01
Measurement basis
Agree measurement rules, allowances, exclusions and the BOQ structure before anything is counted.
MEP quantity takeoff and BOQ services
A quantity is only as good as the rule that measured it. Ours state the rule, the source model and its version on every line.
Quantity takeoff, schedules & BOQ
The engineering position
A takeoff is not a BOQ, and a BOQ is not a price
Measured quantities from a model answer "how much is drawn". A bill of quantities answers "how much is to be built, under which measurement rules, with which allowances". Pricing is a third question again. We keep the three separate on paper, because blurring them is how a takeoff ends up treated as a commitment it never was.
The measurement rule has to travel with the number
Is that pipe length measured centre-line through fittings or net between them? Are hangers counted, or allowed for? A quantity without its rule cannot be checked, compared or defended. Every takeoff we issue states the measurement rules, the exclusions, the allowances and the source model version.
Revisions are where quantities earn their keep
The first takeoff is useful. The comparison between revision C and revision D is what a commercial team actually needs — what moved, by how much, and where. Model-based quantities make that comparison a routine rather than a re-measure.
Deliverables
What is actually produced and issued
Any of these can be appointed on their own or combined. Nothing here depends on buying the intelligence layer, which is not for sale in any case.
DeliverablePlumbing and fire protection takeoffs
Pipe quantity takeoffs, fixtures, sprinkler heads, valves and equipment schedules.
DeliverableHVAC takeoffs
Duct, pipe and insulation quantities and HVAC equipment schedules.
DeliverableElectrical takeoffs
Cable tray and conduit quantities, lighting fixture and electrical equipment schedules.
DeliverableConsolidated MEP workbook
Revit material takeoff schedules and consolidated, Excel-based quantity schedules and model-based material lists.
DeliverableBOQ preparation
BOQ from approved design information, structured to your item descriptions, with procurement quantity support.
DeliverableRevision comparison and change reports
Quantity comparison between model revisions, variation and change reports.
DeliverableValidation and registers
Quantity validation, model completeness checks, drawing/model reconciliation, and equipment and asset registers.
Catalogue scope
Every scope item, with its typical output
The full list from the BIMRACE service catalogue. Each item can be included or excluded in a proposal; the code is the one used in our scope documents.
QTO-01Plumbing pipe quantity takeoff
Excel/Revit schedules.
QTO-02Plumbing fixture and equipment schedules
Revit/Excel schedules.
QTO-03HVAC duct quantity takeoff
Excel/Revit schedules.
QTO-04HVAC pipe and insulation quantity takeoff
Excel schedules.
QTO-05HVAC equipment schedules
Revit/Excel schedules.
QTO-06Fire protection pipe and fitting takeoff
Excel schedules.
QTO-07Sprinkler head, valve and equipment schedules
Revit/Excel schedules.
QTO-08Electrical cable tray and conduit quantity takeoff
Excel schedules.
QTO-09Lighting fixture and electrical equipment schedules
Revit/Excel schedules.
QTO-10Revit material takeoff schedules
Revit schedules.
QTO-11Consolidated MEP quantities
Consolidated workbook.
QTO-12BOQ preparation from approved design information
BOQ workbook.
QTO-13Quantity comparison between model revisions
Comparison report.
QTO-14Quantity variation and change reports
Change/variation report.
QTO-15Excel-based quantity schedules
XLSX workbook.
QTO-16Model-based material lists
Material list.
QTO-17Equipment and asset registers
Register.
QTO-18Procurement quantity support
Procurement takeoff.
QTO-19Quantity validation and model completeness checks
Validation report.
QTO-20Drawing/model quantity reconciliation
Reconciliation report.
How it runs
The sequence, and why it is in this order
Sequence is not a formality on this kind of work. Most of the expensive rework we are asked to fix was produced by doing step four before step two.
02
Model completeness check
Test that the elements to be measured exist, are classified and carry the parameters the takeoff depends on.
03
Extraction
Quantities extracted from the model by discipline, classified to the agreed structure.
04
Reconciliation
Model quantities reconciled against drawings, with discrepancies listed rather than absorbed.
05
BOQ and workbook
Consolidated workbook and BOQ issued with the measurement notes.
06
Revision comparison
Each new revision compared with the last and the changes reported.
What we need to start
The inputs that decide whether a start is a real start
Missing any of these is survivable. Not knowing which of them are missing is not, so we establish it at enquiry stage rather than at forty per cent.
- Revit model, or drawings to be modelled first
- The measurement standard or method to follow
- BOQ structure, item descriptions and exclusions
- Design revision and issue status of the source information
- Whether rates and pricing are in or out of scope
AI & automation
Where AI and automation apply to this work
AI is used throughout our delivery workflow, and an engineer reviews every output. Every line carries its real status.
AIAI quantity reconciliationLive
Quantities reconciled between model and drawings, and between revisions, with anomalies flagged.
AIAI-assisted BOQ mappingLive
Measured items mapped to your BOQ descriptions for a quantity surveyor to confirm.
AutomationQuantity extractionLive
Measured from geometry and parameters, classified, with the measurement rule visible per line and traceable back to elements.
AutomationCompleteness checkingLive
Unclassified, unmeasurable or parameter-incomplete elements listed before the takeoff is issued.
AutomationRevision comparisonLive
Quantities compared between model revisions and the differences reported by item.
AutomationRate applicationRoadmap
Applying a client rate library to measured quantities. Not offered today; pricing is excluded unless stated.
Scope boundary
What this appointment does not include
Published because a scope boundary discovered at month three is a dispute, and the same boundary stated at enquiry stage is just information.
- A model-based quantity takeoff is not automatically a priced BOQ; rates, wastage, labour and accessories are included only when agreed.
- Every takeoff states its measurement rules, exclusions, source model and version, and allowances — quantities issued without them are not issued.
- We do not certify quantities for contractual valuation.
Request a quote
Get a quote: Quantity takeoff & BOQ
Tell us the building, the stage and what you need. An engineer replies within two working days with approach, deliverables and a fee basis.
Quote request received
Thank you — an engineer will reply within two working days.
Have drawings ready? Use the full enquiry form to attach them.
What a useful quote needs. Building type and approximate area, the disciplines, the project stage, and which drawings or models exist. If you have them ready, the full enquiry form takes file uploads.
NDAs. We sign before drawings or models are shared, as a matter of course.
FAQ
Questions we are asked at enquiry stage
Do your BOQs include rates and pricing?
Not by default. We prepare quantities and BOQ structures; rates and pricing are included only when explicitly agreed.
Can you take off quantities without a Revit model?
We can first model the systems from your drawings and then extract quantities, which also gives you a reusable model for later revisions.
Which measurement standard do you follow?
The one the project names. We state it, with the allowances and exclusions, on every issue.
Can you compare quantities between design revisions?
Yes — revision comparison and change reports are a standard deliverable, and usually the most useful one to a commercial team.
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