What a bill of quantities is
A bill of quantities for a store fit-out is a list of every item to be built or supplied, each with a unit and a quantity: square metres of flooring and wall finish, the number of doors, the fixtures. Contractors add their rates, so every quote covers the same scope and can be compared fairly.
Measuring it by hand is slow work. The Quantities (BOQ) tool in RetailDesign.ai does the first pass: it produces draft quantities from a saved Design Studio model, or by reading an uploaded drawing set. It gives you quantities only. The rates, and the checking, stay with you.
Benefits
- Two sources, one table. Use a store you have modelled in Design Studio, or upload an architect's PDF drawings, and get the same kind of table either way.
- Model quantities follow the model. When you move a wall or add a fixture, you refresh and the numbers update. If the model changed since your last estimate, the tool tells you and keeps your rates for review.
- Every drawing line can be checked. For an uploaded set, each line cites the sheet it was measured from and carries a confidence rating, so you know where to look first.
- You keep your own rates. It never guesses prices. You type a rate per line and it totals the priced lines, so your commercial knowledge stays yours.
- Gaps are visible. Lines without a rate show Not priced, and the footer counts them, so nothing is quietly left out of the total.
- It exports. One click gives you a CSV for the contractor or your own spreadsheet.
How to use Quantities (BOQ)
Open the tool and choose a Project. Then choose where the quantities come from under Quantities from.
From a Design Studio model
- Select Design Studio model and choose a Saved scene. Only scenes built in Design Studio appear. A photograph cannot give reliable quantities, so there is no photo option.
- The table loads from the model: flooring, ceiling, wall finishes, doors and windows, and fixtures.
- Pick a Rate currency (INR, USD, EUR, GBP, AED or SGD). This is a label only, and rates are not converted.
- Type a unit rate against each line. The amount and the priced subtotal update as you go.
- Press Save rates to keep them with the project and scene, then Export CSV.
From a drawing set
- Select Drawing set and upload PDF, PNG or JPEG files, up to 30 MB each, 20 files and 200 pages in total. Include plans, ceiling plans, elevations and schedules.
- Press Read drawings. A full package takes two to four minutes, and you should keep the tab open.
- Review the table, the Assumptions and gaps list and the sheets that were read.
- Add your rates and press Export CSV. Rates for a drawing take-off are not saved, so export before you leave.
Try this: take a store you have already modelled, choose Design Studio model, and find the flooring line. The arithmetic is simple, and these numbers are invented only to show it: if flooring reads 96.000 m² and you enter a rate of 2,400, the amount is 230,400. Do that for the finishes you can price today, and the footer shows how many lines are still waiting for a rate. Our store interior cost breakdown is a good place to sense-check your rates.
What is in the table
Each row has a category, a description and note, a unit, a quantity to three decimal places, your unit rate and the amount. Units are m², m, each or lot. We have not quoted a sample result here, because a table is only meaningful for its own project. What the two sources produce is:
| Source | Lines you get | Check it against |
|---|---|---|
| Design Studio model | Flooring and ceiling area; wall finish area net of openings; doors and windows; fixtures counted by type, size and material. Hidden objects are excluded. | The model itself, and site dimensions. |
| Drawing set | Lines read from plans, ceiling plans, elevations and schedules, each with its source sheet and a confidence level. | The cited sheet. Low-confidence lines need site verification. |
For fixtures, the count is placed model instances, not a cutting list. If you are designing the fixtures themselves, our retail fixture design guide covers what a fixture maker needs.
Plan and credit cost
Quantities (BOQ) needs a paid plan, and a free account cannot run it. Reading a drawing set costs 50 credits per read, and the Read drawings button shows the price on your account. Quantities from a saved Design Studio model show no charge, and you only press Save rates and Export CSV. Check pricing for what your plan includes.
Tips
- Model first if you can. A clean Design Studio model gives exact quantities for what is in it. Use the drawing route for stores you did not design.
- Upload the right sheets. Plans, ceiling plans, elevations and schedules are what it measures. Large sets are indexed first and the most useful sheets are chosen, up to 40, and the tool lists what it read.
- Read the assumptions. The list tells you what it had to guess. That list is your site-visit checklist.
- Say what your rates include. The quantities exclude waste, taxes, transport and labour unless your rates cover them. Say so in the tender.
- Re-run after design changes. Press Refresh on a model, or read the revised drawings again.
Limits
These are draft quantities. A model BOQ leaves out anything not modelled, including MEP, and drawing quantities are read by AI, so a missed sheet or a misread scale will give a wrong line. Check every quantity against the cited sheet or the site before you send it to a contractor, and confirm site dimensions and specifications before ordering anything. The tool does not price, schedule or replace a quantity surveyor on a large project.
Ready to try it? Open Quantities (BOQ) and pick a project.
FAQ
What is a bill of quantities for a store fit-out?
A bill of quantities (BOQ) is a list of everything that has to be built or supplied, with a quantity and a unit for each line: square metres of flooring, metres of skirting, the number of fixtures. Contractors price it, so everyone quotes on the same scope.
Does the tool put prices on the quantities?
No. It gives quantities only. You type your own rate against each line, in the currency you choose, and the tool totals the lines you have priced. Lines without a rate stay marked Not priced and are left out of the subtotal.
How are quantities worked out from a drawing set?
The AI reads your plans, ceiling plans, elevations and schedules and measures what is drawn. Each line cites the sheet it came from and carries a confidence level, so you can check it. A full package takes two to four minutes and costs 50 credits.
Can I send the BOQ straight to a contractor?
Not before you have checked it. Every quantity is a draft: confirm it against the cited sheet or the site, add what is not modelled, and make clear what your rates include. Then export the CSV.
