Can the Bill of Quantities be electronically signed?

Yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws, electronic signatures are valid when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are satisfied; exceptions like wills and certain court filings do not qualify.

Do measurement errors invalidate bids?

Minor measurement discrepancies normally trigger credentialed clarifications or adjustments; gross errors may lead to bid rejection or dispute. Maintain measurement worksheets and versioned bills to defend valuations.

Is notarization required for Bills of Quantities?

Not typically. Notarization is rarely required for routine bills; use notarization only when a jurisdiction or contract specifically requires notarized affidavits, bonds, or sworn statements.

How should change orders reference the bill?

Reference the original bill item, section number, and measurement basis. Provide clear description, revised quantity, and supporting drawings to enable consistent pricing and approval.

What retention period applies to signed bills?

Retain signed final bills for the contract term plus at least three years; keep tax-related records per IRC §6501(a) and industry records longer when required by SEC, OSHA, or state law.

Which eSignature features matter most for procurement?

Audit trail, conditional fields, bulk send, integrations (Procore, NetSuite), document export to PDF/XLSX, and strong authentication options reduce risk and speed processing.

Electronic Signature
Templates
Project Management
Project Bill of Quantities

Project Bill of Quantities

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PROJECT BILL OF QUANTITIES

Project Identification

Project Title:

Project ID Client Name Client Address Project Manager (Service Provider)

Scope of Work

The Service Provider shall supply labor, materials and plant to execute the works described below, measured and priced in accordance with this Bill of Quantities. Works shall be performed to the standards and specifications referenced in the contract documents.

Detailed Scope of Work Out-of-Scope Items

Bill of Quantities

All items shall be measured and billed in accordance with the Measurement Basis below. Unit rates entered in the schedule shall be complete and include all labor, materials, equipment, overhead and profit unless otherwise stated.

Item No.	Description of Work	Unit	Quantity	Unit Rate	Total Amount

Measurement Basis Acceptance Criteria for Measured Works

Deliverables and Acceptance

Deliverables listed below shall be certified complete by the Client's authorized representative following inspection and acceptance tests identified in the Acceptance Criteria.

Key Deliverables Inspection, Testing and Handover Procedures

Timeline and Milestones

The schedule below indicates key dates. Time is of the essence for milestone completion unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Planned Start Date Planned Completion Date

Milestone	Description	Target Date	Responsibility

Budget and Payment

The total contract value and schedule of payments are set out below. All payments are subject to submission of invoices and the Client's acceptance procedures described above.

Total Contract Value

Currency: USD EUR Other

Payment Schedule (Milestone / Amount)

Milestone	Due Date	Amount

Change Order Process

Change orders require written amendment and signed authorization by both parties before cost or schedule adjustments are effective.

Confidentiality

Each party shall keep confidential all proprietary information obtained in connection with this Bill of Quantities. Confidential information shall not be disclosed except to employees or subcontractors with a need to know and who are bound by confidentiality obligations at least as protective as those set forth herein.

Confidentiality Period (years)

Taxes, Duties and Insurance

Unless otherwise stated, all rates and prices are deemed to include applicable taxes, duties, contributions and insurance premiums. Where taxes are recoverable by the Client, the Client shall reimburse the Provider upon presentation of supporting documentation.

Rates include taxes and duties

Governing Law

This Bill of Quantities and any disputes arising out of or in connection with it shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction identified below, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Governing Law Jurisdiction

Administrative Provisions

Measurements and valuations for interim and final payments shall be certified by the Project Manager. Discrepancies or disputes concerning quantities shall be resolved by re-measurement in accordance with the Measurement Basis.

Authorized Representative for Measurement/Certification (Client) Authorized Representative for Measurement/Certification (Provider)

Certification

The undersigned certify that the quantities, descriptions and rates set out in this Bill of Quantities are accurate to the best of their knowledge and form the basis for valuation of works for the project identified above. Payments shall be made in accordance with the Payment Schedule and the Client's acceptance of deliverables.

Client Name:

By:

Date:

Service Provider Name:

By:

Date:

What the Project Bill of Quantities Is and when it matters

A Project Bill of Quantities is a detailed, itemized list of materials, labor, equipment, and associated quantities and rates used to price and manage a construction project. It translates drawings and specifications into measurable line items to support bidding, procurement, contract administration, and progress valuation. Properly prepared, it enables consistent bids across contractors, supports change order calculations, and becomes a reference for payment claims and project accounting.

Why a clear Bill of Quantities benefits project delivery

A well-structured Project Bill of Quantities reduces pricing ambiguity, speeds tender comparison, and creates a single source of truth for scope, quantities, and unit rates. It supports accurate budgets, tracks variations, and helps mitigate disputes during construction and closeout under applicable contract terms.

Who prepares and relies on a Project Bill of Quantities

Each party may add annotations, supporting calculations, and references to drawings; control versions carefully to avoid scope drift.

Estimating teams and quantity surveyors produce the initial bill to convert drawings into priced line items for bids.
Contractors and subcontractors use the document to prepare responsive tenders and verify scope-based pricing.
Owners and project managers use the bill for budget control, progress valuations, and change order assessments.

Core components every professional Bill of Quantities should include

A comprehensive Project Bill of Quantities groups work into trade sections, lists item descriptions, units of measure, quantities, unit rates, and extended totals. It should be auditable, reference contract drawings and specifications, and include summary totals and contingencies.

Sectionization

Divide work by trade or workpackage with clear section numbers tied to drawings and specs.

Item Description

Concise description including location, performance requirement, and reference drawing/spec clause.

Unit & Quantity

Use standard units (ea, m, m2, m3, hr). Quantities must reconcile to drawings and measurement rules.

Unit Rate

Enter unit price excluding or including taxes per contract instructions; note labour/equipment split if required.

