A measurement book (MB) is the official register, maintained by the client's engineer under the contract conditions (for example the CPWD and state PWD manuals), in which the measurements of work done and materials supplied by the contractor are recorded, usually jointly, with dates, locations and dimensions, and signed by both sides. RA bills and the final bill are prepared from the MB. Signed MB entries are strong evidence of the quantity and existence of work in any recovery claim or arbitration.
How measurement books work in India
As work progresses, the junior engineer or site engineer measures completed items in the presence of the contractor's representative and records them in the MB with the date. Both sign. Senior engineers test-check a percentage of the measurements. The contractor prepares the RA bill from the MB abstract. Where the client delays or refuses measurements, the contractor should record its own measurements, photograph the work with dates, and write to the engineer demanding joint measurement. Many arbitration awards in construction disputes turn on whether the claimant could produce MB entries or credible substitutes for the disputed quantities.
Why it matters for getting paid
The MB is the difference between a certified claim and a contested one. If the client disputes an RA bill, the signed MB settles the quantities, leaving only rates and deductions to argue. Contractors should insist on timely joint measurements and keep copies of the relevant MB pages. See RA bill, retention money and arbitration clause.
How FundRaksha uses it
FundRaksha's advocates build construction claims from the MB pages, RA bills and certificates, and where measurements were refused, from the contractor's records, photographs and correspondence demanding joint measurement. The notice sets out quantities, rates and the resulting amount with interest. Fee: 30% of recovery, nothing upfront.
Worked example (hypothetical)
A Bhubaneswar contractor completes 2,000 cubic metres of RCC at a contract rate of ₹9,000 per cubic metre (₹1,80,00,000 gross). The MB records 1,850 cubic metres, signed by both sides; 150 cubic metres of the final pour was never measured because the engineer was transferred. The contractor's letters requesting joint measurement, dated photographs and the structural drawings support the remaining 150 cubic metres (₹13,50,000). In the notice, the ₹1,66,50,000 for measured work less payments received is claimed as certified, and the ₹13,50,000 is claimed on the contractor's evidence. The arbitrator later allows the full quantity, finding the client's failure to measure unjustified.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-08. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.