BOQ preparation services in India (2026): how to choose, with 9 options compared

To choose a BOQ preparation service in India, check five things before you pay: the measurement standard (IS 1200), the rate basis (CPWD DSR, state SOR or market), whether you get L×B×D measurement sheets, whether you can check the work before you pay, and who checks it. Short verdict: an online service with a published price and a real sample suits owners and small contractors; an established QS firm suits large tenders; a freelancer or IndiaMART listing can be cheaper but needs closer checking; doing it yourself works only if you know IS 1200.

If you already have drawings and want a priced BOQ in Excel, you can send them to our BOQ preparation service for a quote, with your first project 50% off (up to ₹5,000). The rest of this guide compares the main options fairly, including ours.

All competitor details below were checked on their own pages on 6 Oct 2026 and are labelled "reported". Prices and terms change, so confirm with the provider before you order.

What to check before you hire anyone#

Use this checklist on every option, including us.

• Measurement standard. The BOQ should say it follows IS 1200, the Indian Standard method of measurement. This decides deductions for openings, how formwork is measured and how plaster is counted. Our IS 1200 guide covers the rules that matter.
• Rate basis. Ask whether rates are CPWD DSR, your state SOR, or local market rates. Government work needs DSR or SOR. Private work usually needs market rates. Some buyers want quantities only.
• Measurement sheets. Every quantity should trace back to an L×B×D row with a drawing reference. A BOQ without measurement sheets cannot be checked. See quantity takeoff vs BOQ for how the two fit together.
• A way to check before paying. A sample from a similar real job shows the format; a preview or a refund on the first project shows the firm stands behind its numbers.
• Published price. A price you can read before you call saves time. A per-sq-ft rate needs a clear scope next to it.
• Turnaround. Ask for the turnaround in writing, and when the clock starts.
• Engineer check. Ask who checks the sheets, and whether a named engineer will answer your questions.
• Revisions. Ask how many revisions are included when the architect changes a drawing.
• Confidentiality. Drawings are your client's property. Ask how they are stored and whether an NDA is possible.

Comparison table (checked 6 Oct 2026)#

The options, one by one#

SiteSetu (our service)#

You send PDF or DWG drawings. We measure to IS 1200 and return an item-wise BOQ in Excel with L×B×D measurement sheets, an abstract of cost with GST, and a cement, steel and material summary. Rates can be CPWD DSR, a state SOR or market rates, or you can take quantities only. Measurement is done with software and a civil engineer checks every sheet before it goes out. Indicative prices are published on our BOQ cost page: from ₹2,500 for a simple house estimate from floor plans, from ₹10,000 for a luxury home or villa from floor plans, section and elevations, ₹25,000 (structure) or ₹50,000 (full BOQ) for a high-rise, and ₹25,000 to ₹1,00,000 for infra, quoted after we see the drawings. The sample BOQ is from a real job and shows the full format before you order. On your first project, consultants review a masked preview before the final payment, and contractors get a full refund if the first element doesn't match the drawing.

Honest limits:

• We work from drawings only. We do not visit site, so we cannot measure work already built unless you send measurements.
• The BOQ is only as complete as the drawings. Missing sections, schedules or structural details become listed assumptions, not guesses.
• The ₹2,500 tier is an estimate from floor plans. A detailed, material-wise BOQ needs sections and elevations too.
• A revision policy is not published on our pages. Agree it in the quote.

You can read what the output looked like on real jobs in our case studies.

MakeBOQ#

MakeBOQ (reported, makeboq.com) offers BOQ preparation and quantity surveying across India. Its pages list a BOQ report (stage-wise and item-wise), measurement sheets, rate analysis, sq ft rate analysis, labour split-up and cement and steel consumption, in PDF and Excel. Rates are described as local market rates. Turnaround is stated as 24 to 48 hours for residential projects up to 2,000 sq ft and 2 to 3 working days for larger ones, with fast track available (city page). Reports are said to be checked by civil engineers and quantity surveyors. Price is not published; quotes are given on WhatsApp. A sample PDF is offered. It also lists contract formats and billing templates as add-ons, which some builders will find useful.

Construction Estimator India#

Construction Estimator India (reported, our services page) offers quantity takeoff, BOQs and trade-wise estimates across civil, MEP and interiors, in spreadsheet format. It states most estimates are delivered in 1 to 2 working days and that revisions are supported. One of its articles states the service "price starts from ₹10,000" per project (source). The site also sells BOQ Excel templates at ₹99 to ₹249 and publishes market per-sq-ft rate guides. The measurement standard and the rate basis were not stated on the pages we checked.

The Estimation Company (Bengaluru)#

The Estimation Company (reported, theestimationcompany.in) states IS 1200 measurement, unlocked Excel with L×B×D calculations and bar bending schedules, CPWD-style trade divisions, and rates benchmarked to local market rates. It describes a two-tier QS check and a drawing discrepancy (RFI) check before tender. It offers same-day measurement sheets on its fast track if complete drawings arrive before 11 am. It states a mutual NDA is signed before drawings are reviewed. Price is not published; it quotes per project.

