducted.
Which GST rate applies to construction work?
It depends on the kind of contract and the client: works contracts, affordable housing, government work and pure labour contracts can have different rates. The workbook lets you pick 0, 5, 12 or 18 percent; confirm the correct rate with your tax adviser before quoting.
Can I use it for interior or renovation work?
Yes. Replace the sections with your own (false ceiling, modular kitchen, electrical, painting) and use units such as sqft, rft or nos. The formulas do not depend on the section names.