Buyer Guides
What an ELV Package Includes: Scope Checklist for Fit-Outs & Main Contractors
ELV (Extra-Low Voltage) systems are the low-voltage technology systems in a building, typically operating under 50 volts. They include CCTV, access control, structured cabling, public address, intercom, fire-alarm interfaces, BMS and audio-visual systems — the connected infrastructure that makes a building secure, smart and functional.
A complete ELV package includes CCTV, access control, video intercom, gate barriers, structured cabling and the containment it runs in — plus PA/VA, BMS interfaces and Wi-Fi where the design calls for them — delivered with drawings, testing, compliance registration and as-built documentation as part of the scope, not as extras.
By Ahammed P, Founder & Managing Director, AQLON Systems · Last updated: 1 October 2026
What counts as ELV on a UAE project?
ELV (extra-low voltage — “low-current systems” on most Abu Dhabi drawings) is a scope, not a voltage rating: the package of building-technology systems tendered separately from high-voltage electrical work. If you’re pricing that package for a fit-out or new build, the fastest route is sending the BOQ to an ELV contractor in Abu Dhabi for a like-for-like itemised quotation. For the fundamentals, see what ELV covers.
The scope checklist
| Scope item | A complete package includes | Commonly missing from cheap BOQs |
|---|---|---|
| CCTV | Cameras, NVR/VMS, storage sized to the premises’ retention requirement, remote viewing | Storage sized for the regulator, not the demo |
| Access control | Controllers, readers, locks, request-to-exit, fail-safe/fail-secure design per door | Door hardware and lock power supplies |
| Video intercom | Entrance and gate stations, indoor units, integration with access control | Integration — quoted as a stand-alone box |
| Gate barriers / ANPR | Barriers, loops or ANPR, civils and foundations, power coordination | Civil works and reinstatement |
| Structured cabling | Copper and fibre, terminated, tested per link, labelled, documented | Per-link test results |
| Containment | Trays, trunking, conduit, sleeves — sized with spare capacity, segregated from power | The single biggest hidden omission |
| PA / voice alarm | Where the design calls for it — speakers, amplifiers, zoning | Interface detail with the fire system |
| BMS interfaces | Points schedule, protocols agreed, tested handoffs to building control | Who commissions the interface |
| Network / Wi-Fi | Switches, APs, racks — specified and configured, not just supplied | Configuration and documentation labour |
| Testing & commissioning | Every system commissioned, every link tested, witnessed where required | Priced as part of the job, not a variation |
| Compliance registration | Submissions and registration for regulated systems, inspection support | Who attends the inspection |
| As-builts & O&M | Drawings, schedules, warranties, O&M manuals at handover | Almost always — ask before you award |
| Training & handover | Operator walkthrough, credentials handed over, documented | Admin passwords left with the installer |
| AMC option | A priced option for one agreement across every installed system | Offered system-by-system, five renewals |
What sits outside the ELV package?
High-voltage power supplies and distribution stay with the electrical contractor — the ELV scope consumes power, it doesn’t provide it; the quotation should state exactly where that boundary sits per system. Fire-alarm systems typically run as their own regulated scope with separate approval requirements; the ELV package interfaces with fire alarm (PA/VA zoning, access-control release on alarm) rather than delivering it. And in Abu Dhabi, the monitoring and surveillance systems inside the package carry their own regulatory layer under the Monitoring & Control Center (MCC) — design, registration and inspection obligations that belong inside the ELV contractor’s scope, not left to the client.
Who provides what: consultant, main contractor, ELV sub
The consultant provides the design intent, specifications and drawings the package is priced against. The main contractor provides programme, access, power at agreed points and builder’s work (openings, cutting, making good — unless explicitly moved into the ELV scope). The ELV contractor provides detailed shop drawings and cable schedules, containment from the agreed boundary, installation, termination, testing, commissioning, compliance registration and the handover pack. Disputes live at the boundaries — containment ownership and builder’s work are the two to pin down in writing before award.
How the package is priced
System by system — never as one lump sum. Each system carries its own devices, cabling and containment share, labour, programming, testing and documentation, so line items can be compared like-for-like between bidders. The honest cost drivers — scope mix, building condition, compliance scope, containment and integration depth — are covered on our Abu Dhabi ELV page. If a quotation can’t show you where testing and as-builts are priced, they aren’t.
Common questions
Is fire alarm part of the ELV package?
Usually not: fire-alarm systems typically run as their own regulated scope delivered by specialist contractors under separate approval requirements. The ELV package interfaces with it — PA/VA coordination, access-control release on alarm — and those interfaces should be explicitly listed in the scope.
Who provides the containment?
It must be agreed in writing — it’s the most common boundary dispute. On many projects the ELV contractor provides dedicated ELV containment while the main contractor provides builder’s work; whatever the split, the BOQ should name it per route, with segregation from power maintained.
What should the as-built pack contain?
Updated drawings reflecting what was actually installed, cable schedules and test results, device schedules with locations and addresses, programming records, warranties and O&M manuals, plus compliance documentation for regulated systems. It’s what makes year-three maintenance possible.
Can systems be added mid-project?
Yes, through a variation — but late additions cost disproportionately more once ceilings close and containment is sized. The cheapest moment to add a system is at design; the second cheapest is before first fix. A good ELV contractor will flag spare-capacity decisions early for exactly this reason.
Is Wi-Fi part of ELV?
On most UAE projects, yes at the infrastructure level: cabling, containment, switch and access-point provision sit comfortably inside the low-current package. Active network configuration is sometimes split out to an IT scope — if so, the boundary (who patches, who configures, who documents) should be named.
Pricing an ELV package right now? Send the BOQ and drawings to our ELV contractor in Abu Dhabi team for an itemised, like-for-like quotation — and see our companion guide on how to choose an ELV contractor.