A building permit cannot be issued without an engineering office: it prepares the drawings, submits the application and addresses comments. But many disputes between owners and offices start with an unclear contract: who pays for design changes? Is supervision included? When are the files handed over? This article explains contracting an engineering office on Balady, each party's role in the application, what the contract should include, and how to compare offers and check the office before authorising it.
Authorisation on Balady
According to the building permit service description, the permit owner or their representative authorises a design office to start the procedure; the office accepts the authorisation through Balady Business and starts the application. After the design is approved, the design office names the supervising office and then the building contractor, and each party is notified to accept the assignment. Read: The building permit journey on Balady.
The Three Parties and Their Roles
| Party | Role |
|---|---|
| Design office | Prepares the designs, submits the application and addresses audit and municipality comments. See our architectural drawings service. |
| Supervising office | Follows construction, checks conformity with the drawings and submits construction notices up to the occupancy certificate. See our engineering supervision service. |
| Contractor | Carries out the construction and completes its data in the application. |
Are Engineering Office Fees Fixed?
No. Balady notes that engineering office fees are agreed between the office and the beneficiary. So compare offers by what they actually include, not just by price. The cheapest offer may exclude a whole discipline or limit revisions to one.
What Should the Engineering Office Contract Include?
- Scope of work: the disciplines included (architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire safety).
- Handling comments: does the fee cover addressing technical audit and municipality comments until issue?
- The number of design revisions included at the owner's request, and the cost of extra ones.
- Timeframes for each stage, and who bears delays.
- Technical reports required and whether they are included (survey decision, soil investigation, traffic study).
- Supervision: does the contract cover construction supervision or only design? Under which system (visits or resident engineer)?
- Handing over files: the owner's right to receive the final drawings in editable formats.
- A payment schedule tied to clear stages: preliminary design, approval, issue.
How to Compare Office Offers
| Comparison item | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Disciplines included | ? | ? |
| Handling comments until issue | ? | ? |
| Free revisions | ? | ? |
| Supervision | ? | ? |
| Expected duration | ? | ? |
Fill in this table for each offer before looking at the total price. The same method applies to contractors: Comparing contractor bids.
How to Check the Office Before Contracting
- Make sure it is a classified office that appears among the offices available for selection on Balady.
- Ask for examples of projects similar to yours, ideally visiting one.
- Ask about communication and who will actually follow your application.
- Ask about the average number of comment rounds on its previous projects.
Common Contracting Mistakes
- A verbal agreement without a written contract defining the scope.
- Authorising on Balady before the contract is settled.
- Assuming supervision is automatically included.
- Not specifying responsibility for delays in addressing comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the engineering office after the application starts?
It depends on the application stage and platform procedures, so it is best to settle the choice and the contract before authorising.
Does the designer have to be the supervisor?
The design office names the supervising office at the contracting stage; it may be the same office or another, as agreed.
What is the difference between an engineering office and a consultancy?
Read: Engineering office vs. engineering consultancy.
Who owns the drawings after issue?
State this explicitly in the contract, and make sure you receive the final files, as you will need them for any later modification.
Do I pay the full fee upfront?
It is better to tie payments to clear stages in the contract.
Related Guides
- Building permits in Saudi Arabia: the complete guide
- Building permit fees
- The cost of engineering supervision
How Abak Engineering Consultancy Helps
Abak is an accredited engineering office in Riyadh offering a clearly scoped contract covering design in all disciplines and handling comments until issue, with the option of construction supervision. Learn about our building permit service, or contact us.
Regulatory information is based on the Balady platform and the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, and procedures may be updated by the competent authority. Last reviewed: October 2026.
