Create professional Bills of Quantities for construction projects across Africa. Line items, categories, auto-totals, contingency, VAT, and multi-currency support.
| Item | Unit | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substructure | |||
| Excavation to reduced level | m3 | 245 | 1,225,000 |
| Concrete in foundation | m3 | 48 | 3,840,000 |
| Subtotal | 5,065,000 | ||
Built for the way African construction projects actually work.
The AfroTools BOQ Builder is a free, browser-based tool designed for quantity surveyors, contractors, and construction professionals across Africa. Create detailed Bills of Quantities for any construction project without expensive software or complicated spreadsheet templates.
A Bill of Quantities (BOQ) is a fundamental document in construction procurement. It provides a complete itemised list of materials, parts, and labour required to complete a construction project, along with their quantities and costs. BOQs are essential for competitive tendering, cost planning, interim valuations, and final account settlement.
African construction projects have unique requirements. Multi-currency support handles projects priced in Nigerian Naira, Kenyan Shillings, South African Rand, or Ghanaian Cedis. Country-specific VAT rates are pre-configured, and the category structure follows the standard trade breakdown used across the continent: Substructure, Superstructure, Roofing, Finishes, Mechanical & Electrical, and External Works.
Export your BOQ as a professionally formatted PDF ready to submit with tender documents, or as a CSV file for further analysis in Excel or Google Sheets. Each export includes project details, categorised line items with descriptions, units, quantities, rates, and amounts, plus subtotals, contingency allowance, and VAT calculation.
Large BOQs take time to prepare. Save your work locally and return anytime to continue editing. Create multiple BOQs for different projects and switch between them easily. All data stays on your device - nothing is uploaded to any server.
Whether you're a quantity surveyor preparing tender documents in Lagos, a contractor pricing a project in Nairobi, or a construction management student in Johannesburg, the AfroTools BOQ Builder gives you everything you need to create professional Bills of Quantities - completely free.
One of the most frequent errors in African construction BOQs is omitting Preliminaries and General items - site clearance, temporary facilities, water supply for construction, and setting out costs. These typically account for 5-10% of total project cost. Another common mistake is underestimating quantities due to not applying correct waste factors, especially for concrete (wet vs dry volume), blockwork mortar, and roofing sheet overlaps. Using the correct unit is also critical: blockwork should be measured in m2 (not number of blocks), concrete in m3, and reinforcement in kg.
VAT treatment varies significantly across African countries. In Nigeria, construction services attract 7.5% VAT under the Finance Act. Kenya applies 16% VAT on building materials and construction services. South Africa charges 15% VAT on all construction work. Ghana levies 15% VAT plus additional levies. Tanzania has 18% standard VAT. Egypt applies 14%. Understanding the correct VAT rate is critical for accurate cost estimation and avoiding disputes during final account settlement.
Use these alongside your BOQ for more accurate estimates.