Every fit-out enquiry in Dubai starts with the same question, usually asked before anything else: “how much will this cost per square foot?” It’s a reasonable question with an unreasonable number of variables behind it — category of fit-out, shell condition, MEP scope, authority approvals, material specification and programme all move the number independently of each other.
This guide breaks down interior fit-out service costs in Dubai the way a contractor actually prices a job: category by category, cost driver by cost driver, with real ranges you can use to sanity-check a quotation. If you’re budgeting for an office, retail unit, restaurant, clinic or residential space anywhere in the emirate, this is the number-first guide you’ve been looking for.
What "Fit-Out" Actually Covers
Before pricing anything, it helps to separate the two starting conditions Dubai landlords hand over:
Shell & Core — bare concrete, no partitions, no ceiling, exposed services risers, unfinished floor screed. This is the cheapest handover for a landlord and the most expensive starting point for a tenant, because everything is built from zero.
Warm Shell / Cat A — the landlord has already installed raised access flooring, suspended ceiling grid, basic MEP distribution, and sometimes VAV boxes and lighting. Tenants then complete a Cat B fit-out: partitions, finishes, branding, furniture, specialist MEP.
Most Dubai commercial towers now hand over Cat A. Retail and F&B units in malls are typically shell & core. Knowing which one you’re quoting against changes your baseline cost by a significant margin before a single finish is chosen.
Interior Fit-Out Service Costs in Dubai by Category
Office Fit-Out
| Fit-Out Level Approx | x. Cost (AED/sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Basic Cat B (open plan, standard finishes) | 150 – 250 |
| Mid-range Cat B (mixed offices, branded reception, standard MEP) | 250 – 400 |
| High-end Cat B (executive floors, premium joinery, AV integration) | 400 – 700+ |
| Shell & core full fit-out (includes MEP from scratch) | Add 100 – 180 on top of the above |
Retail Fit-Out
| Fit-Out Level | Approx. Cost (AED/sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Basic kiosk / small unit | 300 – 500 |
| Standard mall retail unit | 500 – 900 |
| Flagship / branded concept store | 900 – 1,800+ |
Retail costs run higher per square foot than office because of shopfront joinery, feature lighting, branded signage and compressed programme timelines mall landlords often impose.
Restaurant & F&B Fit-Out
| Fit-Out Level | Approx. Cost (AED/sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Casual dining / café | 600 – 1,000 |
| Full-service restaurant | 1,000 – 1,800 |
| Fine dining / flagship concept | 1,800 – 3,000+ |
F&B fit-outs carry the heaviest MEP load of any commercial category — kitchen extraction, grease traps, gas lines, enhanced fire suppression and Civil Defence approvals all add cost that a retail or office fit-out never encounters.
Residential Fit-Out / Renovation
| Fit-Out Level | Approx. Cost (AED/sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Basic refresh (paint, minor joinery, flooring) | 80 – 150 |
| Mid-range renovation (kitchen, bathrooms, built-in wardrobes) | 150 – 350 |
| High-end villa/apartment renovation | 350 – 700+ |
Clinic & Healthcare Fit-Out
| Fit-Out Level | Approx. Cost (AED/sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Standard clinic | 500 – 900 |
| Specialist medical facility (imaging, surgical, DHA-regulated) | 900 – 1,600+ |
Healthcare fit-outs are driven almost entirely by DHA compliance requirements — infection control finishes, specialised ventilation, and equipment-specific MEP provisioning.
These figures are general market orientation ranges for 2026 and vary by contractor, building class and material specification. Always request an itemised quotation against your specific drawings.
The Real Cost Drivers Behind Every Quotation
Two fit-outs of identical square footage can differ by 300% in price. Here’s why:
Shell condition: Shell & core versus Cat A is the single biggest swing factor, as shown above.
MEP complexity: Additional AC tonnage, dedicated kitchen extraction, specialist gas or medical gas lines, and upgraded electrical loads all add cost disproportionate to their floor area.
Structural modifications: Cutting new openings, reinforcing floors for heavy equipment, or altering load-bearing elements requires structural engineering sign-off and adds both cost and approval time.
Material and finish specification: The gap between a laminate reception desk and a bookmatched natural stone one, or between standard carpet tile and engineered timber, is often the largest line item variance in a budget.
Authority approvals: Dubai Civil Defence, DEWA, Trakhees (in free zones like JAFZA and DIFC), or the relevant mall/tower landlord’s fit-out committee all require submissions. Approval fees, NOC costs, and — critically — the time these approvals take, affect the total cost of the project.
Landlord fit-out guidelines: Many Dubai towers and malls mandate specific contractors for MEP tie-ins, minimum finish standards, or working-hour restrictions (night work, freight elevator booking), all of which affect programme and price.
