How Much Water?

So as I sit on my porch waiting for the UPS guy to bring the rest of my stuff (Waiting out there keeps me away from the still angry at what I spent, SWMBO) I am planning my Brown Ale that will be my first AG..

I have read 1 quart per pound of grain for the mash, then the sparge.. The question is, about how much wort should I have when I start boiling? 6.5 gallons? 7 gallons? and at what point should I add first hops and start the 60min timer?

How much to boil will depend on how much volume you are shooting for, how long your boil will be and your evaporation rate. I try to shoot for 6.5 gals for a 5.5 gallon batch. I usually boil for around 75 minutes. I let it boil for about 10-15 to get the hot break and then start the timer and add the bittereing hops. I get about a gallon loss to evaporation in that time but it will depend on you system.

I use 40 oz. of H2O per lb of malt.
My friend Ray said this information was brought down the mountain by Moses.

Count on aproximately 10% evaporation.
Keep in mind your lab is unique, and you will likely need to tweak accordingly until you get your desired Volume and Gravity. i.e., it may take a few batches to dial it in.

I bring it to a boil then add the first hops 10 mins later and start my 60 min timer (70 min total). I get approximately 20% evaporation per hour so I start at 6.75 gallons.