Project Management and Construction Control.
Engineering project management runs a project from early planning to handover and operation, with three aims: the quality you asked for, the budget you approved and the programme you agreed.
It acts as the owner's technical and commercial arm: preparing the tender documents, prequalifying and selecting contractors, drafting sound contracts, managing costs and checking payment claims (the contractor's interim valuations), and tracking the critical path to prevent waste and delay.
Most construction disputes do not start with a mistake on site. They start with a vague contract, or a payment schedule in which the money runs ahead of the work. So project management begins before the contract is signed: a written scope, bills of quantities that every contractor prices on the same basis, and payments tied to stages that can be verified on site.
How it runs
The stages.
- Scope, objectives and target budget. We study the project documents and set the technical and financial priorities and the overall programme.
- Tender and contractor selection. We issue the tender documents to qualified contractors, then analyse and compare the bids to choose the right one.
- Contract and mobilisation. We draft the construction contract and agree the procurement plan, the programme and who is responsible for what.
- Cost and programme control. We track actual progress, control changes and check each payment claim before the contractor is paid.
- Final inspection, close-out and handover. We take over the completed works, check the as-built drawings and warranties, and close the project file.
Deliverables
What you receive.
- Tender documents and bills of quantities. Tender documents, material specifications and bills of quantities, so contractors price fairly and competitively.
- Technical and financial bid evaluation. A side-by-side analysis of the technical and financial bids, to select the contractor who is technically capable and fairly priced.
- Detailed programme and critical-path tracking. The project programme by stage, progress tracking, and early action on any slippage.
- Cost control and payment-claim checks. Each payment claim reviewed and matched to the work actually done on site before payment is approved.
- Regular progress and quality reports. Regular reports on progress, actual costs, percentage complete and emerging risks.
- Handover and project close-out. Managing the final inspection and collecting the as-built drawings, warranty certificates and operating documents.
Before we start
What we need from you.
- The approved drawings and building permit, or a note of the stage the project has reached.
- Your target budget and the completion date you need.
- Your priorities when they conflict: cost, time or the level of finish.
- Any existing contracts and quotes, if a contractor is already appointed.
- For stalled projects: the payments made so far, correspondence and site photographs.
- Who holds approval authority: who signs off change orders and payments.
Fees
What sets the fee.
- The size of the project and its estimated value.
- The construction period, since the service runs for the whole project.
- Scope: tender and contractor selection only, or full management through to close-out.
- The number of contractors and packages, and how complex the coordination between them is.
- How often you want reports and meetings.
- The state of the project at the start: new, or under way and stalled, needing an initial assessment.
Frequently asked questions.
What is the difference between project management and engineering supervision?
Engineering supervision focuses on the quality of the work and its match to the drawings. Project management runs the whole project: contracting, budget control, the programme and managing contractors. The two can be combined in one office, with the supervision team carrying out the technical checks on site while project management handles the contracts, payments and programme.
How does project management protect the owner from cost overruns and disputes?
Through sound contracts and accurate bills of quantities, and by releasing no payment until an engineer has verified that the work has been done to the required specification.
Can you take over a stalled construction project?
Yes. We assess the current position and review the contracts and costs to date, then set out a recovery plan for the programme and budget. That starts with measuring what has actually been built and comparing it with what has been paid, then working out what remains and what it will cost, before any decision to continue with the current contractor or replace them.
Is project management a legal requirement in Saudi Arabia?
No. What a building permit on Balady, the government platform where permits are issued, requires is a contract with an engineering office for design, a supervising engineering office and a contractor. Project management is a service the owner chooses when they want someone to run contracting, costs and the programme on their behalf, and the same office can provide it alongside supervision.
How are contractor payments linked to progress?
The payment schedule is built on completed stages that can be verified — footings finished, slabs poured, blockwork complete — not on dates or on the contractor's requests. No payment claim is approved until the stage has been checked on site against the specification, with a retention released at handover as the contract provides.
How are change orders managed during construction?
No change is carried out until it is documented in writing: what it is, its effect on cost and time, and your approval. Its price is checked against the contract rates and the market, and material price trends are followed through the Construction Cost Index published by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). That way, verbal changes do not pile up and appear suddenly in the final payment claim.
Official sources
- Issuing a building permit — Balady — Ministry of Municipalities and Housing
- Construction Cost Index — General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT)
Contact
Talk to an engineer.
Send us the plot location and what you want to build. We reply with the scope, the route through the permit, and a written quote.