Program compression: A landlord-imposed deadline that forces overtime labour, expedited material shipping or multiple trade crews working simultaneously always costs more than a normal-paced build.
Furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E): Loose furniture, kitchen equipment, and specialist fixtures are frequently quoted separately from the “fit-out” contract itself — confirm what’s included before comparing two quotations.
Typical Cost Breakdown by Trade
For a standard Cat B commercial fit-out, costs generally distribute across trades roughly as follows:
- Partitions, ceilings & flooring: 25–30%
- MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing): 25–35%
- Joinery & millwork: 15–20%
- Finishes (paint, wall coverings, flooring materials): 10–15%
- Fire & life safety systems: 5–10%
- AV, IT infrastructure & security: 5–10%
- Project management & contingency: 5–10%
MEP is consistently the largest or second-largest line item across nearly every category — it’s where quotations diverge most between contractors, and where corners get cut on the cheapest bids.
Regulatory Approvals That Affect Your Budget
Every commercial fit-out in Dubai passes through some combination of:
- Dubai Civil Defense: fire and life safety approval, mandatory for any commercial occupancy
- DEWA: electrical and mechanical connection approvals for any load changes
- Trakhees: required for free zones including JAFZA, DIFC-adjacent developments and certain Palm/coastal zones
- Dubai Municipality: building permits for structural work
- Landlord/Mall Fit-Out Committee: design and material approval, often the longest step in practice
Budget both the fee cost of these approvals and the time cost — a fit-out with incomplete drawings can lose weeks in resubmission cycles, which translates directly into rent paid on an unusable space.
Fixed-Price vs. Cost-Plus Contracts
Two commercial models dominate the Dubai fit-out market:
Fixed-price (lump sum): the contractor quotes a single number against a finalized design and specification. Best when your design is locked and you want budget certainty.
Cost-plus: you pay actual costs plus a contractor margin, typically used when the design is still evolving or the programme is fast-tracked before drawings are 100% complete. Offers flexibility but requires trust in the contractor’s cost transparency and disciplined change-order tracking.
A hybrid approach — fixed-price for MEP and structural work, cost-plus for finishes that are still being selected — is increasingly common for larger Dubai commercial projects.
How to Get an Accurate Quotation
- Provide finalised or near-final drawings — vague scope produces vague, unreliable pricing
- Specify your shell condition clearly (shell & core vs. Cat A)
- List any special MEP requirements up front (kitchen extraction, medical gas, server room cooling)
- State your landlord’s fit-out guidelines and any mandatory nominated subcontractors
- Set a realistic programme — request a schedule alongside the price, not just a total
- Ask for an itemised breakdown by trade, not a single lump figure
- Clarify what’s excluded — FF&E, landlord fees, and authority charges are common exclusions that surprise clients later
- Get at least three quotations against the identical scope document, so you’re comparing like-for-like
Get an Accurate Quotation for Your Space
Interior fit-out service costs in Dubai vary enormously by category, shell condition and specification — but an itemised, trade-by-trade quotation against finalised drawings is the only way to compare providers fairly and avoid budget surprises mid-project.
Book a free consultation and site assessment Charminar team will review your space, shell condition and requirements, and provide a transparent, itemised quotation broken down by trade — for offices, retail, F&B, healthcare and residential projects anywhere across Dubai.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the average interior fit-out cost per square foot in Dubai?
It varies significantly by category and finish level. Office Cat B fit-outs generally range from AED 150–700 per sq ft, retail from AED 300–1,800 per sq ft, and F&B from AED 600–3,000 per sq ft, depending on specification and shell condition.
Does the quoted price include design and drawings?
Not always. Some contractors bundle design-and-build; others quote construction only against drawings you provide separately. Always confirm whether design development, architectural drawings and authority submission drafting are included.
How long does a typical commercial fit-out take in Dubai?
A standard office Cat B fit-out of 5,000–10,000 sq ft typically takes 8–14 weeks from approved drawings to handover, depending on authority approval timelines and material lead times. Retail and F&B fit-outs with compressed mall deadlines are often faster but at a cost premium.
Are authority approval fees included in a fit-out quotation?
Sometimes, but not always — this is one of the most common points of confusion. Always ask your contractor explicitly whether Civil Defence, DEWA and landlord approval fees are included or billed separately.
What's the difference between Cat A and Cat B fit-out costs?
Cat A is typically provided by the landlord (ceiling grid, raised flooring, basic MEP). Cat B is the tenant’s fit-out on top of that — partitions, finishes, branding and specialist systems — and is what most of the cost ranges in this guide refer to.
