Faster take-off
Enter dimensions once; CQC calculates concrete, formwork, reinforcement, masonry, steel, timber and finishes together.
NEW · CQC 1.5 · 13 OCTOBER 2026 · MAJID AHARI
CQC – Construction Quantities Calculator
From drawings to a priced Bill of Quantities in one place.
CQC 1.5 Client Edition — £175Full desktop quantities calculator · Licensed to your companyView licence details ↗
CQC is a desktop quantities calculator for quantity surveyors, estimators, contractors and engineers. Type in the dimensions, and CQC works out the measured quantities, shows a shape diagram of what you are measuring, and collects every line on a take-off sheet. That take-off builds an NRM1-structured Bill of Quantities (Levels 1 to 5), complete with cost summary and cash flow.
Version 1.5 has 107 calculators covering substructure, frame, upper floors, roofs, walls, stairs, steelwork, civils, drainage, external services, external works, landscaping and preliminaries. It was developed by M. Ahari Consultancy Ltd, drawing on everyday UK quantity surveying practice.
107 calculatorsLevels 1–5Offline on WindowsExcel & PDF
Why CQC
See what you measure
Every calculator draws a labelled shape diagram that updates as you type.
Reinforcement done properly
Bar weights by size from H6 to H50, plus a BS 8666:2020 bar bending schedule with shape codes and cut lengths.
Straight to a BoQ
Lines are grouped by NRM1 element automatically and numbered to Level 4, with optional Level 5 rate build-ups.
Works the way you do
Edit any row in place, right-click for commands, undo and redo, insert your own items and sections, and use a traditional dimension sheet.
Real Excel and PDF
Export a workbook with live formulas, or professional A4 PDF reports carrying your project details.
Your data stays with you
CQC runs on your own PC, works offline, and saves projects as .cqc files you control.
Spelling check
F7 checks every description you have typed, using a construction dictionary.
What CQC measures
| Area | Calculators include |
|---|---|
| Preliminaries | Site management & staff, setting out & surveys, site offices & welfare (deliver, locate, relocate, remove), temporary services, traffic management, scaffolding & hoarding |
| Earthworks & civils | Site clearance, cut & fill from grid levels, embankments & cuttings, steel, timber and concrete sheet piling, contiguous and secant pile walls |
| Substructure | Strip, trench-fill, curved strip and pad foundations, ground beams, bored piles, ground slabs (mesh or bar reinforced) |
| Concrete frame | RC columns (including circular and polygonal), straight and curved beams, slabs, walls, formwork, holes and openings with trimming bars |
| Reinforcement | Bar schedule lines, BS 8666 bar bending schedule, concrete mix materials |
| Masonry | Brickwork, blockwork, cavity walls and curved walls with doors, windows and lintels; ties, insulation, cavity fill |
| Timber | Floor and roof joists with trimmed openings, stud walls with openings, roof trusses (Fink, fan, Howe, king post, queen post, scissor, attic, mono-pitch, girder) |
| Roofs | Duo-pitch, hipped and flat roofs, valleys and lead work |
| Steel | UB, UC, PFC, hollow sections, angles, plates, curved beams, bolts & anchors, holes through beams |
| Steel roofing & cladding | Portal frames (single-span, mono-pitch, multi-span, mansard, flat, propped, curved), purlins, side rails, roof and wall cladding |
| Staircases | Concrete and steel: straight, L-shape, U-shape and curved |
| Retaining walls | RC cantilever, L-walls, counterfort, buttressed, gravity, crib, gabion, king post, caisson and reinforced blockwork walls |
| Drainage | Drain runs, manholes, gullies, fittings, soakaways, land drains, septic tanks, treatment plants, separators, pumping stations, culverts & headwalls |
| External services | Service trenches, pipes & cables, chambers & valves, utility connections, plant bases, external lighting |
| External works | Block, permeable and resin-bound paving, asphalt, kerbs, hardstandings, fencing, street furniture, external steps & ramps, boundary walls, play surfaces |
| Landscaping | Topsoil & turf, planting, hedges, trees and urban tree pits, planters, irrigation, wildflower areas, erosion control, decking |
| Finishes | Stud partitions, plastering, screeds, tiling, floor coverings, painting, suspended ceilings |
Anything not covered can be inserted by hand, in your own sections, or measured on the dimension sheet.
From take-off to priced bill
- Measure. Pick a calculator, enter the dimensions and specification, and add the quantities to the take-off.
- Review the take-off. Lines are grouped by NRM1 element, with running totals for concrete, reinforcement, structural steel and formwork, and rebar by bar size.
- Price the BoQ. Lines are arranged as Level 1 group, Level 2 element, Level 3 sub-element and Level 4 item. Enter rates, or build them up at Level 5 from labour, plant, materials and subcontract.
- Summarise costs. The summary adds preliminaries, overheads & profit, design and construction risk, employer change and other risk allowances, inflation and VAT.
- Forecast cash flow. The contract sum is spread on an S-curve over the contract period, with retention, defects period and payment delay.
- Export and share. Save one Excel workbook (BoQ, take-off, rebar, bending schedule, cash flow) with live formulas, or A4 PDF reports.
LICENSED TO YOUR COMPANY
CQC Client Edition
The Client Edition puts the full CQC on your own PC, licensed to your company. It includes all 107 calculators, the take-off sheet, the bending schedule, the Bill of Quantities priced at your own rates, the cash flow, and Excel and PDF export.
- Your company name appears on screen and on every PDF and Excel export, as the licensed user and the default “Prepared by”.
- Projects are saved as .cqc files. You can send them to M. Ahari Consultancy Ltd for review, or we can send ours to you.
- Prefer us to do the measuring? M. Ahari Consultancy Ltd also prepares take-offs and Bills of Quantities using CQC.
Price: £175
Enquire about CQC ↗System requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 or Windows 11 |
| Browser engine | Microsoft Edge (included with Windows); CQC opens in its own app window |
| Installation | Standard Windows installer (.msi), per user, no administrator rights needed |
| Disk space | Under 1 MB |
| Internet | Not required once installed |
| Exports | Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and PDF |
Install in three steps: download the installer, run the .msi file, then start CQC from the desktop icon or the Start menu.
Download CQC 1.5 Windows installer ↓Client Edition licensing is arranged with M. Ahari Consultancy Ltd. Downloading the installer does not purchase a licence.
Frequently asked questions
Which measurement rules does CQC follow?
The Bill of Quantities is structured to NRM1 groups and elements, and quantities are measured net as fixed, on NRM2 principles. Always check quantities against the drawings before tender or contract use.
Does CQC include a price library?
No. You price with your own rates, either as a single rate per item or as a Level 5 build-up from labour, plant, materials and subcontract.
Can I add items CQC doesn’t calculate?
Yes. Insert items by hand in any section, create your own sections, or measure on the traditional dimension sheet with timesing, add and deduct.
Can I continue my work in Excel?
Yes. The Excel workbook keeps totals, subtotals and the cost summary as live formulas.
Where is my data kept?
On your own computer. CQC saves as you go, and File > Save writes your whole project to a .cqc file.
Does it work on a Mac or a tablet?
The Client Edition installer is for Windows 10 and 11.
Get CQC
Ask for a demonstration or a Client Edition licence for your company.
Contact M. Ahari Consultancy ↗[email protected] · [email protected]
CQC – Construction Quantities Calculator, version 1.5. © 2026 M. Ahari Consultancy Ltd. All rights reserved. CQC and its outputs are the property of M. Ahari Consultancy Ltd. Quantities should be checked against the drawings before tender or contract use.