How to prepare an electrical BOQ that gets priced faster

What delays a quotation is rarely the supplier; it is the questions that bounce back: “how many cores?”, “what kA rating?”, “indoor or outdoor panel?”. Each question costs a day. And if quotes arrive without those answers, each supplier has probably assumed something different, so comparing them is unfair.

A good BOQ answers those questions up front. This guide gives the columns we need, the key specification for each product family, and mistakes we see often.

For miniature breakers state the breaking capacity because it varies between models; IEC 60898-1 covers breakers up to 125 A and up to 25 kA, and the right choice follows the prospective fault current at the board calculated by the designer. For cable sizes see our ampacity and cable-sizing guides.

If the consultant’s specification names brands, copy them as written and add “or approved equal”. If you are open to alternatives, say so clearly and attach the specification page; we propose the alternative with its catalogue and certificates so the contractor can submit it for approval. Do not mix two brands in one panel without approval, especially breakers and busbars, because compatibility and tests usually cover one manufacturer’s system.

• “16 cable” with no cores, insulation or voltage grade.
• “63 A breaker” with no poles, breaking capacity or type (MCB or MCCB).
• Cable quantities in pieces instead of metres, or without the drum lengths needed.
• Items repeated across sheets without references, so quantities get counted twice.
• A skewed phone photo of the BOQ; a clean Excel or PDF file is far better.
• No city or required delivery date, both of which affect availability and schedule.

The BOQ alone is often enough, but these attachments cut the back-and-forth:

• The consultant’s specification page for items with a named brand or special requirements.
• Single-line diagrams for panels, since they fix breakers, breaking capacities and busbars.
• The approved materials list if the project has already approved brands, so we do not propose alternatives you cannot use.
• Delivery phases: if quantities will be called off floor by floor, say so; it affects the availability schedule.

On quantities: put the net quantity from the drawings in one column and the wastage or rounding your engineer sets in another, so it is clear what is priced and what is delivered. For cables, give drum lengths or cut lengths where long runs must not be jointed, because drum length decides whether we supply from stock or order from the factory.

Ready? Send the BOQ on WhatsApp as Excel or PDF, with the city and required delivery date. Our team reads the specification before pricing, and we reply with prices and availability the same working day. For a few items, add them from the product pages to your quote list and send them in one go.