Our September 2026 quote for a Ground + 6 in Al Jurf ran to six pages. It had 117 priced lines. Many owners turn straight to the total and stop there.
But the largest 20 lines carried more than half of the AED 7.63 million price. Know which lines those are, and a quote stops being a wall of numbers.
Here is the short answer. A building construction quotation in Ajman has two parts. The first page gives the scope, the price, the build time and the exclusions. The bill of quantities (BOQ) breaks the price into lines, each with a unit, quantity, rate and amount. Read the exclusions, the allowances and the largest lines first.
In this guide, you will find:
- What the first page of a construction quotation should tell you.
- How to read each column of a bill of quantities.
- What allowances, lump sums and provisional sums mean.
- How to compare contractor quotes line by line, and the red flags to watch.
Every example comes from our own 2026 quotes, with plot numbers and owners’ names removed. We have worked as a building construction company in Ajman since 2017.
What Is a Bill of Quantities in a Construction Quotation?
A bill of quantities lists every item of work with its quantity and price. It turns the consultant’s drawings into numbers you can check. Our 2026 building quotes had about 110 to 120 priced lines each, grouped by trade. Every line adds up to the total on the first page.
The BOQ follows the order of construction. It starts with preliminaries and earthworks. Then it moves through concrete, waterproofing, blockwork, plaster and paint, and tiles. It ends with doors, sanitary ware, services, fire fighting, lifts, AC and external works.
We re-added every line of our three 2026 quotes, and all three totals matched exactly. Ask any contractor for the same: a BOQ whose lines add up to the price. Our building construction cost breakdown shows what those trades come to.
What Should the First Page of a Quotation Tell You?
Who, what, how much, how long and what is left out. Our first pages give the date, the owner, the project and the location. Then they state the scope, the price in figures and words, the completion time and the exclusions. They end with the company’s signature and stamp.
- Scope: ours reads, in short, “build the building to completion, to the consultant’s drawings and specifications”
- Price: in figures and in words, so the two can be checked against each other
- Time: 17 to 20 months in our 2026 building quotes
- Exclusions: VAT, permit and completion certificate fees, and electricity and water fees in all three. Some also excluded AC or the lift.
- Signature and stamp: from the company, so the quote is a formal offer
Ask one more question the first page may not answer: how long does the price stay valid? Concrete in our quotes rose from AED 1,400 per m³ in May 2026 to AED 1,500 in September. Our guide to what is not in your contractor’s price covers every exclusion.
How Do You Read Each Line of a BOQ?
Read across the columns. Each line has a description, a unit, a quantity, a rate and an amount. Some lines also show the material allowance and the fixing rate. The amount should always equal the quantity times the rate. If it does not, ask.
| Column | What it tells you | Example from our quote |
|---|---|---|
| Section | The trade the line belongs to | Concrete works |
| Description | The exact item of work | Raft foundation |
| Pcs. | The allowance for the material itself | AED 30 for floor tiles |
| Fixing | The labour and fixing part of the rate | AED 80 for floor tiles |
| Unit | How the item is measured | m³ |
| Quantity | How much of it, taken from the drawings | 445 |
| Rate | The price per unit, supply and fix | AED 2,000 |
| Amount | Quantity × rate | AED 890,000 |
Source: the BOQ columns in our September 2026 Ground + 6 quote.
Check the arithmetic on the big lines yourself. 445 m³ at AED 2,000 is AED 890,000. 480 m² of floor tiles at AED 110 is AED 52,800. If a line does not multiply out, ask why.
What Do the Units in a BOQ Mean?
Each unit tells you how the item is measured and paid. Concrete is priced per cubic metre, walls and tiles per square metre, and kitchens per running metre. Doors are priced per piece. Some items are one lump sum, and some are provisional sums.
- m³ (cubic metre): concrete, excavation and backfilling. Our frame concrete was AED 1,400 to 1,500 per m³.
- m² (square metre): blockwork, plaster, paint, tiles, waterproofing, aluminium and glass
- RM (running metre): kitchen cabinets, stair handrails and kerb stones
- No. (number): doors, bathroom sets and water heaters
- L/S (lump sum): one price for a whole package, such as preliminaries or fire fighting
- PS (provisional sum): a set amount for an item still to be confirmed, such as lifts or AC
Units matter when you compare. A quote that prices kitchens per piece cannot be compared with one that prices them per running metre. Ask for the same units.
What Is an Allowance, and Why Does It Matter?
An allowance is the sum set aside for the material you will choose later. It sits in the Pcs. column. In our quotes, floor tiles carried an AED 30 allowance inside an AED 110 rate. Pick a dearer tile, and you pay the difference.
- Ceramic tiles: AED 30 allowance plus AED 80 fixing, AED 110 per m²
- Entrance marble: AED 100 allowance plus AED 100 fixing, AED 200 per m²
- Interlock paving: AED 25 allowance plus AED 65 fixing, AED 90 per m²
- Kitchen cabinets: AED 800 per running metre
- Bathroom sets: AED 1,500 each in our September quotes, and AED 2,000 in May
Allowances are where two quotes quietly differ. Say one contractor allows AED 30 for a tile and another allows AED 15. The cheaper quote is not the same building. Compare allowances before you compare totals.
