Documentation
Everything you need to know about using BoqCalc.
Getting Started
What is BoqCalc?
BoqCalc is an AI-powered platform that reads your Bill of Quantities (BOQ) documents and prices it two ways: Express for a fast direct/indirect cost split, or a full analysis with detailed labor, materials, equipment pricing, and risk analysis.
How do I create an account?
Sign up with your email or Google account at boqcalc.com. You'll receive 4 free credits to try the platform immediately.
What are credits?
Credits are used to finalize calculations. The number of credits required depends on your project's estimated value — the AI determines this automatically at the final step. Larger projects use more credits. Express costs about 70% of a full analysis at the same project value.
What's the difference between Express and a full analysis?
Express prices every BOQ line as direct vs indirect cost and finishes in minutes, for about 70% of a full analysis. A full analysis walks the 10-step wizard below and adds risk coefficients, a resource-level cost build-up, and the option to attach a dynamic schedule or cash flow. Pick Express for a fast number, the full wizard when you need the detail behind it.
What does the "Beta" badge mean?
Some tools (currently Quick Price Check and Re-price/Indexation) are marked "Beta" — they're live and fully chargeable, but newer and less battle-tested than the core wizard, so you should sanity-check the result before relying on it for a client-facing quote. Credits charged for a Beta tool are non-refundable once the run completes, the same as any other paid action — each Beta tool asks you to confirm you've reviewed this before your first run.
The Express Path
Step 1 — Upload your BOQ
Same file formats as the wizard — Excel, PDF, or GAEB/ÖNORM for DACH tenders. Pick your country first: it drives labour rates, material prices and currency.
Step 2 — Check the rows
The AI extracts every line — code, description, unit, quantity. Correct, add or delete rows before pricing starts; there's no going back once you move on.
Step 3 — Documents (optional)
Upload specifications, drawings or site notes as PDFs to sharpen the pricing. Skip this step if you don't have any — it costs nothing to skip.
Step 4 — Your prices (optional)
Have subcontractor quotes or a supplier price list? Enter them here and Express uses your numbers instead of AI-estimated ones for those items.
Step 5 — Confirm and get your price
Express prices every line automatically — no ten-step walkthrough, no resource build-up to review. See the total before anything is charged, then confirm to unlock the full priced BOQ, exportable to Excel or PDF.
Plan & Cash Flow (Your Own Prices)
Step 1 — Upload your priced BOQ
Bring a BOQ that already has your own prices — lines without one get an indicative AI estimate instead. Same file formats as Express and the wizard. Pick your country first: it sets the currency and, for any unpriced lines, the market rates behind the estimate.
Step 2 — Choose Programme, Cash Flow, or both
Programme needs only quantities and works from any BOQ. Cash Flow needs real prices — if your BOQ has none yet, price it with Express or a full analysis first, then come back here to add Cash Flow.
Step 3 — Set a start date and duration (optional)
Skip this and the schedule starts today with a default duration. Set both here if you want a build ready to import straight into MS Project.
Step 4 — Build
See the exact credit cost before committing. Plan & Cash Flow skips the AI pricing pass entirely, so it's priced on its own — not as an add-on to a full calculation or Express. Confirm to build your programme and/or cash-flow forecast.
Quick Price Check
Step 1 — Pick a country and add items
No BOQ needed — type or paste one item, or a short free-text list (up to 50 items). Pick the country first: it drives the market rates behind the range.
Step 2 — Get a market range
Each item comes back with a low–mid–high price range and a labour/material/plant split, grounded against real market data where it's available. 1 credit per 5 items.
How accurate is it?
It's Beta — ranges are AI-estimated, faster and less detailed than a full analysis, with no risk breakdown, schedule, or per-item cost build-up. Always sanity-check before quoting a client.
When should I use this instead of Express or a full analysis?
For a quick sanity-check on one item, a subcontractor's quote, or a price you're researching before you even have a BOQ. For an actual bid submission, use Express or a full analysis instead.
Re-price / Indexation
What does Re-price do?
It refreshes an existing, already-finalized calculation's resource rates (labour, equipment, materials) against a fresh AI market-research pass, then recomputes totals with the same pricing engine used at finalization. Only prices change — quantities, hours, crew counts, and scope never do.