GEM Engserv (Navi Mumbai)#

GEM Engserv (reported, construction cost consulting page) is a quantity surveying company that lists BOQ preparation, estimation, rate analysis and cost planning for architecture, structure and MEP. It lists IS 1200 along with international standards such as NRM2 and SMM7, which suits projects with overseas consultants. Price and turnaround are not published. It fits larger developers and contractors who want an ongoing QS partner rather than a one-off BOQ.

IndiaMART and Justdial listings#

Directory sites list many local estimators and QS consultants (IndiaMART QS category). Some listings show a price. Reported examples: two Pune sellers list ₹1.50 per sq ft for estimation (Jabez Enterprises, Sachin Kulkarni & Associates), and a Ghaziabad seller lists ₹6,000 for a construction BOQ estimate, including loan-purpose BOQs signed by a registered architect (Archplanest). Justdial works the same way by city. The listed price rarely says what is included, so ask for scope, standard and a past sample before you share drawings. A local seller is useful when you need a site visit or a signature on a bank estimate.

Freelancer marketplaces (Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr)#

Marketplaces give you many individual estimators. Reported examples: on Freelancer.in, a residential MEP BOQ job was posted with a ₹600 to ₹1,500 budget, with an average bid of ₹1,163 (job page), and a commercial building BOQ job with a ₹1,500 to ₹12,500 budget (job page). On Upwork, India-based quantity surveying profiles on the first page showed $11 to $20 per hour (Upwork India QS). Fiverr also has BOQ gigs, but its pages did not load for us on 6 Oct 2026, so we have not listed prices. Quality depends entirely on the person. Many freelancers work to international formats, so state IS 1200 and your rate basis in the brief.

Hiring a local QS or estimator#

A full-time quantity surveyor makes sense if you run several projects at once. PayScale reports an average QS salary in India of about ₹4.6 lakh a year, with base pay from about ₹2.2 lakh to ₹8 lakh (PayScale). For one-off work, one published benchmark puts independent QS fees at ₹2 to ₹5 per sq ft and RICS-chartered QS fees at ₹5 to ₹10 per sq ft (reported). A local QS can visit site and measure running bills, which no drawing-only service can do. The trade-off is cost and availability.

Doing it yourself in Excel#

If you know IS 1200 and have time, you can prepare the BOQ yourself. You control every assumption and pay nothing but your hours. Start with our step-by-step guide to preparing a BOQ from drawings. The risk is in what you miss: opening deductions, lap lengths in steel, formwork areas and wastage. Ask a second engineer to check a few items before you sign a contract on it.

Which option fits you#

Home owner building one house. You need a clear budget and a list to compare contractor quotes. A drawing-based service with a published price and a real sample is the simplest route. Ask how you can check the work before you pay.

Contractor bidding a tender. You need quantities you can defend and rates you can change. Ask for measurement sheets, an unlocked Excel and quantities on DSR or SOR when the tender needs it. For large tenders, a QS firm or a service that lists drawing conflicts before measuring is safer than a cheap gig.

Builder or developer. You need consistent BOQs across projects and billing support later. A QS firm, an in-house QS, or a service that can handle repeat projects at a fixed price per project works well. Agree revision terms up front.

Architect. You need a BOQ to attach to tender drawings or to show the client a cost. Pick a service that keeps your drawings confidential, follows IS 1200 and lists assumptions where details are not yet drawn.

Red flags when hiring#

• No measurement sheets, only a final BOQ or a PDF.
• Quantities with no drawing reference.
• A per-sq-ft price with no scope written next to it.
• No answer to "which standard?" or "which rate basis?".
• No sample, no past work and no named engineer.
• No list of assumptions, even when drawings are clearly incomplete.
• A firm turnaround promised before anyone has seen the drawings.
• Locked Excel cells, so you cannot change a rate.

Frequently asked questions#

What does BOQ preparation cost in India?#

It depends on project type and scope. Reported market rates run from about ₹1.50 per sq ft on directory listings to ₹10 or more per sq ft for full consultancy. Fixed per-project prices are also common. Ours start from ₹2,500 for a simple house estimate; see the cost page for all tiers.

Which measurement standard should a BOQ in India follow?#

IS 1200, the Indian Standard method of measurement of building and civil engineering works. It sets units, deductions and what is measured separately. For government work, item descriptions usually follow CPWD DSR or the state SOR.

Can a BOQ be prepared from drawings without a site visit?#

Yes, for a new building. Quantities come from the plans, sections, elevations and structural drawings. A site visit is needed when you must measure work already done, such as running bills.

What drawings should I send for a BOQ?#

Floor plans at minimum. For a detailed BOQ, also send sections, elevations, structural drawings with reinforcement details, and door, window and finish schedules. DWG files give more exact dimensions than scanned PDFs. The list changes with the building type: see BOQ by project type for villas, apartment buildings, warehouses, compound walls, piles, pools and interiors.

Is a per-sq-ft price or a fixed project price better?#

Either works if the scope is written down. A per-sq-ft price is easy to compare but hides what is excluded. A fixed price per project is clearer when it lists the trades, the rate basis and the deliverables.

Is it safe to share drawings with an online BOQ service?#

Ask how drawings are stored and used, and ask for an NDA on commercial projects. Several providers in this list state NDA terms on their pages. We use drawings only to prepare your BOQ and delete them on request.

Ready to compare on your own project? Send your drawings for a quote, see a sample from a similar real job, and judge the measurement sheets yourself before you pay.