PAPI BOQ Calculator

Bill of quantities for 2-box (APAPI) and 4-box PAPI installations: light units, lamps, isolating transformers, frangible legs and bases, foundations, primary cable, connectors, trench and duct, CCR and aiming equipment.

About this calculator

Add one row per runway-end installation. Choose 2-box or 4-box, one or both sides of the runway, the lead-in distance from the nearest AGL circuit or vault, and whether a new CCR is needed. Quantities come from the construction assumptions below, all editable. The calculator does not position the units or set the aiming angles — use the PAPI Installation & Glide-Path Geometry calculator for that — and its output is a nominal estimate, not a final BOQ.

Quick start

PAPI Installations

One row per runway end. Units per installation = boxes per bar × sides. Choose "Both" sides for a bar on each side of the runway; the cable and duct crossing the runway are added automatically. "Existing" CCR excludes a CCR from the BOQ (PAPI added to a circuit that already has capacity).

#	Runway End	System	Sides	Lead-in (m)	Extra Duct (m)	CCR

Lead-in = cable route length from the nearest AGL cable or vault to the first bar. CSV columns: runway_end, boxes (2 or 4), sides (1 or 2), leadin_m, duct_m, ccr (new / existing).

Construction Assumptions

Defaults are typical starting values, not manufacturer data. Replace them with your PAPI unit datasheet, project specification and cable data.

Light Source Type

Loads a preset for lamps per unit and watts per lamp. Edit both in "Lamps & transformers" below to match the datasheet. For LED units, enter the unit's input VA (watts ÷ power factor) if the datasheet gives it, because the transformer is sized on this load.

PAPI BOQ Calculator: Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers on how the PAPI bill of quantities is built from runway-end schedules and assumptions.

What does the PAPI BOQ Calculator do?

It builds a calculated bill of quantities for PAPI and APAPI installations. Each runway-end row is expanded into units, cable, trench, foundation and circuit quantities from geometry and editable assumptions, then summed across the project. It also gives a per-installation breakdown, CSV import and export, and a printable BOQ.

How do I enter the PAPI installations?

Add one row per runway end, with the system (2 or 4 boxes), the sides (1 or 2), the lead-in cable length, any extra duct, and whether the CCR is new or existing. Units per installation = boxes per bar × sides, and choosing both sides adds the cable and duct crossing the runway automatically. You can also import a CSV with the columns runway_end, boxes, sides, leadin_m, duct_m and ccr.

How is the primary cable length calculated?

Lcable = 2(Llead-in + Lbar) + 2(Lcross + Lbar) for both sides + Nunits × tail, where Lbar = (boxes − 1) × S and Lcross = runway width + 2 × the distance of the inner unit from the runway edge. The inner-unit distance defaults to 15 m for a 4-box PAPI and 10 m for a 2-box APAPI, which are typical ICAO values to confirm against your standard. The factor of 2 is there because a series circuit is a loop, and the slack allowance is applied on top.

How is the isolating transformer size chosen?

Wunit = lamps per unit × watts per lamp and VAreq = Wunit × (1 + margin). The transformer is the smallest standard size (45, 65, 100, 150, 200, 300 or 500 W) not below the required VA. Selecting LED or halogen loads a preset for lamps per unit and watts per lamp, which you should replace with your PAPI unit datasheet values.

How is the CCR sized?

Pcircuit = Nunits × Wunit ÷ ηtr + I² × R′ × Lcable, and the CCR must be at least Pcircuit × (1 + margin). One dedicated CCR is counted per runway-end row marked New, selected from the standard sizes 4, 7.5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 50, 70 and 100 kW. A CCR marked Existing is excluded from the BOQ, and for a shared circuit you should size the CCR with the CCR Selection and Loading calculator.

What foundation and structure items does it include?

One concrete pad per unit (length × width × depth), reinforcement per m³, and legs, couplings, base plates and anchor bolts per unit. Excavation covers the trench and each foundation pit, and the sand bed comes from trench length × width × bed thickness. Each unit also gets one isolating transformer, primary and secondary connector sets, frangible legs, a base and a foundation pad.

Are the default assumptions manufacturer data?

No. They are typical starting values, not manufacturer data, so replace them with your PAPI unit datasheet, project specification and cable data. The order quantity applies the allowance, rounding counted items up to whole pieces and measured items up to 2 decimals (3 for m³). PAPI siting, unit spacing, setback, aiming angles, frangibility and circuit design must come from the applicable standard and the approved manufacturer design.

Is the result a final BOQ, and what does it not do?

No. It is a calculated nominal quantity, not a final BOQ quantity. It does not locate the units, set the aiming angles, check obstacle clearance or price the BOQ, and it does not size a shared circuit's CCR or check voltage drop on the series loop. Verify the result against the approved PAPI layout drawing and manufacturer data before issue.

