How much are engineering office fees in Jordan and what do they cover?
Engineering office fees are calculated per project and scope. This article explains what the office does for a building permit, why supervision is a separate item, and what to ask before paying.
Arch Mohannad Al-Sharif · Published · 6 min read
Engineering office fees in Jordan: why they differ from one office to another
Anyone who wants a building permit in Jordan runs into one question before anything else: how much does the engineering office charge? The honest answer is that the fee is calculated, not memorised. It depends on the built area, the type of project, the scope of work the office is asked to do, and whether the contract includes supervision or not.
This article explains what an engineering office actually does in return for its fee, what is usually left out, and which questions to ask before you pay. You will not find numbers here, because any figure given without seeing the site plan and agreeing a scope does not apply to your project.
What the engineering office does for the permit fee
A building permit in Jordan is not issued on an architectural drawing alone. The file the engineering office submits to the Greater Amman Municipality or the local municipality has several parts, and each part has a specialist engineer behind it:
- Architectural drawings: floor plans, elevations, sections and the position of the building on the plot within the permitted setbacks and building ratio.
- Structural drawings: foundations, columns, beams and slabs with their calculations, prepared by a civil structural engineer.
- Electrical drawings: distribution boards, circuits, lighting and power points.
- Mechanical drawings: plumbing, heating, ventilation and drainage.
- Jordan Engineers Association stamping: every drawing needs the stamp of an engineer registered in that discipline and the stamp of the office itself, and the Association's own fees are paid to the Association.
- Submission and follow-up: submitting the file, answering the committee's comments, amending the drawings accordingly, and collecting the permit.
When you ask about engineering office fees, you are asking about all of this together. An office quoting far less may have left out part of it, or may be leaving the follow-up to you.
Is full architectural design part of the engineering office fee
This is where much of the confusion sits. In most offices the basic permit fee covers preparing drawings to the level the municipality requires, not a complete architectural design. The difference is clear to anyone building a villa to live in: a drawing that satisfies the permit conditions is one thing, and a design that has been thought through for daylight, privacy and movement inside the house is another.
In my work I design the villa or building with the owner first, then prepare the building permit drawings in coordination with a licensed engineering office that submits and stamps them. Ask the office plainly: does the fee include a full architectural design with revisions, or permit drawings only?
Supervision fees: a separate item from the permit fee
Construction supervision (regular site visits and checking the contractor's work against the drawings) is priced in most contracts as an independent item. It varies with the duration of the project, the number of visits, and whether you need a resident engineer on site or stage visits at the pouring of foundations, columns and slabs.
Some owners assume the office that obtained the permit will automatically supervise the build. That is not the case unless it is written in the contract. Ask about construction supervision from the start and define what you expect: the number of visits, the reports, and who signs off each stage.
The Jordan Engineers Association minimum fee
The Jordan Engineers Association operates a system that sets a minimum fee for engineering work. It varies by building type, area and scope, and it is updated from time to time. I do not quote its figures here for two reasons: first, they change; second, the reference for them is the Association itself and the office that submits your file.
What matters to you is this: the existence of a minimum means that a quote clearly below it carries a question mark. Either the office will cut corners in the drawings, or it will ask for additional amounts later under different names, or the stamp will come from someone you have never met.
What engineering office fees usually do not include
Before you sign, know that these items are usually paid separately or to other parties.
The municipality's own permit fees. The Engineers Association's stamping and audit fees. Land surveying and boundary marking by a licensed surveyor. A soil test, if the municipality asks for one or the structural engineer needs it to design the foundations.
Interior design and furniture layout. 3D visualization. Full construction drawings with all their details, which are a wider file than the permit set. Quantity take-off and cost estimation. Any change to the drawings after the permit is issued.
Some offices offer comprehensive packages that bundle most of these items. That is fine, as long as every item is written down with its own figure.
Questions to ask the engineering office before paying
Take this list to any meeting:
- What exactly does the figure cover: architectural, structural, electrical, mechanical, stamping, submission, follow-up?
- Is full architectural design included, or permit drawings only? How many revisions?
- Is supervision included? If so, how many visits and in what form?
- Which engineers will stamp each discipline, and are they registered with the Association?
- What are the estimated municipality and Association fees, and are they paid through you or directly?
- What is the expected time from submission to permit, and what happens if the committee returns comments?
- What counts as extra work, and how is it priced?
- Do I receive AutoCAD files or PDF only?
An office that answers these questions in writing in its quote saves you months of disagreement.
How to compare two engineering office quotes
Do not compare the final figure alone. Put the two quotes side by side and compare item by item: who includes full design, who includes supervision, who includes follow-up on comments, and how long each stage takes. The higher quote may in fact be the cheaper one if it covers what the other will later charge as extras.
Pay attention as well to who will actually work on your file. In some large offices one engineer signs and someone else draws. Ask who will sit with you in the first needs session, and who will answer your call when a comment arrives from the municipality.
What to prepare before asking for a quote
Have the land plan and the zoning site plan ready (the two documents that show your plot and its zoning), decide the building type and number of floors you want, whether you want full design or a permit only, and whether you want supervision. With this information any office or architect can give you a written quote instead of a number over the phone.
If you are planning a project and want to understand what you need in terms of design, permit and supervision, send the site plan and I will reply with a first consultation and a written quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an engineering office charge for a building permit in Jordan?
There is no fixed figure. The fee is calculated from built area, project type and scope, and is subject to a minimum set by the Jordan Engineers Association that is updated from time to time. You receive it as a written quote after the site plan is studied.
Do engineering office fees include construction supervision?
In most contracts, no. Supervision is a separate item priced by project duration and number of visits, and it must be stated clearly in the contract if you want it.
Are municipality and Association fees part of the engineering office fee?
No. The municipality's permit fees and the Engineers Association's stamping fees are paid to those bodies independently of the office's fee, although some offices collect them on your behalf with a statement.