Floor & balcony waterproofing for hotels & serviced apartments in Makkah
In short: In Makkah (Makkah), floor & balcony waterproofing for hotels & serviced apartments begins with the roof, falls and drains survey and the moisture meter for ceilings and walls; nothing is opened until the position is clear. The centre of Makkah sits about 301 m above sea level (SRTM open elevation data). Published price: Bathroom waterproofing (per m²), SAR 15–40 per m²; anything else is quoted after the inspection.
Before we start: what we know about Makkah
Team note on Makkah: Kashf teams serve this city and its nearby districts with the same documented inspection standard: device-based leak detection without demolition, a written report, and a clear scope before any work begins.. The centre of Makkah sits about 301 m above sea level (SRTM open elevation data).
Picture the owner of a mid-sized hotel in Makkah, or a block of serviced apartments near the city centre. Guests arrive all year, rooms must stay dry and presentable, and every leak on a balcony or floor slab shows up as a stain, a complaint, or a lost booking. The owner wants repairs that last through heavy daily use rather than quick patches that fail after a season.
The city centre sits about 301 m above sea level, which is a useful reminder that Makkah is set in a hilly, uneven landscape where rainwater runs off quickly and collects in low spots, drains and basements. For a hotel or serviced apartment, that means balconies, terraces and floor slabs need proper falls, clean outlets and sound membranes, because water that pools or finds a path through cracks will travel down into finished spaces below. Costs also vary by the type of work: basement waterproofing ranges from SAR 55–160 per m², bathroom waterproofing from SAR 15–40 per m², and liquid roof waterproofing from SAR 10–25 per m². Owners should budget by area and by the specific surfaces that need treatment rather than assuming one rate fits the whole building.
A sensible order of work starts with a survey of every balcony and floor slab, marking cracks, ponding areas and failed sealant. Crack injection, priced at SAR 40–125 per metre, should come first so that the substrate is sound before any coating goes on. Next, decide on the surface system: bitumen membrane at SAR 15–35 per m² or epoxy coating at SAR 35–95 per m² suits balconies and walkways, while spray foam at SAR 25–35 per m² and XPS boards at SAR 15–30 per m² can help where insulation and drainage are also needed. Finish with a flood test on balconies and bathrooms before guests return, and schedule a recheck after the first heavy rain.
For hotels and serviced apartments, rooms are handled in batches to keep units available.
Signs that call for floor & balcony waterproofing
The following signs are worth checking before they grow:
- Damp under the light well
- A wrong fall towards the door threshold
- Water passing from the balcony to the floor below
The most common causes
- A common cause: a blocked drain.
- Incorrect falls.
- A threshold without waterproofing.
Tools and methods, and when we use them
| Method | What it helps with | Its role in Makkah |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture meter for ceilings and walls | Where water is entering now, from inside | Limits: measures the effect, not the water path |
| Roof, falls and drains survey | Ponding areas and the condition of the old layer | Limits: shows the condition, not the material alone |
| Flood test | Whether the waterproofing holds before it is covered | Limits: for roofs with drains and wet areas before tiling |
The steps in order
- Checking the falls: Where water collects and where it should go.
- Details: Thresholds, drains and upstands.
- Waterproofing: The layer is applied and protected.
- Flood test: Tested before the finish goes on.
Facts and costs — Makkah
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| District profile | The centre of Makkah sits about 301 m above sea level (SRTM open elevation data) | SRTM (NASA) open data |
| District profile | Team note on Makkah: Kashf teams serve this city and its nearby districts with the same documented inspection standard: device-based leak detection without demolition, a written report, and a clear scope before any work begins. | Kashf team |
| Bathroom waterproofing (per m²) | SAR 15–40 per m² | Owner price list (Makkah) |
Questions from Makkah
What does finishing work typically include?
It covers plastering, painting, flooring, stone or marble walls, ceilings, gypsum, doors, windows, and final electrical and plumbing installations. You can request full or partial finishing, with the scope clearly defined in the price quote.
Is it possible to renovate the building without evacuating the residents?
In many cases it can be carried out in phases without a full evacuation if the damage is limited. However, for extensive structural renovation, a temporary evacuation may be recommended to ensure safety, and the contractor will explain this in their proposal.
Does waterproofing require removing existing tiles?
It depends on the site condition. Sometimes surface waterproofing can be applied over tiles, while deep leaks require tile removal to treat the layer underneath. A technician will determine the best option after inspection.
What is the first step of floor & balcony waterproofing for hotels & serviced apartments?
We start with checking the falls (where water collects and where it should go), then details (thresholds, drains and upstands).
How much does floor & balcony waterproofing cost in Makkah?
From our published price list: Bathroom waterproofing (per m²) SAR 15–40 per m². Quantities are confirmed at the inspection.
What do I get at the end?
The flood result and photos of the details, in a technical report that carries a verification code.
Common mistakes we see
- Tiling a balcony without waterproofing
The written outputs
The written output: the flood result and photos of the details. The report is numbered and can be checked with its verification code.
Practical notes for residents of Makkah
- The Saudi weekend is Friday and Saturday; mention your preferred day and time when booking.
- You can message us on WhatsApp in English; the booking details are sent back to you in the chat to confirm before the visit.
- If you rent, tell your landlord or building management before the visit and agree in writing who pays; the written report can be shared with them.
- Keep photos of the problem and of any earlier repairs — they help the technician compare before and after.
Sources and method
- SRTM (NASA) open data
- Kashf team
- Customer questions (reviewed)
- Owner price list for Makkah
- Local pages are published only after a quality gate: real local facts, text similarity of no more than 15% with any other English page, and a claims check.
- النسخة العربية