Important Notice, Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability

Please read before relying on any content on this page or on any result or record produced by it.

Specific to this page: Applies to the PAPI BOQ Calculator (calculator), including its CSV downloads, print views.

Calculated results. Results, tables, charts, status indicators (such as “OK”, “within limit” or “pass”/“fail”), recommended or selected values and the example presets on this page are first-pass planning and training estimates calculated in your browser from the values you enter, using simplified formulas, generic tables and typical values. They do not take account of every factor of a real installation, may contain errors or rounding differences, and are not a design, specification, selection, sizing, procurement or acceptance decision. A competent person must check them against the approved design, the manufacturer’s data and the applicable standard before any use. “Recommended” means an indicative estimate, not an endorsement of any rating, product or supplier.

PAPI and visual glide slope aids. PAPI geometry, setting angles, unit separation, aiming and indication values are generic estimates for learning and planning. They are not a flight-inspection, survey, commissioning or aiming certificate and do not replace the survey, flight check and approvals required by the aerodrome operator, the air navigation service provider and the regulator. Indication tables are not operational information or instructions for pilots, controllers or vehicle drivers. Do not adjust, aim, energise or return to service any visual glide slope aid on the strength of this tool.

Bills of quantities and material lists. BOQ and material quantities are first-pass estimates based on your inputs and generic allowances. They omit items, wastage, spares, civil works, cable lengths and site conditions that a real project will need. A BOQ produced here is not a tender document, quotation, purchase order or an approved material take-off, and no price, product or supplier is implied. We do not sell the items listed.

Reports, downloads and printouts. PDF reports, CSV files and printed pages produced by this tool are uncontrolled working records generated in your browser. They are not approved designs, drawings, controlled documents, certificates, permits or regulatory records. Calculator numbers, revision labels, dates, project names, signature or approval fields on them are layout only and carry no authority unless made under your own approved document-control system. You must not present an output as an approved, verified or certified document. If you enter personal or confidential information, you are responsible for handling any exported file lawfully, including under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

Your data and third-party services. Calculations run in your browser. Values you type, select or tick, and any report you generate, are not sent to us. We use no advertising or analytics tools on this page. Your browser requests fonts from Google Fonts and icon files (and, on some pages, scripts) from the cdnjs/Cloudflare network, which receive your IP address and basic browser details under their own policies. Please do not include confidential, classified or security-sensitive information in anything you send to us.

Educational reference only. This page is general information for competent, suitably trained and authorised aviation and electrical personnel and for learners. It is not professional engineering, legal, regulatory or safety advice, is not an approved procedure, and creates no professional or client relationship. Values, tolerances, intervals, sequences and examples are generic and indicative; real installations differ by design, make, model, age and condition, and your aerodrome’s approved procedures and the manufacturer’s documents prevail.

Standards and regulations. References to ICAO, FAA, IEC, IEEE, ISO, BIS (IS), DGCA, AAI and other documents are paraphrased summaries for orientation. They are not official text, may be incomplete or superseded, and do not state what any airport, project or regulator requires. Always consult the current official editions and the controlling project specification. Using this tool, or following its output, does not guarantee compliance with any law, standard or approval, and nothing on this page states that any airport, product or project complies or does not comply.

Safety. Series-circuit airfield ground lighting equipment can carry lethal voltages. Treat every circuit as live until it has been isolated, locked out, proved dead and discharged under your aerodrome’s permit-to-work and LOTO procedures and the manufacturer’s instructions. Nothing on this page authorises work on live equipment, bypassing of any safety device or interlock, installation, adjustment, energisation, return to service, a change of operating category (CAT I/II/III), a NOTAM or any certification decision; those rest with the aerodrome operator, the air navigation service provider and the competent regulator.

No warranty; limitation of liability. Content and calculation results are provided “as is” and “as available” without warranty of any kind, including accuracy, completeness, currency, freedom from error or fitness for a particular purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Precision AGL Academy, Precision AGL Solutions and their owners, authors and contributors are not liable for any injury, death, loss, damage, downtime, penalty, cost or regulatory consequence arising from use of, reliance on, or inability to use this page or any result or file produced by it. Nothing here excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

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Notice v2.9 · 27 October 2026 · Full terms: Legal & Disclaimer

PAPI BOQ Calculator

PAPI Installations

Construction Assumptions

Bill of Quantities

Material BOQ

Per-Installation Breakdown

How This Calculator Works

Units and bar length

Primary cable, trench and duct

Transformer selection

CCR sizing

Foundation and structure

What this calculator does not do

PAPI BOQ Calculator: Frequently Asked Questions

Related Knowledge Hub Resources

PAPI Installation Geometry

PAPI Indication Reference

CCR Selection & Loading

AGL Toolkit

Talk to Precision AGL Academy

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Important Notice, Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability