Budget
Geomembrane liner sheet price in the UAE
What actually drives the number on a liner quotation, how supply-only and installed rates differ, and how to compare two quotations that look nothing alike.
We do not publish a fixed rate per square metre, and you should be sceptical of any UAE supplier who does. HDPE sheet is a resin product: roughly 60–75 per cent of its cost is polyethylene, and polyethylene tracks oil, feedstock supply and freight. A published rate is either out of date or padded enough to survive being out of date. What is useful is understanding the variables, so that when you receive a quotation you can see what you are being charged for.
1. Material cost
Thickness is close to linear — twice the gauge, roughly twice the resin. Texture adds a little, because textured sheet runs slower on the line. Resin grade matters more than most buyers realise: sheet made from virgin resin with a full antioxidant and carbon-black package costs more than sheet blended with reprocessed material, and the difference does not show up until year five of UV exposure. Ask what the sheet is made from and ask for the certificate.
2. Order volume
Production and freight both reward size. A full-container quantity carries a materially better rate per square metre than a two-roll order, and part rolls carry a cutting charge. If you have three basins planned across a site, price them as one order rather than three.
3. Supply-only versus installed
An installed rate adds welding crew, welding plant and generators, testing equipment, consumables, mobilisation to site, and the earthworks around the anchor trench if that is in your scope. On a small or awkward basin the installation component can approach the sheet cost; on a large open reservoir it is a much smaller share, because the crew is welding long uninterrupted panel runs rather than fiddling with detail work.
| Line item | Supply only | Supplied & installed |
|---|---|---|
| Geomembrane sheet | Included | Included |
| Delivery to site | Usually quoted separately | Included |
| Panel layout drawing | On request | Included |
| Welding crew & plant | — | Included |
| Seam testing & QC records | — | Included |
| Cushion geotextile | Priced separately | Priced separately |
| Subgrade preparation & anchor trench | — | By others unless agreed |
4. The items that move a quote most
- Cushion geotextile. On rocky or reclaimed ground this is not optional, and it adds a second material line. See geotextile and geosynthetics.
- Basin geometry. Corners, benches, steep slopes and pipe penetrations all mean extrusion welding, which is slower than wedge welding and needs more skilled hands.
- Access. If a telehandler cannot reach the crest, rolls get moved another way and that is time.
- Programme. Night works to avoid welding in 45 °C heat, or a compressed programme requiring two crews, both carry a premium.
- Testing regime. Standard air-channel and vacuum-box testing is included. Destructive coupon testing at a specified frequency, or a full electrical leak location survey, is additional.
5. Comparing quotations fairly
Put the quotes side by side and check five things before you look at the totals: quoted core thickness, resin origin and certificate, whether delivery is included, whether the rate is per square metre of sheet or per square metre of basin (they are not the same once overlaps and trench are counted), and what the testing scope is. Two quotes that differ by a third usually differ in scope by a third.
Price questions
What is the price of a geomembrane liner?
Supplied HDPE sheet is priced per square metre and moves with polyethylene resin cost, thickness, texture and order size. A 2 mm liner costs roughly twice a 1 mm liner in raw material terms, and a full-container order will always beat a single-roll order per square metre. Because resin prices move month to month, we quote against a live price rather than publishing a rate that would be stale within weeks.
What is the cost of geomembrane per square foot?
Suppliers in the Gulf quote per square metre, not per square foot. If you have been given a square-foot rate, multiply by 10.764 to compare it with a square-metre rate. Watch what the rate includes — sheet only, sheet delivered, or sheet installed and tested are three very different numbers.
Why do two quotes for the same job differ so much?
Usually one of four reasons: the gauges are not the same once you check core thickness, one quote is supply-only and the other is installed, one includes cushion geotextile and anchor trench earthworks and the other does not, or the resin grade differs — recycled or off-spec sheet is cheaper and behaves differently under UV. Compare scope line by line before comparing totals.
Does a thicker liner cost more to install?
Slightly. Thicker sheet is heavier to handle and welds a little slower, but the labour difference between 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm is small compared with the material difference. If the specification is borderline, the extra gauge is usually cheap insurance.
Project enquiry
Ask for a current rate
Resin moves, so prices are quoted live against your quantity, gauge and delivery point.