Free template Design ~6 min read

Free download, no sign-up

Free Excel BOM template: multi-level bill of materials to download

Published September 28, 2026 — a ready-to-fill workbook with drop-down lists, flagged duplicates and calculated masses, the rules of a clean BOM, and how to feed it from SOLIDWORKS.

Download the template Jump to contents

.xlsx No macros, no sign-up

15 Useful columns, not one more

2 Templates: BOM and PDM checklist

Download the BOM template

An Excel workbook ready to fill in, no macros, compatible with Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets. Free, no sign-up, free to modify.

Download the template (.xlsx, 12 KB)

Multi-level BOM: Level column, highlighted sub-assemblies, indented descriptions.
Drop-down lists for item type and unit: no “bought / Buy / BGT” variants breaking filters.
Duplicate part numbers in red, checks on level and quantity.
Calculated masses: line mass, sub-assembly mass, total mass.
A filled-in example (motor bracket assembly, 8 lines over 2 levels) and a how-to tab.
Print-ready: landscape, one page wide, repeated headers.

1. The template columns, and why each one

Each column answers a question someone downstream will ask: purchasing, the shop floor, stores or the ERP. A column nobody uses is a column nobody fills in.

Column	Purpose
Item	Line item number, in steps of 10 so you can insert without renumbering.
Level	1 for a direct component, 2 for a sub-assembly component, and so on. This is what makes the BOM multi-level.
Part number	The item's unique identifier. A duplicate turns red.
Description	What the item is, always written the same way (name, then characteristics).
Qty / Unit	Quantity per parent assembly, with its unit: piece, m, m², kg, L, lot (drop-down).
Type	Made, Bought, Sub-assembly, Phantom or Raw material: the column purchasing and production rely on.
Material / standard	Grade (S235JR, 6082…) for a made part, standard and class for fasteners.
Masses	Unit mass entered, line mass calculated, assembly total calculated over level 1.
Supplier, supplier part no.	For bought items: enough to order without searching.
Revision, finish, notes	The item's revision, its treatment (paint, zinc plating…) and anything the shop must know.

2. The 5 rules of a clean BOM

One line = one item, identified by a unique part number. Two lines with the same part number at the same level mean a quantity to merge — or a mistake.
Quantity is per parent, not cumulative: 4 screws in a sub-assembly used twice are written 4, not 8. Totals are calculated.
Descriptions follow a rule: name, then dimensions, then material. “Hex bolt M10 × 30”, never “10 mm bolt 30 long”.
Every item has a type: made, bought, sub-assembly or phantom. It decides whether the line goes to purchasing, manufacturing or nowhere.
The BOM has a revision, like a drawing. A BOM modified without a new revision means two different versions circulating under the same name.

This template describes the engineering BOM (eBOM): the product structure as designed. The manufacturing BOM (mBOM) is derived from it but doesn't look like it — the eBOM vs mBOM article shows the difference line by line.

3. Filling the template from SOLIDWORKS

Don't re-key a BOM the CAD system already knows. In a drawing, insert a Bill of Materials (“Indented” or “Parts only”), add columns linked to custom properties (Description, Material, Supplier…), then right-click the table → Save As to Excel or CSV and paste the columns into the template.

The result is only as good as the parts' properties. If descriptions are free text and mass is typed by hand, the export will be too: that's what SOLIDWORKS property codification is for. For the mass column, the mass calculator gives a quick check.

4. When Excel is no longer enough

A workbook is perfect for one product, a small team, or a first costing. It hits its limits as soon as one of these signs appears:

Several people edit the same BOM and nobody knows which copy is right.
Nobody knows where an item is used (“where-used”) before changing it.
The BOM is re-keyed into the ERP, with the copying errors that come with it.

At that point, the BOM must live in a tool that manages versions and links: the article which software to manage your BOMs compares the 5 tool families, and BOM, PDM, PLM and ERP explains who should own what.

5. Bonus: the SOLIDWORKS PDM migration checklist

If you're preparing to move your files into a PDM vault, the checklist follows the six phases of my method (audit, strategy, clean-up, technical migration, cut-over, stabilisation): 33 actions with their deliverable, a status per line and progress calculated per phase.

Download the checklist (.xlsx)

The detailed method, phase by phase: data migration to SOLIDWORKS PDM.

6. FAQ

Is the BOM template really free?

Yes: direct download, no sign-up or email address, and you can modify it and use it in your company as you wish.

Does the template work with Google Sheets or LibreOffice?

Yes. It uses no macros and no recent functions: only classic formulas (IF, SUMIF, COUNTIF), drop-down lists and conditional formatting.

What is the difference between a flat and a multi-level BOM?

A flat BOM lists every item with its total quantity, with no structure. A multi-level BOM keeps the tree: each sub-assembly carries its own components, so you can build and supply step by step. The template is multi-level thanks to the Level column.

How do I export a SOLIDWORKS BOM to Excel?

In the drawing, right-click the BOM table, then Save As, and choose Excel or CSV. The exported columns are those in the table: first add the useful custom properties (description, material, supplier).

What is a phantom item in a BOM?

A grouping that structures the BOM without physically existing or being stocked: its components are consumed directly by the parent assembly. It's used, for example, to group a fastener kit.