How to Exclude a Part from a BOM in SOLIDWORKS
Contents
You can exclude a part or subassembly from a SOLIDWORKS bill of materials when it should appear in the assembly but not be counted in the BOM. This is useful for reference parts, purchased context models, layout components, tooling, and visual-only items.
Exclude a component from the BOM
- Open the assembly.
- Right-click the component you want to exclude.
- Choose Component Properties.
- Enable Exclude from bill of materials.
- Click OK.
- Rebuild the assembly and update the drawing BOM.
The component remains in the assembly, but the BOM should no longer list it as a normal item. If the drawing is already open, rebuild the drawing or update the BOM table to see the change.
Check the BOM type
The result can depend on whether the BOM is top-level only, parts only, or indented. If the component is inside a subassembly, check the BOM structure settings for both the component and the subassembly.
For subassemblies, decide whether the whole subassembly should be excluded or whether only certain child components should be hidden from the BOM. Those are different decisions and can affect purchasing or manufacturing lists.
Use exclusions carefully
Do not exclude real manufacturing or purchased parts just to make a table look cleaner. A missing BOM item can cause ordering, assembly, or costing mistakes. Use the setting only when the part truly should not be included in the bill of materials.
If the item is a reference component, consider naming it clearly or placing it in a reference folder so other users understand why it is excluded.
Troubleshooting
If the part still appears in the BOM, make sure you changed the correct instance and configuration. Component properties can be configuration-specific. Also confirm that the drawing view and BOM are referencing the expected assembly configuration.
If a BOM item disappears unexpectedly, inspect the component properties before assuming the BOM table is broken. The exclusion setting is easy to miss when reviewing an assembly later.
