Electrical BOQ Example: A Detailed Bill of Quantities for a Residential Rewiring Project

If you do electrical contracting and your BOQs still come out of memory or a half-edited Excel sheet, this post gives you a fully worked template you can adapt. We'll walk through a complete BOQ for rewiring a 2-bedroom residential flat, explain every section, and flag the common errors that cost contractors money on jobs like this.

The project we're pricing

Brief: Complete electrical rewiring of a 2-bedroom flat, approximately 90 square metres, including new distribution board, all wiring in conduit, switches, sockets, ceiling lights, ceiling fan points, geyser point, AC points, and earthing pit.

Assumptions: Single-phase 220V supply, accessible ceiling space, no civil works included (chasing walls and making good is a separate trade).

The full BOQ

#	Description	Unit	Qty	Rate (PKR)	Total (PKR)
1	Supply and install 2.5mm² flexible copper cable in PVC conduit (lighting circuits), including clips, fixings, and terminations	m	180	250	45,000
2	Supply and install 4mm² flexible copper cable in PVC conduit (socket circuits)	m	60	420	25,200
3	Supply and install 6mm² flexible copper cable for geyser and AC circuits	m	30	580	17,400
4	Supply and install single-gang switched socket outlet 13A, white finish, including connection and testing	nos	14	650	9,100
5	Supply and install double-gang switched socket outlet 13A, white finish	nos	6	950	5,700
6	Supply and install 1-gang 1-way switch, white finish	nos	10	380	3,800
7	Supply and install 2-gang 2-way switch, white finish	nos	4	720	2,880
8	Supply and install ceiling-mounted LED light fitting 12W cool white, including driver and connection	nos	12	1,400	16,800
9	Supply and install ceiling fan point with regulator and capacitor (fan supplied by client)	nos	5	2,200	11,000
10	Supply and install 16A double-pole geyser point with isolator switch	nos	1	4,500	4,500
11	Supply and install 32A double-pole AC point with isolator (per AC)	nos	2	6,800	13,600
12	Supply and install 8-way distribution board with MCBs (6A, 16A, 32A as required), neutral bar, and earth bar	nos	1	18,000	18,000
13	Supply and install RCCB (residual current circuit breaker) 40A 30mA	nos	1	6,500	6,500
14	Earthing pit including copper earth rod, salt and charcoal backfill, and inspection chamber cover	lot	1	12,000	12,000
15	Earth continuity cable from DB to earth pit (10mm² copper)	m	8	950	7,600
16	Testing, commissioning, insulation resistance test, earth fault loop test, and issue of electrical certificate	lot	1	8,500	8,500
Subtotal					207,580
GST @ 17%					35,289
Grand Total					242,869

What's happening in this BOQ

Let's break down what each section accomplishes commercially:

Cable sizing reflects circuit type

Lines 1, 2, and 3 use different cable sizes for different circuit types:

• 2.5mm² for lighting (low current draw)
• 4mm² for general socket circuits
• 6mm² for high-current appliances (geyser, AC)

This isn't just about meeting code — it tells the client (or their reviewer) that you've thought about load distribution. A BOQ that uses one cable size for everything either has thicker, more expensive cable than needed, or thinner cable that's not safe for the high-current circuits. Either way, it signals carelessness.

Specification level

Each line is specific enough to defend the price but not so detailed that it gets pedantic:

• "2.5mm² flexible copper cable in PVC conduit" — material spec
• "including clips, fixings, and terminations" — what's bundled in the rate
• "13A, white finish" — product-level detail

The general rule we use: every line should have enough detail that the client could go to a hardware shop and roughly match the cost. If they can't, you've under-specified.

Outlet count: how to calculate

This BOQ assumes:

• 6 sockets per bedroom (12 total bedroom sockets — 6 single + 2 double on each side of bed, near desk, near AC)
• 2 sockets in kitchen (counter and appliance)
• 2 sockets in living room + 1 double in TV area
• 1 socket in each bathroom (2 total)
• No socket count for hallway

A common error is undercounting bedroom sockets. Modern homes need 4-6 outlets per bedroom — phones, lamps, chargers, fans, AC. Underestimating here means a variation order request later, which clients hate.

