Office fit out company in Dubai: how to choose
Choosing an office fit out company in Dubai comes down to who holds the contract, where the joinery is actually made and who signs off the permits. Crafty Clare decoration design LLC covers all three from our own joinery workshop in Jebel Ali.
Why work with Crafty Clare decoration design LLC
- Turnkey delivery from design to finishing under one contract
- In-house joinery workshop in Jebel Ali
- Commercial office fit-outs only, no residential works
- Fixed-price quotation before works begin
- One project manager from first drawing to handover
- Permits and authority approvals handled in-house, including DET, Dubai Municipality, DCD and DEWA
What a commercial office fit out company actually delivers
A commercial office fit out company delivers a finished, occupiable workplace that passes authority inspection: partitions, ceilings, MEP services, joinery, finishes and the paperwork that makes the space legal. The scope is wider than most tenants expect when they sign a lease.
Typical CAT B scope for an office in Dubai:
- Partitions and doors: gypsum, glazed, demountable
- Ceilings: mineral fibre tiles, metal baffles
- MEP: HVAC ductwork and fan coil units, sprinkler relocation, power, lighting, data containment
- Joinery: reception desk, meeting tables, storage walls, tea point counters
- Finishes: flooring, paint, acoustic panels, feature walls
- Statutory: permits, inspections and the completion file
Our interior fit-out services in Dubai run all of this as one package, so nobody waits on a ceiling subcontractor before the joiner can hang a door. Where a brand colour is specified, we build around turquoise #6CC7CA as the accent and deep teal #0F4F52 on darker surfaces.
Turnkey office fit out in Dubai, from design to joinery to finishing
A turnkey office fit out in Dubai means one company carries design, joinery, MEP coordination and finishing, so you sign one contract and track one programme. This is the sequence we run.
- Survey and brief: measure the floor, read the lease, agree headcount, meeting room mix and budget.
- Concept and drawings: layouts, visuals and material boards, revised until you approve.
- Costing and permit drawings: a fixed price, then the drawing set that goes to the authorities.
- Joinery manufacture: counters, storage and wall panels built in our Jebel Ali workshop while site works run in parallel.
- Site works: partitions, ceilings, MEP first fix, then second fix and finishes.
- Testing and commissioning: HVAC balancing, lighting circuits, water and drainage checks.
- Snagging and handover: snags closed with you on site, then the completion file and keys.
Joinery made in-house is what keeps a programme honest. Tea points, storage walls and reception counters leave the workshop finished, not flat packed.
Joinery and stone finished in our Jebel Ali workshop before delivery to site.
Office fit out cost in Dubai
Most CAT B office fit outs in Dubai land between AED 250 and AED 450 per square foot, and that number moves with joinery volume, ceiling height, meeting room density and how much MEP has to be rerouted.
| Scope | Cost per sq ft | Included |
|---|---|---|
| Shell and core | AED 120 to 200 | bare structure, risers, basic MEP provision |
| CAT A | AED 180 to 280 | raised floor, suspended ceiling, HVAC, sprinklers, core toilets |
| CAT B | AED 250 to 450 | partitions, meeting rooms, joinery, finishes, power and data |
| Premium CAT B | AED 450 to 650 | bespoke joinery, acoustic systems, feature lighting, stone |
Per workstation, allow AED 15,000 to 45,000 including that desk share of partitions, MEP, finishes and joinery. Furniture and AV sit outside that band.
Worked example: a 10,000 sq ft office in Jebel Ali at AED 320 per sq ft comes to about AED 3.2 million, roughly AED 34,000 per workstation across 95 desks. At the bottom of the range, AED 250 per sq ft, the same floor is about AED 2.5 million. At AED 450 per sq ft it reaches AED 4.5 million. The gap is almost always joinery, meeting room count and acoustic treatment rather than paint.
Send a floor plan and headcount and you can request an office fit-out quote with a line by line cost breakdown.
Permits and approvals for an office fit out in Dubai
Almost every commercial fit out needs four approvals before staff move in: DET trade licence activity that covers the works, a Dubai Municipality building permit, DCD civil defence approval for fire and life safety, and DEWA approval for electrical load and water. Landlord or zone consent sits on top.
