A homeowner’s simplified quantity schedule is a common language for asking what each contractor has priced. It is not a substitute for professional measurement or coordinated construction documents. Its value is visibility: the owner can see a missing item, a different quantity or a vague description before comparing totals. Begin with a schedule prepared or checked by the appropriate project professional, then use a readable summary to organise questions and decisions with the family and bidders.

Create an item structure people can follow

Group the schedule by recognisable work packages, then give every item a stable reference. A useful owner-facing row contains the item name, specification reference, unit, quantity, bidder’s price and comments. Keep the structure consistent across bids. If a package is priced as a complete scope, describe its boundaries rather than pretending to know a measured quantity. The schedule should help the reader find the work on the drawings and understand what the contractor’s number represents.

Use descriptions that explain the purchase

Replace broad labels such as “flooring” with a description linked to the selected material, location and relevant project specification. Ask the technical team how supply, preparation, installation, accessories and finishing are treated in the actual item. Do not add technical requirements yourself from an unrelated internet example. The owner’s task is to identify unclear boundaries and obtain a professional answer. A concise, well-referenced description is more useful than a long paragraph that leaves the main supply and installation responsibilities uncertain.

Confirm units and measurement sources

Ask the quantity reviewer to check that each unit matches the work description and that the quantity has an identifiable source. Keep the drawing revision and measurement date with the schedule. A bidder’s different quantity should be explained and reconciled, not silently overwritten. If the design is incomplete, mark preliminary quantities clearly. This helps avoid a comparison in which one contractor prices a provisional assumption while another measures a later drawing, producing totals that appear to disagree for unexplained reasons.

Neutral kitchen and dining space with wood finishes and daylight
Illustrative interior photograph — Max Vakhtbovych / Pexels.

Make exclusions and alternatives explicit

Give bidders a place to state omissions, assumptions and proposed alternatives. Ask them to reference the affected item rather than leaving a general note at the end of the offer. Keep an alternative separate from the requested base price until the project team reviews it. An empty cell needs clarification: it might mean included elsewhere, not offered or awaiting information. Do not assume it means zero cost. Every gap should lead to a clear question and a recorded answer before evaluation.

Use the schedule to organise clarification

Create a comparison copy with one column per bidder and a separate clarification status. Resolve major differences before discussing small rate variations. Ask the reviewer to identify arithmetic issues, duplicated scope and inconsistent assumptions. Record the agreed correction without changing a bidder’s commercial offer on their behalf. Obtain the revised offer from that bidder. This preserves a clear distinction between the owner’s evaluation worksheet and the document the contractor actually stands behind when the final terms are reviewed.

Connect the final schedule to the agreement

Ask the contract reviewer how the approved schedule relates to drawings, specifications and pricing terms. The Saudi Contractors Authority offers electronic model contracts, but the project still needs its correct details and attachments. Keep the accepted schedule version identifiable and record later changes through the agreed process. A quantity table alone does not decide how remeasurement, omissions or variations are handled legally. It becomes useful when the technical and contractual documents describe the same work and the owner can trace changes between them.

Your practical checklist

  1. Use stable item references, units and drawing sources.
  2. Resolve blank prices and alternative specifications explicitly.
  3. Attach the agreed revision through the contract review process.

Frequently asked questions

Can the owner prepare the quantities without professional review?

The owner can organise the summary and questions, but measured quantities and technical scope should be prepared or checked by the appropriate professional for the actual drawings.

What should I do with an empty price cell?

Ask whether the item is included elsewhere, excluded or awaiting information. Record the answer and obtain a revised offer where necessary rather than entering zero yourself.

Does a bill of quantities determine the contract type?

No. Ask the contract reviewer how quantities and prices operate under the proposed agreement. The presence of a table alone does not settle the payment or change mechanism.

Sources and further reading

Sources support the specific facts identified below. Planning examples and checklists are editorial guidance; photographs are illustrative.