How much does it cost, and does it overwrite my calculation?
About 30% of the calculation's original credit cost, minimum 2 credits, shown before you confirm. Yes — it updates that calculation's prices and totals in place rather than creating a copy; the prior values are kept as a best-effort reference under "Past reprices," but restoring them isn't a self-service action.
Is it Beta? Can I get a refund if I don't like the result?
Yes, it's Beta — review the result before relying on it for a client quote, especially any resource marked "not grounded." As with any Beta tool (see the Beta explanation above), credits charged are non-refundable, and you'll be asked to confirm this before each run.
When should I use this instead of starting a new calculation?
When the scope and quantities are still correct and you only want today's market rates instead of the ones from when you first ran it. If the project itself has changed, start a new calculation instead.
The 10-Step Wizard
Step 1 — Upload & Verify
Upload your BOQ document (Excel, PDF, or — for DACH tenders — GAEB DA XML / ÖNORM A2063). Our AI extracts every line item — code, description, unit, and quantity. GAEB and ÖNORM files are parsed directly (exact, no AI guesswork). You can review and correct items before proceeding.
Step 2 — Project Documents
Optionally upload project specifications, drawings, or notes as PDFs. The AI reads these to understand project context, which improves pricing accuracy in later steps.
Step 3 — Subcontractors
If you have subcontractor quotes for specific BOQ items, assign them here before the costing phase. Items assigned to subcontractors use your quoted price instead of AI-calculated costs.
Step 4 — Resource Library
Define your project's cost norms: individual labor rates, work crews (brigades), equipment with rental type and operator costs, and base material prices. The AI seeds this library automatically — review and adjust rates to match your market.
Step 5 — Direct Costs
For each BOQ item, review and adjust the AI-suggested labor and material assignments. Switch between the Labor and Materials tabs to fine-tune quantities, hours, and unit prices. Items assigned to subcontractors are shown but locked.
Step 6 — Additional Costs
Add project-level costs: bank guarantees, insurance, permits, testing, temporary facilities, and other expenses not tied to specific BOQ items.
Step 7 — Overhead
Define your overhead structure: site staff, office costs, project duration, and your target profit margin. The system calculates overhead as a percentage of direct costs.
Step 8 — Financing Parameters
Optionally enter your confirmed financing details: available credit line and interest rate, client advance %, payment lag, retention %, own equity, and supplier payment terms. The AI uses these exact values in the cash flow model instead of industry defaults.
Step 9 — Risk Analysis
Our most advanced AI model performs deep risk analysis on your entire project, identifying potential cost risks and generating price coefficients that adjust your estimate accordingly.
Step 10 — Review & Payment
Review your complete estimate with per-item breakdowns. The system calculates the credit cost based on project value. Confirm to deduct credits and unlock your final result.
Exports
Excel Export
Downloads a .xlsx file with 4 sheets: the filled BOQ with unit prices and totals, a detailed price breakdown per item, risk analysis results, and additional costs with subcontractor details.
PDF Export
Downloads a formatted PDF with a Price Analysis for each BOQ item, showing labor, equipment, and material tables with a summary calculation.
MS Project XML Export
Exports a .xml file in Microsoft Project XML format (.xml). Available from the Dynamic Schedule tab on the Review page. Importable in Microsoft Project — includes tasks with durations, start/finish dates, milestones, predecessor links, and schedule buffer.
Manual Revisions After Export
Yes. Manual revisions are unlimited and don't cost extra credits. Edit and re-export as many times as you need.
Supported Formats
BOQ Upload
Excel files (.xlsx, .xls) and PDF documents are supported, plus structured BOQ exchange formats — GAEB DA XML (.x81–.x86) and ÖNORM A2063 (.xml) — so you can upload your Leistungsverzeichnis straight from your AVA software, no Excel/PDF export needed. Whichever format you use, the BOQ should contain columns for item code/number, description, unit of measurement, and quantity.
Project Documents
PDF files only. These can include technical specifications, drawings, site reports, or any additional project documentation.
Still have questions?
Contact our support team