The earth pit line

Line 14 is its own item, not bundled into the DB or wiring. Why? Because earthing pits often need permits, may require excavation in certain soil types, and the materials (copper rod, salt, charcoal) are seasonally variable in price. Pulling it out as a separate line means if the client doesn't want the formal earth pit and just wants a ground rod, you can negotiate that one item without restructuring the whole quote.

Testing and certification as a line item

Line 16 charges for testing, commissioning, and the certificate. This is often forgotten by junior contractors but it's billable work — typically 4-6 hours on a job this size, plus the cost of any certification fees. Don't give it away.

The assumptions and exclusions section

Below the totals, your quote should add:

Assumptions:

• Single-phase 220V supply available at the meter location
• Ceiling void accessible for top-down cable routing (no false ceiling demolition required)
• Existing earthing point usable, or sufficient soil depth for new earth pit

Exclusions:

• Civil works including chasing of walls, making good after installation, and ceiling repairs
• Ceiling fan units, AC units, and geysers (supplied by client)
• Connection fees payable to the utility for meter upgrade if required
• Plaster and paint after wall repairs

Validity: 30 days from issue date. Pricing subject to supplier confirmation at time of order.

These lines are non-negotiable. Without them, every "I assumed that was included" conversation becomes a fight.

Why this quote wins more often

In our experience, BOQs structured like this one win against cheaper competitors more often than you'd expect. The reasons:

1. The detail makes the price defensible. When a client compares it to a competitor showing "Materials lot: 200,000," your quote feels honest by contrast.

2. The exclusions protect both sides. Clients respect being told what's NOT included. Vagueness creates anxiety; explicitness creates trust.

3. The cable size variation shows competence. Anyone who has done electrical work for a year knows you don't run 2.5mm² for an AC. Listing it correctly signals you're not a cowboy.

4. The earthing pit line tells the client you take safety seriously. Many cheap quotes skip earthing entirely. A line item for the pit, salt, charcoal, and chamber cover communicates that you're going to do it properly.

Common errors in electrical BOQs

Missing the testing/certification line. Always charge for testing — it's 4+ hours of work and produces a document the client wants.

Bundling earthing into "miscellaneous." Earthing is too important to hide. Make it visible so clients can see you're including it.

No mention of conduit type. "Cable in conduit" should specify PVC, HDPE, or MS conduit — they have very different costs and look very different installed.

Forgetting consumables. Clips, screws, junction boxes, wire markers, cable ties. The phrase "including clips, fixings, and terminations" in each cable line bundles these in. Without that, you're under-quoting.

Mixing units. All cables should be in metres. All count items in "nos." Mixing m and "lot" for similar items looks like you're hiding something.

Adapting this for your project

Three steps:

1. Replace the rates with your local current prices. Cable, switchgear, and outlet rates vary by region and supplier; use yours.
2. Adjust the quantities for your specific job. A 1-bedroom flat needs less cable but a similar count of distribution gear. A 4-bedroom house needs more of everything.
3. Keep the structure. The order of items (cables → outlets → switches → fixtures → DB → earthing → testing) is intentional. It maps to the order of installation and is the order most electrical inspectors expect to see.

Where EstimateQuote fits in

This is exactly the kind of BOQ our platform was built for. We ship 22 trade-specific rate libraries (electrical included) with sensible starter rates that you adjust to your local market. The AI generates the line items based on a job description; you tweak quantities; the branded PDF comes out with your logo. Your fifth electrical BOQ is dramatically faster than your first because the rate library remembers everything.

For the underlying theory — what a BOQ is, who uses it, and when — see what is a bill of quantities. For the broader quote structure that wraps around the BOQ, see how to write a winning quotation.

A well-structured electrical BOQ is one of the highest-leverage documents in this trade. Get the template right once, and every future quote is just a quantity adjustment.