Many developers put sorting off until after handover, treating it as paperwork that can be done later. In off-plan sales this is a costly decision: contracts are signed on areas, parking spaces and common parts before construction, and any later difference between what was sold and what can be sorted becomes a dispute with buyers, while amending it needs the approval of the authority and buyers. This guide explains the regulatory and practical reasons for preparing the sorting plan before sales, what the plan contains, and when it fits into the project schedule.
Regulatory Reasons
- The approved sorting record is a condition for the project licence if the project contains sorted units. Read: Engineering documents for the Wafi file.
- Approved construction drawings are modified only with the approval of the authority and buyers; any error in unit boundaries after sale is hard to correct.
- The model contract includes joint ownership provisions, which require the common parts to be defined.
Practical Reasons
| Without an early sorting plan | With an early sorting plan |
|---|---|
| The area in the contract may differ from reality | A defined, consistent area |
| Disputes over parking and roofs | Clear common parts |
| A design that may not meet sorting requirements | Meters and unit boundaries planned from the start |
| Late title transfer | A shorter path from contract to deed |
| Marketing with general information | An accurate presentation of each unit and its share, raising buyer confidence |
What Does the Sorting Plan Contain?
- Each unit's boundaries, area and number.
- Parking: common and assigned to specific units.
- Common parts: entrances, corridors, stairs, lifts, roofs and service rooms. Read: A unit's share of the common parts.
- Separate meters for the units and the common parts.
- A unified area schedule used in the drawings, contracts and sorting record.
When Does It Fit Into the Project Schedule?
- In parallel with the architectural design, so the design meets sorting requirements. Read: Design mistakes that prevent sorting.
- Before applying for the project licence, as it is one of its requirements when there are sorted units.
- Before preparing the contract templates and marketing materials.
Read: Unit sorting in off-plan projects and From contract to deed.
Common Mistakes
- Preparing the sorting after handover from a survey of the as-built, revealing differences from the contracts.
- Selling parking or roofs without defining them on the plan.
- Different area schedules between the sales team and the engineering office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can sorting be amended after sale?
Re-sorting has rules, and modifying approved drawings needs the approval of the authority and buyers.
Who prepares the sorting plan?
An engineering office that surveys the property and submits the sorting request online to the Real Estate General Authority.
Does an early plan raise the units' value?
It raises buyer confidence through clarity about what they are buying, and shortens the path to an independent deed. Read: Does sorting increase property value?.
Is the plan needed for small projects?
Wherever units will be sold with independent deeds, early sorting planning is useful regardless of size.
Does the plan change after construction?
It is matched against the as-built, and any difference is handled through the regulatory route.
How Abak Engineering Consultancy Helps
Abak is an accredited engineering office that prepares the sorting plan in parallel with the design, with a unified area schedule and defined common parts and parking, as the basis for the project licence and buyers' contracts. See our residential and commercial unit sorting drawings 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.