How to Write an RFQ for a Construction Works Package

A good RFQ for a construction works package states the scope in one paragraph, attaches the BOQ, drawings and specification clauses, lists what others provide, sets the tests and handover documents, gives dates and site access, and asks for a priced offer with a stated validity. Bidders then price the same thing, and the offers compare cleanly.

Why the RFQ decides the price you get

Contractors price what they can read. A vague RFQ gets vague offers: wide gaps between bidders, long exclusion lists and clarification rounds that eat the programme. A clear RFQ gets offers that differ because of price and approach, not because each bidder guessed a different scope. The effort you spend on the RFQ comes back as comparable offers and fewer claims after award.

1. Open with a one-paragraph scope

Say what the package is, where it is and what it delivers. For example: "Supply and installation of the BMS for a healthcare campus in Riyadh, including field devices, controllers, supervisory server, cabling, testing and handover documents." Name the systems, the buildings and the standard. A reader should know in ten seconds whether the package suits them.

2. Attach a BOQ with units and quantities

The BOQ carries the numbers: items, units, quantities and, where useful, the specification clause for each. For a BMS the equivalent is the point list. For steel it is tonnage by section type. For paving it is area by layer and thickness. See the examples on BMS installation works, structural steel fabrication and erection and asphalt paving works. If quantities are provisional, say so, and say how they will be re-measured.

3. Drawings and specification, with revisions

List every drawing by number and revision, and quote the specification sections that apply. An RFQ that says "as per attached" without attachments, or a BOQ that refers to a drawing revision the bidder does not hold, causes more clarification emails than any other mistake.

4. Interfaces and what others provide

Write down what the package does not include and who covers it: power to the equipment, builder's work, cranes and access equipment, temporary utilities, free-issue materials, and the neighbouring packages. State where the package starts and stops. Most claims begin with a scope gap between two packages.

5. Site information

Give the city and site address, access routes, working hours, permit requirements, storage area, available utilities and any restrictions, such as an occupied hospital or a live road. Offer a site visit date. Bidders price what they can see.

6. Programme

State the award date, the earliest start, the milestones, the completion date and whether handover is phased. A package priced for a calm programme is not the same as one priced for a crash programme. If any date is firm, say why.

7. Tests and handover documents

List the tests, the standard each follows and who witnesses them. List the documents the package must hand over: shop drawings, material submittals, test records, as-builts, O&M manuals and training. Contractors cost the paperwork, so naming it avoids surprises.

8. Commercial terms

Include the price basis (lump sum, measured or a mix), payment terms, retention, insurance, bonds if required, the taxes that apply, the currency of the offer and the validity period. Ask for exclusions and assumptions to be stated. Do not hide the terms in the attachment list.

9. Submission and clarification rules

Give a deadline, a format, a contact for questions and the date after which no clarifications will be answered. Say whether alternatives are welcome. Tell bidders how offers will be evaluated, even in one line.

Mistakes that cost the most

Six mistakes show up again and again: attachments missing from the email, a BOQ that does not match the drawing revision, an interface nobody owns, no named contact for questions, a deadline too tight for a site visit, and a BOQ changed after issue without a reissue to all bidders. Each one is cheap to avoid before the RFQ goes out and expensive to fix once offers are in.

Send us the package

NLS Contractors prices packages from your BOQ and documents and returns one offer that states its basis and lists the handover documents. Send the RFQ through the contact page. The turnkey subcontract packages page shows how the desk works.

FAQ

What is an RFQ in construction?

A request for quotation. It asks bidders to price a defined scope of work against a BOQ, drawings and specification, so offers can be compared.

What should I attach to an RFQ?

The BOQ, drawings with revision numbers, specification clauses, the programme, site information, test and handover requirements and the commercial terms.

How long should bidders have to respond?

It depends on the size and complexity of the package. Give enough time for a site visit and for clarifications, and say so in the RFQ.

Can I send an incomplete RFQ?

Yes, but say what is missing. A contractor can price from a partial set if the gaps and assumptions are stated, and the offer will show them.