Verbal Mode

Verbal Mode lets you create a Bill of Quantities entirely through conversation with the AI Assistant. You do not need to upload drawings, blueprints, or an existing BOQ file. Instead, you describe the project in plain language and the assistant builds the BOQ structure with you, section by section.

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When to use Verbal Mode

Verbal Mode is suited for situations where you need an estimate but do not yet have formal documentation to hand:

• Early-stage feasibility or concept estimates
• Preliminary budgets for planning applications
• Quick estimates for client conversations
• Projects where scope is defined verbally but drawings are not yet produced
• Checking or sense-testing a figure from another source

If you have drawings or an existing BOQ file available, the standard workflow (Quick Mode or Step-by-Step) will produce more accurate results by working directly from that documentation.

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Starting a Verbal Mode session

When creating a new project in Xtimo AI, select Verbal Only as the project type. You will skip the document upload step and proceed directly to the AI Assistant.

The assistant will prompt you to describe your project. The more detail you provide at this stage, the more complete and accurate the initial BOQ will be.

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Describing your project

Start by giving the assistant the core details of the project. You do not need to follow a specific format — describe it the way you would explain it to a colleague.

Useful details to include:

• Building type — residential, commercial, industrial, fit-out, refurbishment
• Location or site context — if relevant to specification or access
• Gross floor area — total m², or area per floor if multi-storey
• Number of floors or storeys
• Specification level — standard, mid-range, or high-spec finishes
• Project duration — affects preliminaries
• Scope inclusions or exclusions — for example, "exclude external works" or "include M&E"

Example opening message:

"Two-storey commercial office refurbishment, approximately 800 m² gross floor area per floor. Mid-range specification. 10-month programme. Include preliminaries, structural alterations, internal fit-out, and M&E. Exclude external works."

The assistant will read this description and propose an initial section structure for your BOQ.

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How the session progresses

Step 1 — The assistant proposes a section structure

Based on your description, the assistant will suggest a list of sections for the BOQ. For example:

• 01 — Preliminaries
• 02 — Demolition and Strip Out
• 03 — Structural Works
• 04 — Internal Partitions and Ceilings
• 05 — Internal Finishes
• 06 — Doors, Windows and Ironmongery
• 07 — Mechanical and Electrical Services
• 08 — External Works (excluded)

Review this list. You can accept it, ask for changes, or add sections that are missing.

• "Add a section for drainage and external services"
• "Remove the external works section"
• "Split the internal finishes section into floors, walls, and ceilings"

Step 2 — The assistant populates each section

Once the structure is agreed, the assistant will generate work items for each section — including descriptions, quantities, units, and where possible, indicative unit rates drawn from your element library.

You can ask the assistant to work through one section at a time, or to generate the full BOQ in one pass. Working section by section gives you more control and allows you to review each part before moving on.

Example:

"Generate the preliminaries section first."

The assistant produces a list of preliminaries items. You can then review and refine before moving to the next section.

Step 3 — Refining the output

After each section is generated, you can adjust any part of it through conversation:

• "Increase the project manager allowance to 10 months"
• "Add an item for temporary hoarding — approximately 80 linear metres"
• "The floor area for screed should be 1,500 m², not 1,600 m²"
• "Remove the item for external landscaping"

You do not need to edit the BOQ table directly. Every adjustment can be made through the chat.

Step 4 — Reviewing the full BOQ

Once all sections are populated, ask the assistant for a summary:

• "What is the total cost of the BOQ so far?"
• "Give me a breakdown by section"
• "Are there any sections with no items yet?"

Use this to check completeness before moving to the Final Audit.

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Example session

Below is an example of how a Verbal Mode session might flow.

You: "Single-storey warehouse shell, 2,000 m² GFA. Steel frame structure with metal cladding. Basic specification. 6-month programme. Include preliminaries, groundworks, structural frame, cladding, and internal services. Exclude internal fit-out."

Assistant: Proposes six sections. You confirm the structure.

You: "Generate the preliminaries section for a 6-month programme."

Assistant: Produces 12 preliminaries items including site manager, welfare facilities, temporary power, and site clearance.

You: "Increase the site manager duration to 7 months. Add an item for security fencing."

Assistant: Updates the site manager quantity and adds a security fencing item with an estimated linear metreage.

You: "Now generate the groundworks section."

The session continues section by section until the BOQ is complete.

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Finishing and reviewing

When you are satisfied with the BOQ, run the Final Audit to check for missing values, zero quantities, and inconsistencies. The AI Assistant will remain available during the audit so you can resolve any flagged items through conversation.

Once the audit is complete, you can export the BOQ to Excel.

See Final Audit and Excel Export for details.

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Notes

What if I don't know the exact floor area? You can give an approximate figure and refine it later. Tell the assistant it is an estimate: "Use approximately 1,200 m² — I'll confirm the exact area later." You can update quantities at any point in the session.

Can I switch from Verbal Mode to a document-based workflow? Not within the same project. If you receive drawings or a BOQ file after starting a Verbal Mode session, you can use the AI Assistant to manually incorporate the new information by updating items, or you can start a new project using the standard workflow.

How accurate are the quantities? Verbal Mode quantities are based on the information you provide and standard industry ratios. They are indicative estimates, not measured quantities. For tender-stage accuracy, a measured survey is always recommended.

Can I save and continue later? Yes. Your project and BOQ are saved automatically. When you return, open the project and continue from where you left off. The chat history from your previous session will be visible.