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Import a BOQ from Excel

Bring a client's BOQ workbook in without retyping it — pick the sheet, map the columns, check the preview, then import. Nothing is written until you confirm.

Where
  1. Estimation
  2. Import BOQ
Who
  • Company Admin
  • Project Manager
  • QS / Estimator

Tender BOQs arrive as Excel workbooks with an instructions tab, a summary and one sheet per bill, merged cells, repeated headers and "carried forward" rows. The importer reads the sheet you choose, proposes how its columns map, shows you every row it is unsure about, and only creates the BOQ when you say so.

📷 Screenshot spot — the Import a BOQ from Excel panel at step 3: column mapping filled in, the counts and "rows flagged" tags, and the preview grid with one flagged row

Save as static/img/screenshots/precon-boq-import.png and replace this box with ![BOQ import](/img/screenshots/precon-boq-import.png)

Before you start​

  • The file must be an .xlsx workbook, up to 20 MB and 50,000 rows per sheet. An older .xls or a .csv will not read — open it in Excel and save it as .xlsx.
  • Make sure every unit the file uses can be matched to one of your units (cum, sqm, rmt, nos, kg and so on). See Units.

Step 1 — upload​

  1. Open Estimation and click Import BOQ.
  2. Choose the file under 1 · Workbook (.xlsx, 20 MB max).
  3. Pick the Client if you know it. If you have imported this client's files before, your saved mapping is reused.
  4. Click Upload.

Step 2 — pick the sheet​

Choose the sheet under 2 · Sheet — each shows its row and column count — and click Read sheet. The importer looks for the header row and proposes which column holds what. If it cannot find a header row, it says so; pick the row and map the columns yourself in the next step.

Picked the wrong sheet? Choose another and click Re-read sheet.

Step 3 — map the columns and preview​

  1. Check Header row — the row number as Excel shows it.
  2. For each of Item code, Description, Unit, Quantity, Rate and Amount, pick the column (column A, column B…). Description is the only one you must map.
  3. If the file uses units that are not in your list — "Cu.M", "Sq.Mtr", "RM" — a box appears for each. Map it to one of your units once; it is remembered for this client.
  4. Click Preview. Nothing is written yet; change the mapping and preview again as often as you like.

The preview counts the rows by kind, shows how many are flagged, lists file-wide problems and shows the rows themselves (up to 300, always including every flagged row).

KindWhat the importer thinks it isImported as
ITEMA row with a quantity or a rateA Work line
SECTIONA short code (A, 1, 2.1, II) with a title and no numbersA section
HEADINGA title row inside a sectionA Heading line
TOTAL"Total", "Sub-total", "Carried forward", "Say" and the likeSkipped — totals are recalculated
NOISEBlank rows, notes, page headers repeated mid-fileSkipped

Rows are flagged for: no unit, priced row with no description, a unit not in your list, a header repeated mid-file, or file says amount …, quantity × rate is … when the file's own amount does not match.

Step 4 — import​

  1. Enter the 4 · BOQ name.
  2. Leave Project as — pre-award — for a bid, or pick the project.
  3. Keep Remember this mapping ticked to save the header row, column map and unit decisions for this client (or as your company default, if no client was picked).
  4. Click Import N lines.

The new BOQ opens when the import finishes. It is a Draft, so you can check and edit it before approving — see Bills of quantities.

Rows with an unmapped unit are left out

If a priced row still has a unit that is not in your list when you import, that row is skipped, not guessed. Map every unit in step 3 until the preview shows no unit warnings, and compare the line count after import.

What to expect in the imported BOQ​

  • Quantities and rates come from the file. The file's amount column is never imported — each amount is recalculated as quantity × rate.
  • Every priced row comes in as a Work line. The line type cannot be changed afterwards.
  • Item codes repeated across sections (both bills numbering from 1) are kept, with a suffix to make them unique.
  • If an import fails part way, the panel says how many lines were imported; the lines written so far stay in the new BOQ.

Who can import​

The Company Admin, Project Manager and QS / Estimator.

AI

For a scanned PDF, a scope written in an email, or a file too messy to map, use the BOQ Generator. It drafts sections and lines for you to confirm.