Buyer guides
What a fair office fit-out quote in Dubai should include
A proper fit-out quote is more than flooring and paint. Use this checklist before you sign anything.
QuotesDone · 26 June 2026
Office fit-out is where underscoped quotes do the most damage, because so much of the cost is invisible until the work starts. A complete Dubai fit-out quotation should address all of the following — if any are missing, ask why.
Authority approvals
Fit-out works in Dubai typically need landlord NOC and approval from the relevant authority — Dubai Municipality, DDA, Trakhees, DMCC or the free-zone authority depending on location, plus Civil Defence for anything touching fire or life-safety systems. Confirm whether approval drawings, fees and follow-up are in the contractor's scope or yours.
MEP works
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing is the single most common exclusion. Lighting, power points, data, HVAC modifications, drainage for a pantry or washroom — these should be itemised, not assumed.
HVAC and the chilled-water / FAHU interface
Re-balancing the AC after partitions change the airflow is real work. A quote that adds partitions but ignores HVAC re-balancing will leave you with hot and cold zones.
Fire and life safety
New partitions usually mean relocating smoke detectors, sprinkler heads and emergency lighting, plus Civil Defence sign-off. This must be in the quote and the programme.
Joinery and finishes
Specify materials precisely: laminate grade, ironmongery brand, paint type and number of coats, flooring type and skirting. "As per design" is not a specification.
Making good, cleaning and handover
Removal of existing works, protection of common areas, post-construction cleaning, and as-built drawings are legitimate costs. So is a snagging period.
Defects-liability period
A serious contractor offers a defects-liability period (commonly 12 months) and states retention terms. No warranty at all is a warning sign.
Programme and payment
A week-by-week programme tied to milestone payments protects both sides. Match the payment schedule to delivered milestones, not to the calendar.
Compare the whole scope, not the bottom line
On QuotesDone, a multi-trade job like a fit-out is consolidated to one accountable turnkey contractor rather than scattered across five trades — and every quote is compared against the same scope, with missing items and spec deviations flagged automatically.