01
Highest impact
Scope, not area
Whether a quote includes compound wall, landscape, approvals, backup power, water treatment, wardrobes and appliances changes the total far more than a few hundred square feet does.
Investment
What it costs,
and what moves it.
The question everyone asks second
Most firms answer with a rate per square foot. It is the least useful number in construction. Here is what actually determines what you will spend — and how to compare any proposal properly, including ours.
Read the driversA rate per square foot is a ratio calculated after scope and specification are fixed. Comparing two builders on rate alone compares their exclusion lists, not their buildings — and the lower rate usually reflects a smaller promise rather than better value.
01The eight cost drivers
02
High impact
Site conditions
Soil bearing capacity, rock excavation, slope, water table, road width and access for concrete pumps. All are discovered, not assumed — and all are capable of moving foundation cost significantly.
03
High impact
Structural complexity
Long spans, cantilevers, double-height volumes, basements and irregular geometry each add steel, formwork, time and specialist supervision.
04
High impact
Finish level
The same plan can be executed three ways. The difference between a well-built standard finish and a fully bespoke one is not incremental — it compounds across every surface, junction and fitting.
05
Medium–high impact
Joinery volume
Bespoke joinery is usually the single largest interior line. Its cost tracks running metre and complexity, not the floor area of the room it sits in.
06
Medium impact
Services and systems
Air conditioning, home automation, lighting control, water treatment, solar, backup power and lift. Each is optional; together they can approach a fifth of the build.
07
Medium impact
Programme
Compressed programmes cost more — overtime, parallel trades, expedited procurement. Extended programmes cost more too, through preliminaries and escalation. There is an efficient duration for every project.
08
Underestimated
Decision latency
The cost nobody quotes. Late approvals stall trades, push procurement into higher prices, and extend the site establishment you are paying for every month.
02What a headline rate quietly excludes
The most informative page
is the exclusions list.
None of the following is an unreasonable exclusion. Each becomes a problem only when one proposal excludes it silently and another includes it — and the two are then compared on a single number.
- Soil conditions, rock excavation and foundation redesign
- Compound wall, gates, driveway and external development
- Statutory approvals, deposits and betterment charges
- Electrical load sanction, transformer and backup power
- Sump, water treatment, rainwater harvesting and STP
- Wardrobes, kitchen appliances and loose furniture
- Landscape, irrigation and external lighting
- Escalation on long-lead and imported items
- Site establishment beyond the assumed programme
03How to compare any proposal
Four questions.
Ask every firm.
Including us. A firm that cannot answer these clearly is telling you something useful.
- 01What is explicitly excluded?Ask for the exclusions list as a document in its own right, not buried in terms.
- 02Which lines are provisional sums?A provisional sum is a placeholder, not a price. Count them.
- 03What is the specification against each BOQ line?“Or equivalent” is where a comparable quote stops being comparable.
- 04How are changes priced?Rates agreed in advance for variations are worth more than a lower headline figure.
04Where money lasts
| Spend that lasts | Spend that dates |
|---|---|
| Structure, waterproofing and drainage | Feature walls and applied ornament |
| Orientation, shading and ventilation | Fashionable fixture finishes |
| Window and door systems | Ceiling profiles and cove lighting |
| Electrical and plumbing quality | Trend-led material choices |
| Bespoke joinery and storage | Oversized entertainment rooms |
| Daylight and proportion | Anything a specialist must maintain |
The left column is largely invisible in photographs and almost entirely responsible for how a building performs over twenty years. The right column photographs beautifully and dates first.
05Indicative ranges
A band, with
stated assumptions.
Any figure quoted before a site visit and a scope conversation is a guess wearing a decimal point. The estimator exists to make the conversation shorter and more honest — not to replace it.
06Investment questions
Money questions,
answered plainly.
Why does MIYAAR not publish a rate per square foot?
Because the rate is an output, not an input. It is calculated after scope, specification and site conditions are known, so publishing one in advance would either be meaningless or misleading. We publish the drivers instead, and produce a defensible range for your specific project.
What is a provisional sum, and why does it matter?
A provisional sum is a placeholder for work that has not yet been specified — an allowance, not a price. It will be reconciled against the actual cost later, and in practice it moves upward far more often than down. A quote heavy with provisional sums is less certain than it appears.
How much should I hold as a contingency?
For a bespoke residence with a fully detailed BOQ, 5 to 8 per cent is reasonable. Where design is less resolved at the point of contracting, 10 to 15 per cent is more honest. The purpose of MIYAAR stage M4 is to move a project toward the lower end of that range before you commit.
When do I actually pay?
Against physical progress and defined milestones, not against a calendar. A payment schedule that runs ahead of measurable work on site transfers risk to you. We set milestones at M5 and tie each release to verifiable completion.
Does design-build cost more than hiring separately?
It often carries a higher headline fee and a lower total cost. Separate appointments look cheaper at signing but absorb coordination gaps, redesign, variation claims and delay — expenses that appear later and are rarely attributed back to the procurement route that caused them.