How to Create Construction Estimates and BOQ in CrmLeaf
Construction CRM edition only, and these screens are the shared installation estimate, BOQ and BOM screens relabelled for construction. BOQ, BOM and RFQ capabilities require the manufacturing add-on module,…
Availability: Construction CRM edition only, and these screens are the shared installation estimate, BOQ and BOM screens relabelled for construction. BOQ, BOM and RFQ capabilities require the manufacturing add-on module, and handing a BOQ to procurement requires the Purchase add-on module. An Administrator must enable both for your account.
Overview
The estimate prices the assessed scope for the client. The BOQ, the bill of quantities, breaks that scope into the materials and labour the build will consume, and a BOM groups BOQ items for procurement. Together they are the bridge between winning the work and buying for it.
The construction vertical does not maintain its own estimating engine. It reuses the shared installation estimate, BOQ and BOM screens, along with the subsidy scheme screens, so what you see is the same functionality the Solar CRM edition uses, with construction wording.
How It Works
You create the estimate against the site, build its line items, send it to the client for a decision, and separately build the project's BOQ so that procurement can start buying against real quantities.
Assessment → Estimate → Send and approve → BOQ → BOM → RFQ and purchase orders
- The estimate is numbered and moves through
draft,sent, thenapproved,rejectedorexpired. - Where a subsidy or incentive scheme applies, the shared subsidy scheme screens hold the schemes and their eligibility rules.
- The project BOQ holds the bill of quantities item by item; a BOM is grouped from BOQ items.
- The BOQ hands off to procurement. Vendor quotes can be generated from a project's BOQ in bulk for several vendors, and an accepted vendor quote feeds a purchase order that stores the source quote, giving a traceable RFQ, quote, purchase order chain.
- BOQ utilization - planned against used against remaining - is shown when a completed milestone is invoiced, provided the manufacturing module is enabled.
- The approved estimate is also one of the seeds for the financial plan and for the Construction project budget template.
Who Can Use This Feature?
User
- Create and price the estimate for the site.
- Send the estimate for the client's decision and record the outcome.
- Build the project BOQ and group items into a BOM.
- Generate vendor quote requests from the BOQ.
Access depends on the modules and role assigned by your Administrator.
Prerequisites
- The construction vertical module enabled, plus the manufacturing module for BOQ, BOM and RFQ screens and the Purchase module for procurement.
- A construction site with a completed survey and assessment.
- Your products catalogue, tax rates and currency configured, so line items price correctly.
- Vendors created if you intend to raise vendor quote requests from the BOQ.
For Users
Step 1: Open the estimates screen for the site
Select the construction site the estimate belongs to, so the estimate is tied to the assessed scope.
Step 2: Build the estimate line items
What to do: select Add and enter the estimate's line items, quantities and rates. Apply the tax rates and any discount, and set the currency and the validity date.
What to verify: the totals, tax and currency are correct before the estimate leaves draft.
Step 3: Apply any subsidy or incentive scheme
What to do: where a scheme applies to the work, apply the relevant scheme from the shared subsidy scheme configuration so the client sees the net position.
What to verify: the scheme's eligibility rules match the site you are pricing.
Step 4: Send the estimate and record the outcome
What to do: Submit the estimate to move it from draft to sent, and share it with the client. Record the client's decision so the estimate becomes approved or rejected.
What to verify: the estimate status reflects the client's actual decision. An estimate left in sent past its validity date becomes expired.
Step 5: Build the project BOQ
What to do: enter the bill of quantities item by item against the project, then group items into a BOM where you buy or issue them together. Download the BOQ or BOM when you need to share it outside CrmLeaf.
What to verify: the BOQ quantities reconcile to the estimate you sent the client, because the BOQ is what procurement buys and what milestone billing reports utilization against.
Step 6: Hand the BOQ to procurement
What to do: generate vendor quote requests from the project's BOQ for the vendors you want to price the work. Accept the quote you want, then convert it into a purchase order.
What to verify: the purchase order carries the accepted vendor quote, so the chain from BOQ to purchase order remains traceable.
Expected Result
The construction estimate is priced, sent and recorded with the client's decision, and the project's BOQ exists with items grouped into a BOM. Procurement can raise vendor quote requests and purchase orders against the BOQ, and milestone billing can report BOQ utilization.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- These are shared screens. Estimating, BOQ, BOM and subsidy behaviour is the same as in the Solar CRM edition, with construction terminology applied.
- BOQ, BOM, RFQ and procurement all depend on add-on modules. Confirm they are included in your plan before you design a process around them.
- The construction estimate on the site is a vertical document. It is not the same record as a Worksuite estimate created in the quote-to-cash flow, which auto-creates an invoice when a client accepts it.
- Keep BOQ quantities accurate. The financial plan, the Construction project budget and the BOQ utilization view shown during milestone billing all read from this data.
Common Scenarios
Example: pricing a new residential build. The estimate is priced from the assessment, sent, and approved by the client. The BOQ is then built to the same scope, cement and steel are grouped into a BOM, and vendor quote requests go to three suppliers. The accepted quote becomes a purchase order that still points back to the quote.
Example: an expired estimate. A client does not respond before the validity date, so the estimate becomes expired. A new estimate is prepared rather than reusing the old one, so the price history for the site is preserved.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| The BOQ screen is not available. | The manufacturing add-on module is not enabled for the account. | An Administrator enables the module, subject to the plan. |
| You cannot generate vendor quotes from the BOQ. | No vendors exist, or the Purchase module is not enabled. | Create vendors and confirm the module is enabled. |
| Estimate totals are wrong. | Tax rates, discount or currency and exchange rate are not configured correctly. | An Administrator corrects the tax and currency configuration, then reprice the estimate. |
| BOQ utilization shows nothing during milestone billing. | No BOQ exists for the project, or the manufacturing module is off. | Build the project BOQ and confirm the module is enabled. |
| The estimate cannot be edited. | The estimate has already left draft. | Record the client's decision and prepare a new estimate if the price must change. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a BOQ and a BOM here?
The BOQ is the project's bill of quantities, item by item. A BOM groups BOQ items into a bill of materials for procurement and issue.
Does an approved construction estimate create an invoice?
No. In the Construction edition the client is billed through the financial plan's payment schedule and through milestone billing, not by auto-converting the vertical estimate.
Can I reuse an estimate for a similar site?
Estimate templates exist on the platform's estimating screens. Confirm which template options are exposed on the construction estimate screen in your account.
Who sees the vendor pricing?
Vendors submit pricing on their own public quote link. Visibility of vendor quotes inside CrmLeaf follows your role's permission scope.
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