Working drawings & BOQ in Lahore

A naqsha tells you what the house looks like. Working drawings tell the contractor exactly how to build it. A BOQ turns those drawings into a list of quantities: cubic feet of concrete, kilograms of steel, numbers of bricks, square feet of tiles. With both, every contractor prices the same thing, and arguments on site over "this wasn't included" drop sharply.

What's included

When you need it

• After your design and approval drawings are done, before contractor quotes
• When you want to supply materials yourself and need quantities
• When comparing labour-only and full-construction quotes
• When a bank, partner or overseas family member needs a clear cost breakdown

Step-by-step process

1. Freeze the design – changes after working drawings start cost time and money.
2. Structural design – a structural engineer designs the frame and reinforcement. LDA requires structure stability drawings or calculations above 38 feet (LDA Building and Zoning Regulations).
3. Services design – electrical and plumbing layouts.
4. Detail drawings – stairs, kitchens, bathrooms, facade.
5. Specifications – material grades, such as Grade 60 or Grade 40 steel and cement type.
6. Quantity take-off – quantities measured from the drawings into the BOQ.
7. Rate the BOQ (optional) – some architects add current market rates; otherwise contractors fill rates in.
8. Tender – send the same BOQ to several contractors and compare line by line.

Using current material rates

If your BOQ is priced, the rates should be dated. As one reference, Houseplot construction rate data (18 Oct 2026) records cement at Rs1,500–1,610 per 50 kg bag and Grade 60 steel at about Rs277,000 per ton mill-gate, from a market report (ARY News). Rates move, so ask contractors to quote at the date of tender and say how long their prices hold.

What affects the cost

Working drawings and BOQ are usually priced per square foot of covered area or as a lump sum. Factors:

• Covered area and storeys
• Which disciplines are included (architectural, structural, electrical, plumbing)
• Level of finishing detail
• Whether the BOQ is quantities only or priced
• Revisions after drawings start

How to use the BOQ with contractors

Send the same BOQ to every contractor and ask them to fill in rates for each line. Then compare line by line rather than only the total. Very low rates on a few items often mean those items will be done cheaply or claimed later as extras. Keep the priced BOQ as part of the contract, so variations are measured against it.

Questions to ask

• Which drawings exactly are in the set? Get a sheet list.
• Is the structural engineer PEC-registered, and will they sign the drawings?
• Is the BOQ measured from these drawings, item by item?
• Will you help compare contractor bids against the BOQ?
• Are specifications for materials and workmanship included?

Red flags

• A "BOQ" that is a single lump-sum figure per square foot
• Structural drawings without reinforcement details
• No electrical or plumbing drawings: these get improvised on site
• Quantities that don't match the drawings when you spot-check
• Unsigned drawings with no engineer named

FAQs

Is a BOQ the same as an estimate? No. A BOQ lists measured quantities. An estimate adds rates and gives a total cost.

Can I build from approval drawings only? You can, but approval drawings lack the detail contractors need, so decisions get made on site without you.

Do I need a BOQ for a labour-only contract? It helps a lot, because you buy the materials and need to know quantities.

How often should rates in a BOQ be updated? Whenever you tender. Cement and steel prices change often.

Sources