- DET: licence activity matching the fit-out scope for your office in Dubai.
- Dubai Municipality: building permit, drawing submissions and site inspections.
- DCD: fire alarm, sprinklers, means of escape, emergency lighting and the fire safety certificate.
- DEWA: load application, meter, water supply and drainage connection.
- Zone authority: Trakhees or free zone approvals where the building sits inside Jafza or another designated area.
- Landlord NOC: fit-out rules, working hours, contractor insurance and deposits.
A missing DCD certificate is the one that stops your team from moving in, and it is the last approval most tenants think about. We keep a running set of commercial fit-out guides on approval sequences and programme planning.
Timeline by office size
Plan on 6 to 8 weeks on site for a 5,000 sq ft office, 8 to 12 weeks for 10,000 sq ft and 14 to 20 weeks for 25,000 sq ft, then add 3 to 6 weeks for permits before works begin.
- 5,000 sq ft, around 45 desks: 6 to 8 weeks on site.
- 10,000 sq ft, around 95 desks: 8 to 12 weeks, often phased so one wing opens first.
- 25,000 sq ft, 200 desks and above: 14 to 20 weeks with handover in zones.
Long lead items drive the tail end of any programme. Imported veneer, acoustic panels, custom light fittings and switchgear can run 6 to 10 weeks, so release them in week one, not week six.
Weekly progress photographs and a dated snag log keep the programme honest.
How to vet an office fit out contractor
Check four things before you sign: a DET licence that covers fit-out and joinery, whether the joinery is made in-house, real HSE documentation and a snagging and handover process in writing.
- Licence: DET trade licence with an activity code for commercial fit out.
- Joinery: in-house workshop or subcontracted. Bought-in joinery is the most common cause of delay.
- HSE: method statements, risk assessments, site supervision and insurance certificates.
- Programme: a dated schedule with long lead items flagged.
- Snagging: written snag list, closure dates, as-built drawings and warranties at handover.
- Proof: ask to see completed commercial fit-out projects of a similar size and sector.
Ask for two references and visit one live site. In Jebel Ali, a contractor who cannot arrange a site visit within the week is worth a second look.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an office fit out cost in Dubai?
For a CAT B office fit out in Dubai, budget AED 250 to AED 450 per square foot. A 10,000 sq ft floor comes to roughly AED 2.5 million to AED 4.5 million, about AED 26,000 to AED 47,000 per workstation across 95 desks. Shell and core and CAT A scopes cost less because the landlord carries part of the base build.
How long does an office fit out take in Dubai?
Site works run 6 to 8 weeks for 5,000 sq ft, 8 to 12 weeks for 10,000 sq ft and 14 to 20 weeks for 25,000 sq ft. Add 3 to 6 weeks for DET, Dubai Municipality and DCD approvals before mobilising. Long lead joinery, acoustic panels and switchgear can add another 2 to 4 weeks if they are released late.
Which approvals do I need for an office fit out in Dubai?
You need DET licence activity that covers the works, a Dubai Municipality building permit, DCD civil defence approval for fire and life safety, and DEWA approval for electrical load and water. Your landlord NOC and, inside Jafza or another zone, the free zone authority approval are required as well.
Can you manufacture office joinery before site works start?
Yes. We build reception counters, storage walls, tea points and wall panelling in our own workshop in Jebel Ali while partitions and MEP works run on site. That parallel track usually saves 2 to 4 weeks against contractors who order joinery after the ceiling grid is closed.
Do you fit out offices in Jebel Ali Free Zone?
Yes. We work on commercial offices in Jebel Ali, including buildings inside the free zone, and we coordinate the zone approvals, landlord NOC and DCD submissions those sites require.
What is the difference between CAT A and CAT B office fit out?
CAT A is the landlord standard, covering raised floor, suspended ceiling, HVAC, sprinklers and core toilets, usually at AED 180 to AED 280 per sq ft. CAT B is the occupier fit out, adding partitions, meeting rooms, joinery, finishes, power and data, at AED 250 to AED 450 per sq ft.