Extended Total

Multiply unit rate by quantity and include rounding rules and currency.

Summaries

Subtotal by section, include allowances, provisional sums, contingency, and grand total.

Step-by-step: preparing and issuing a Project Bill of Quantities

Follow this ordered checklist to prepare a bill that supports bidding, procurement, and valuation.

01

Review Scope: Confirm drawings/specs
02

Measure Quantities: Apply measurement rules
03

Draft Line Items: Create descriptive entries
04

Validate Totals: Reconcile subtotals and summaries

How to configure the online Bill of Quantities workflow

Set up digital fields, approvals, and integrations before distributing a fillable Bill of Quantities to bidders or stakeholders.

Field	Configuration
Quantity Field	Numeric input, 3 decimals, validation min=0
Unit Rate Field	Currency format, two decimals, tax flag
Calculation Field	Auto-multiply quantity × unit rate
Approval Workflow	Sequential approvers: estimator → QS manager → procurement

Digital signing and file-format needs for eSubmission

Confirm the selected eSignature provider supports audit logs, conditional fields, and the export formats needed for contract administration and accounting systems.

File Formats: PDF, DOCX, XLSX supported
Integrations: Link to Procore, Box, NetSuite
Security: TLS 1.2/1.3 and AES-256

Where to send and how the Bill of Quantities is routed

A typical routing flow shows document creation, internal review, external distribution to bidders, and return with priced entries.

Create: Author prepares blank bill
Internal Review: QS and procurement review
Distribute: Send to bidders with instructions
Return & Validate: Receive priced bills and reconcile

Timing and deadlines to observe when issuing Bills of Quantities

Establish clear issue, query, and submission deadlines to maintain fair procurement and permit accurate comparisons across bids.

Issue Date:

Set and publish issue date and version

Clarification Cutoff:

Set a firm date for technical questions

Bid Submission:

Deadline for priced returns

Evaluation Period:

Time allocated for checks and validation

Contract Award:

Date by which award decision is announced

Key milestones from measurement to final account

Track milestones from initial measurement through final account to ensure timely valuations and payments.

01

Measurement Complete

Quantities measured and draft bill issued for QA.

02

Bid Return Deadline

Contractors submit priced bills for evaluation.

03

Variation Assessment

Change orders measured and priced using bill items.

04

Final Account

Reconcile provisional sums, retainage, and final payments.

Common preparation pitfalls and how they affect outcomes

Underspecified items that force bidders to assume scope, increasing contingency allocations and cost variance.
Inconsistent units and measurement rules that prevent automated price aggregation and require manual correction.
Missing references to drawings or revisions, causing mismatched quantities and adjudication delays.
Unclear allowance or provisional sum treatment that creates disputes at variation or final account stages.

Consequences of errors or omissions in the Bill of Quantities

Cost Overruns: Incorrect quantities lead to underbudgeting and unexpected expenses

Disputed Variations: Ambiguous descriptions cause change order conflicts

Delayed Payments: Unreconciled items can hold up progress claims

Bid Rejection: Noncompliant submission formats may be disqualified

Contractual Liability: Underpriced work can create breach claims

Regulatory Exposure: Recordkeeping gaps complicate audits or lien resolution

What security and compliance details to record with the Bill of Quantities

Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit; AES-256 at rest

Audit Trail: Timestamp, IP, signer attribution

Access Controls: Role-based permissions and SSO support

Retention Policy: Document lifecycle and archival rules

BAA Availability: HIPAA-compliant workflows when needed

Regulatory Standards: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 compliance

eSignature vendor comparison for signing Project Bills of Quantities

Compare common eSignature plan criteria when selecting a provider for distribution, bulk sending, and secure recordkeeping. Prices shown reflect typical starting tiers and plan characteristics.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	Yes, 7-day trial	No	No	Yes, limited	Yes, limited
Bulk Send	Yes (Business Premium)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Real-world examples of Bill of Quantities usage

These short examples show how organizations apply the Bill of Quantities in practice.

Mid-size contractor case

A contractor used a standardized bill to convert drawings into priced bids quickly and consistently.

Bulk-send templates reduced distribution time for 25 bidders.
The standardized approach reduced post-award disputes by clarifying provisional sums and change order pricing, improving cashflow predictability during the project.

Public works procurement

A public agency published a bill tied to measurement rules to ensure fair competition.

Clarification windows and versioned addenda were used.
The transparent, auditable bill supported procurement audit trails and simplified appeals because all bidders priced identical measurable items.

Frequently asked questions about Project Bills of Quantities

Answers to common questions about preparing, distributing, signing, and storing a Bill of Quantities.

Need help? Contact support

Can the Bill of Quantities be electronically signed?
Yes. Under the federal ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and state UETA laws, electronic signatures are valid when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are satisfied; exceptions like wills and certain court filings do not qualify.
Do measurement errors invalidate bids?
Minor measurement discrepancies normally trigger credentialed clarifications or adjustments; gross errors may lead to bid rejection or dispute. Maintain measurement worksheets and versioned bills to defend valuations.
Is notarization required for Bills of Quantities?
Not typically. Notarization is rarely required for routine bills; use notarization only when a jurisdiction or contract specifically requires notarized affidavits, bonds, or sworn statements.
How should change orders reference the bill?
Reference the original bill item, section number, and measurement basis. Provide clear description, revised quantity, and supporting drawings to enable consistent pricing and approval.
What retention period applies to signed bills?
Retain signed final bills for the contract term plus at least three years; keep tax-related records per IRC §6501(a) and industry records longer when required by SEC, OSHA, or state law.
Which eSignature features matter most for procurement?
Audit trail, conditional fields, bulk send, integrations (Procore, NetSuite), document export to PDF/XLSX, and strong authentication options reduce risk and speed processing.

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