What Are You Actually Buying?
You are not paying for "a paper for the municipality" — you are paying for a full working system that starts with a rig on your land and ends with signed recommendations your foundation designer will rely on:
Field borings
Exploratory holes 10–20 meters deep depending on the project, their count following land area:
- Up to 500 m² → a minimum of three borings
- 500 to 1,000 m² → four to five borings
- Over 1,000 m² → per design and site conditions
SPT tests
Run inside each borehole per ASTM D1586 to measure layer strength — the mandatory item in SBC 303 residential reports.
The laboratory program
- Engineering classification (USCS / AASHTO)
- Atterberg limits on clayey layers
- Soil chemistry: sulfates, chlorides, pH
- Organic content where present
The final report
- The geotechnical profile and layer descriptions
- Allowable bearing capacity
- Recommended founding level
- Foundation type, concrete grade, and rebar protection guidance
Four Factors That Move the Price
1) Borings: how many, how deep?
The heaviest item on the bill. A 20-meter boring is not merely double a 10-meter one — greater depths mean different equipment and time.
2) Your site's geography
- Makkah's rock demands heavier drilling equipment and higher cost
- Jeddah's coast imposes extra salt analyses
- Collapsible soils in Riyadh and Qassim add a Collapse Test
- Remote sites add mobilization
3) Tests beyond the basics
- Plate Load — field verification of bearing capacity for major structures
- Collapse Potential — for collapse-prone desert soils
- CPT or Pressuremeter — for in-depth studies
4) The weight of accreditation
A SAAC-accredited lab accepted on Baladi may quote slightly higher — but it is the only one whose report passes on first submission. The "cheaper" unaccredited option costs you a full re-investigation upon rejection.
A Quick Estimating Table
| Villa | Typical borings | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Small (≤ 400 m²) | 3 × 10 m | SAR 3,000 – 5,000 |
| Medium (400–800 m²) | 4 × 15 m | SAR 4,500 – 7,000 |
| Large (> 800 m²) | 5+ × 15–20 m | SAR 6,000 – 10,000+ |
The "Cheapest Offer" Trap
A temptingly low offer usually hides one of these:
- ❗ Fewer or shallower borings than required
- ❗ SPT outside the ASTM D1586 standard
- ❗ A report Baladi rejects — so you pay twice
- ❗ Loose recommendations that steer the foundation design wrong
- ❗ Later structural defects costing tens of thousands
Compare offers through this lens instead of the price lens:
- ✔️ Valid SAAC accreditation
- ✔️ Proven acceptance on the Baladi platform
- ✔️ Calibrated instruments and qualified engineers
- ✔️ A written, clear scope of work before signing
Your Next Step
TECHNO Soil Lab's branches in Makkah, Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh, and Qassim are ready. Send us:
- The land's city and district
- Approximate area
- Project type and floor count
A transparent, itemized quote reaches you from our engineer within 24 hours.
Bottom Line
For SAR 3,000–8,000 you buy complete engineering certainty for your villa. Do not let the number alone judge — the accredited report that clears Baladi on the first try is the cheapest option of all in the long run.