A mamad is one of the few components in construction where the specification is fixed by law rather than personal taste. Precisely because of that, the spread between quotes surprises people — if everyone builds to the same standard, why does the difference reach tens of percent?
The answer is almost never the price of labour. It is what the quote includes.
What makes up the price
- Design and permitting — architect, structural consultant, submission to the committee, fees and levies. A real item, and often the one missing from the cheap quote.
- Earthworks and foundations — depends on the soil and the depth required.
- Concrete and reinforcement — walls and slab poured as one unit. The only item that barely varies between quotes.
- Certified elements — blast door, blast window, filtration and ventilation. All must be certified.
- Services and finishes — electrics, plaster, paint, flooring.
- Management and supervision — coordinating the trades, checking execution and verifying against the specification before the structure is closed.
Four things that genuinely raise the cost
- Site access. If a concrete pump cannot reach, a more expensive solution is needed. This can be the single largest difference between two quotes.
- An addition to an existing house versus new build. An addition needs strengthening, connection to existing foundations and sometimes partial demolition — it is always more expensive.
- Floor level. A mamad on an upper floor requires a load check and sometimes strengthening of the whole structure.
- Foundation depth. Weak soil changes the picture, and it cannot be known for certain before a soil investigation.
What a quote must contain
A quote that says "build a mamad — sum" cannot be compared. Ask for it to state: whether design and permitting are included and who submits to the committee; exact internal dimensions and wall thickness per the approved drawing; the maker and model of the blast door and window, with certification; what happens if the soil investigation requires deeper foundations and who absorbs it; and who is responsible for coordination with the Home Front Command. See bill of quantities and renovation quote.
How we work
Bramy Group prices mamadim against a full specification, with design and permitting shown as their own line rather than left out. See safe room specification and building a safe room. Get in touch.