Case study · anonymous
A 43,000 m² structural grid ceiling, priced from the client's own drawings
A Gulf client sent a drawing package for six ceiling systems across a single terminal-scale project. We read the drawings, rebuilt every quantity, and returned a build-ready bill of quantities — 64 line items, every figure traceable to its source row.
The job — in one table
| Screens | Figure |
|---|---|
| Ceiling area quoted | 43,000 m² (system sums verified to 43,502 m²) |
| Ceiling systems in scope | 6 — structural grid + clip-in, mesh, hinged, trim systems |
| BOQ line items produced | 64 component rows + a 6-system summary sheet |
| Grid module | 1200 × 1200 mm, 2 panels per module |
| Design load | 6.10 kN/m² distributed · 3.55 / 4.50 kN point · L/180 deflection · 3000–3500 mm drop |
| Structural alloy | Aluminium extrusion 6082-T6 (6005A-T6 equivalent) — a client hard requirement, not a substitute |
Figures quoted from the client's own drawings and e-mails. No price, no lead time and no client identity appear on this page — the case documents the engineering work, not the deal.
What the drawing package became
- One drawing system, three cost layers. The load-bearing grid, the infill panels and the fixing hardware are separate line families — priced and checkable independently.
- Nodal channels in 1.5 / 3.0 mm galvanised S355GD+Z275, splices 2.0 mm, panel clips 0.45–1.0 mm: each tag matched to its drawing row and re-counted.
- M10 hanger set (drop rods, turnbuckles, Zebedee nuts, large washers) itemised per module, not per floor.
- Gauge tape 9 × 3 mm counted both ways — by piece (client's AUH style) and by linear metre (their Qatar style) — so both quoting habits stay comparable.
The check that matters: 43,000 vs 43,502
The client said 43,000 m². The six systems sum to 43,502 m². When that happens, most quoting agents shrug and take the bigger number. We surface it:
- every BOQ line carries a note ← Customer R## pointing back to the exact row of the client's spreadsheet it came from;
- quantity anomalies are flagged, not smoothed — on the sister project (9,424 m²) the same check exposed washer and trim volumes running 7–15× the per-square-metre rate of its twin; that question went back to the client before pricing, not after.
A bill of quantities you can audit is a procurement document. A bill you cannot audit is a promise.
Not sure your drawing can actually be built?
This is one of our own working cases. If you have a ceiling grid, a perforated panel map or a facade you are not sure can be executed — send it. We will tell you what bends, what does not, what it costs, and how long it takes — before the order, not after.