Related guide: Building construction rates in Ajman
Which Lines Carry Most of the Money?
A small number of them. In each of our three 2026 quotes, the largest 20 lines carried 54 to 56 percent of the price. The biggest were the foundations, the floor slabs, aluminium and glass, doors and the services lump sums.
On our raft Ground + 6, the raft alone was AED 890,000. Each floor slab was AED 199,500, repeated seven times. Aluminium and glass came to AED 442,000. Fire fighting was AED 220,000.
So check those lines hardest. A 10 percent difference on a slab line matters far more than one on a garbage chute. Our guide to residential building construction cost shows what those lines mean per flat. Our foundation cost guide explains the biggest line of all.
What Are Lump Sums and Provisional Sums?
A lump sum is one price for a whole package. A provisional sum is a set amount for an item not yet fixed. Both are normal in an Ajman construction quotation, but both hide detail. Ask what each lump sum includes, and how a provisional sum will be adjusted.
In our quotes, preliminaries were a lump sum of AED 30,000 to 50,000. Fire fighting, plumbing and drainage, and the electrical works were lump sums too. In our Al Nuaimia quote, the lifts and the ducted AC were provisional sums.
A lump sum for fire fighting should say what it covers. Ours read “firefighting system installation with all accessories”. A provisional sum should name the make and capacity where it can. Our Al Nuaimia quote named Hitachi ducted AC. Our September quotes still named the lift: a 10-person Fuji or Mitsubishi. There, it was a lump-sum line.
How Do You Compare Contractor Quotes in Ajman Line by Line?
Put them on the same basis first. Check the built-up area, the foundation type and the main quantities. Then compare rates, allowances, units and exclusions. A cheaper total often means less in the price, not a better price. The seven checks below cover the main gaps.
- Area: both quotes should use the built-up area from the consultant’s area calculation.
- Foundations: raft or piles, from the same soil report.
- Quantities: concrete per floor, blockwork and tiles should be close, because they come from the same drawings.
- Rates: compare like with like, such as concrete per m³ or plaster per m².
- Allowances: tiles, marble, kitchens and bathroom sets.
- Exclusions and owner’s scope: AC, lifts and dewatering, and any line priced at zero.
- Time: the build period, and what is outside it.
Watch for zero lines. In our Al Jurf quotes, dewatering was priced at zero with a note: the owner’s scope, if required. That is honest, but it is easy to miss in a list of 117 lines.
Two of our own quotes for the same height came AED 40 per sq ft apart. Our building construction cost guide explains why.
What Are the Red Flags in a Building Quotation?
A single total with no breakdown is the first. Others are missing trades, no exclusions, quantities far from the drawings and very low allowances. Pressure for a large advance is another. Two or more together in one construction quotation deserve a pause.
- One total with no bill of quantities
- A whole trade missing, such as waterproofing or fire fighting
- No exclusions listed at all
- Quantities far from what the drawings show
- Allowances well below market for tiles or bathroom sets
- No written scope, and pressure for a large advance
Our guide on how to spot a real contractor covers the wider warning signs. Check that the contractor’s licence is issued in Ajman, too. Our guide to the engineering consultant and building contractor explains why.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a BOQ in construction?
A bill of quantities lists every item of work with its unit, quantity, rate and amount. Its lines add up to the quoted price.
What should a construction quotation include in the UAE?
The scope, the price in figures and words, the build time, the exclusions and a full BOQ. It should be signed and stamped by the company.
What does Pcs. mean in a BOQ?
In our quotes, it is the allowance for the material, such as AED 30 per m² for tiles. The Fixing column shows the labour part, and the two add up to the rate.
What is the difference between a lump sum and a provisional sum?
A lump sum is a fixed price for a package. A provisional sum is a set amount for an item still to be confirmed.
How do I compare two building quotes?
Use the same built-up area and foundation type. Then compare quantities, rates, allowances and exclusions, line by line.
Does a building quotation include VAT?
Ours do not, and most are written excluding VAT. A VAT-registered contractor adds 5% to every invoice, under the Federal Tax Authority’s VAT rules.
How many lines does a building BOQ have?
Our 2026 quotes for buildings of six and seven levels had about 110 to 120 priced lines each.
Why is one quote much cheaper than another?
Usually because it includes less. Check the foundations, allowances, AC, lifts and dewatering before you compare totals.
Who prepares the quantities in a BOQ?
The contractor takes them from the consultant’s drawings. Ask how each main quantity was measured.
Can you review a quote I already have?
Yes. Send us your drawings and we will price them line by line, free of charge, so you can compare. Use our contact page or WhatsApp.
So, How Should You Read Your Next Quotation?
Start with the first page: scope, price, time and exclusions. Then read the BOQ, starting with the largest lines and the allowances. Check the units, the lump sums and any line priced at zero. Only then compare totals.
Remember those 117 lines. You do not need to check every one. Check the 20 that carry half the money, and the few that say what is left out.
Planning a building now? As a general contractor, we give every owner a full BOQ before anything is signed. See our residential building construction and commercial building construction services.
Which line in your quote makes the least sense to you? Send it to us on WhatsApp, and we will explain what it should cover.
