BOQ format
How to quote flooring work
How flooring is quoted on an interior BOQ: field area in square feet, skirting in running feet, and where the wastage percentage belongs.
The unit
Square foot of finished floor, with skirting in running feet
The field is sqft of the area actually laid. Skirting runs the perimeter and is measured in rft — folding it into the sqft rate makes two quotes impossible to compare, because the perimeter-to-area ratio differs in every room.
What the BOQ breaks into
| Line | Unit | Why it is its own line |
|---|---|---|
| Levelling / screed | sqft | Only where the existing floor needs it. Say whether it is included or provisional. |
| Floor tiles or planks | sqft | The finish material. Laying pattern changes labour. |
| Laying labour | sqft | Separate where the client supplies the material. |
| Skirting | rft | Perimeter, not area. Height of skirting belongs on the line. |
| Threshold / transition strips | nos | — |
| Grouting and finishing | sqft | Epoxy grout is a different rate from cement grout. |
| Wastage allowance | % | Stated as a percentage of material, not hidden in the rate. |
The specs that decide the rate
- Material and size
- Vitrified, ceramic, engineered wood and vinyl are different substrates with different subfloor requirements. Tile size changes both wastage and labour.
- Laying pattern
- Straight, diagonal, herringbone. Diagonal adds cuts and wastage; herringbone adds both plus labour.
- Grout type and colour
- Epoxy costs several times cement grout and is the line most often value-engineered out without telling the client.
- Skirting height and material
- Tile, wood or PVC, and how tall. Decides both the rft rate and how the wall finish meets the floor.
Wastage folded into the rate instead of stated as a percentage
A diagonal lay in a room with many cuts can waste a fifth of the material, and a straight lay in a clean rectangle almost none. A rate that silently carries an average wastage overcharges the simple room and underquotes the awkward one. Put the percentage on its own line and both become checkable.
Houscade writes this breakdown for you, room by room, and the client approves it on their phone. See a real quotation.