The AECORD Verification Standard
Every cost figure on aecord.com came from the people who paid the bill. No “starting from” estimates. No platform mark-up. No vanity numbers. Here is how we keep it that way.
What we verify
When a project goes live on AECORD, the cost details visible on the page must come from a Bill of Quantities (BOQ) uploaded by the architect or contractor and signed off by the building owner. We verify three layers:
- The BOQ itself — line items, quantities, rates and totals match the document on file.
- Owner sign-off — the building owner has confirmed, in writing, that the figures represent what they actually paid.
- Cost-per-sqft maths — the headline rate is recomputed from the BOQ total and the project’s carpet area before it is published.
How we audit
We sample-audit one in every four published projects. The audit is performed by an independent reviewer who was not involved in onboarding the project. Reviewers compare the BOQ on file against the project page, spot-check three to five line items against typical market rates for the city, and confirm the owner sign-off exists.
Projects without a verified BOQ carry no cost badge — and the page clearly says so. We will never extrapolate, average, or fabricate a missing figure to fill a gap.
Markup transparency
AECORD does not add a platform mark-up to project costs. The rate you see is the rate the owner paid. Our revenue comes from professional subscriptions, lead purchases, and seller listings — never from a percentage of the project value.
Mistakes and corrections
If a project owner, architect or audit reviewer spots an error after publication, we re-verify within seven working days and re-publish the corrected figure with a visible “Updated on” note. The previous figure remains in our audit log for reference.
Architects: how to submit a BOQ
Open a project you own, scroll to Cost & BOQ, and upload the signed PDF. Our intake checks for the line-item totals, the owner signature panel, and the carpet-area declaration before flagging the project as ready for audit. You will receive a Teams or email notification when the audit completes — usually within five working days.
Building owners: how to verify a cost
If you find a project that looks like yours but the cost figure feels wrong, use the “Flag this cost” link on the project page. We will pull the BOQ on file and email you a verification link within two working days.