Office fit out cost Dubai: 2026 price guide per sq ft
A commercial office fit out in Dubai in 2026 costs AED 250 to AED 450 per square foot for a CAT B space, and AED 140 to AED 220 per square foot for shell and core or CAT A work. Permits, furniture and AV sit outside those numbers, so the real question is which layers you are buying.
Why work with Crafty Clare decoration design LLC
- Commercial only contractor for offices, retail units and exhibition stands
- In house capability across fit out, custom joinery and branded environments
- Single point of accountability from design through snagging and handover
- Itemised bill of quantities with written exclusions on every quote
- Direct line to the project team on phone and WhatsApp at 050 857 0938
- Support with DET, Trakhees, DEWA and Civil Defence submissions
What an office fit out cost actually covers
The price per square foot only means something once you know which layer of the building you are paying for. Dubai quotes mix shell and core, CAT A and CAT B work freely, which is why two contractors can be AED 200 per square foot apart on the same floor plate.
Shell and core
The landlord hands over structure: slab, columns, core and usually a capped riser. You fund everything above the slab, from screed and ceilings to the last socket. It is the cheapest rate per square foot and the longest programme.
CAT A
The base finish a landlord delivers in a multi tenant tower. Ceiling grid, basic HVAC distribution, sprinklers to code, floor prep, toilets and lobbies finished. No partitions, no branding, nothing client facing. As a package you take on yourself, budget AED 140 to AED 220 per square foot.
CAT B
Everything that makes the floor work for your business: partitions, doors, glass, ceilings, lighting, power and data, HVAC modification, floor finishes, joinery, reception, signage, tea point and AV containment. This is where the AED 250 to AED 450 per square foot band applies.
What sits outside both
Loose furniture, AV hardware, IT cabling by your own provider, artwork, plants, and strip out of the previous tenant kit. Budget AED 60 to AED 150 per square foot for furniture and AV, more for a boardroom with video walls and acoustic panels.
2026 office fit out cost per square foot in Dubai
For budgeting, use AED 250 to AED 450 per square foot for a mid to high specification CAT B office and AED 140 to AED 220 per square foot for CAT A or shell and core packages.
| Scope | Typical cost per sq ft (AED) | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| CAT A base finish | 140 to 220 | Ceiling grid, basic MEP distribution, sprinklers, floor prep |
| Standard CAT B, open plan | 250 to 320 | Partitions, ceilings, lighting, power and data, finishes, tea point |
| High specification CAT B | 350 to 450 | Glass frontage, reception joinery, acoustic treatment, AV ready rooms, branded graphics |
| Loose furniture and AV | 60 to 150 | Desks, task chairs, meeting room kit, screens, soft seating |
A 2,500 square foot CAT B office in a Business Bay tower at AED 250 to AED 450 per square foot lands between AED 625,000 and AED 1,125,000. A 120 desk open plan floor with two meeting rooms, a reception and a tea point normally sits in the lower half of that range. Add a client facing boardroom with acoustic treatment, a video wall and bespoke reception joinery and you move past AED 400 per square foot without much effort.
A 1,200 square foot office taken as shell and core, where you only need ceilings, lighting, power, HVAC modification, a small pantry and one meeting room, priced at AED 140 to AED 220 per square foot is AED 168,000 to AED 264,000. Same city, same year, less than a third of the first example because there is almost no glass and joinery in it. To turn these ranges into a fixed figure, request an office fit-out quote in Dubai and we will survey the floor and issue an itemised bill of quantities.
What drives office fit out costs up
Ceiling height, acoustics and glass do most of the damage. Everything else is secondary.
- Raised floor systems add roughly AED 35 to AED 70 per square foot once ramps, edge trims and cut outs are included
- Acoustic ceilings and full height acoustic partitions add AED 25 to AED 60 per square foot on the rooms that use them
- Frameless glass partitions cost two to four times a stud and plasterboard wall, and double glazed acoustic glass costs more again
- AV, structured cabling and comms rooms run AED 15 to AED 40 per square foot depending on meeting room count and whether you need a server room
- HVAC modification is charged per unit plus ductwork, controls and commissioning
- Bespoke joinery is priced per linear metre, so one carved reception desk can outcost the entire tea point
- Out of hours working, lift protection and lift booking fees in occupied towers
- Fast track programmes with weekend shifts and air freighted long lead items
Approval and permit fees to budget separately
Fit out cost and approval cost are two different budgets in Dubai. Keep 5 to 10 percent of the construction value aside for authority fees and treat it as cash you spend early, before a single partition goes up.
- Confirm the trade licence activity covers the work and the premises. If the activity does not match what you are doing, the permit is refused and the fit out stops.
- Get landlord or building management approval. Most towers want drawings, contractor insurance, a deposit and a method statement before material enters the service lift.
- Apply for the authority fit out permit. DET for mainland premises, Trakhees for many free zone and coastal developments. Fees scale with scope, so a small office sits in the low thousands of dirhams while a full floor with MEP changes runs into five figures.
- Submit to Civil Defence where exits, sprinklers, fire alarm, smoke control or escape routes are affected by the partitioning.
- Check the electrical load with DEWA. A power upgrade is the item that catches tenants out, because a load increase can mean new meter capacity and a lead time measured in months.
- Book inspections and collect completion certificates before staff move in. Landlords will not release the deposit without them.
Office fit out timeline in Dubai
Expect 6 to 12 weeks on site for a 2,000 to 3,000 square foot office, plus 3 to 5 weeks of design and approvals before that.
- Brief and test fit, 1 week.
- Concept design and cost plan, 1 to 2 weeks.
- Detailed drawings, MEP design and bill of quantities, 2 to 3 weeks.
- Landlord and authority submissions, 2 to 5 weeks, run in parallel with procurement where you can.
- Procurement of long lead items such as glass, joinery and HVAC equipment, 3 to 6 weeks.
- Site works, 6 to 12 weeks.
- Snagging and handover, 1 week, then a defects liability period of 6 to 12 months.
If the shell is bare, add screed curing time before finishes go down. If the tower only allows noisy work after 6pm, add more. A programme that looks like 8 weeks on paper often runs to 14 once approvals and lift access are real. We publish more commercial interior design guides on programme planning, materials and authority submissions if you want to compare notes before you brief a contractor.
How to compare office fit out quotes in Dubai
Compare scope, not the bottom line. A quote that is 30 percent cheaper is usually missing 30 percent of the work, and the missing 30 percent arrives as a variation once you are already committed.
- Ask for an itemised bill of quantities measured by area, with a rate per square foot per element
- Read the exclusions list properly. Common gaps are permits, DEWA fees, loose furniture, AV, IT cabling, signage, window blinds and landlord deposits
- Identify every provisional sum, because HVAC and glass are where final invoices grow
- Confirm the snagging process, the defects liability period and how fast snags are closed, in writing
- Agree who pays for out of hours access, lift protection, waste removal and the final builder clean
- Ask for the programme as a dated bar chart, not a single number of weeks
One accountable contractor
Split contracts are where fit out budgets fall apart. When joinery is one supplier, partitions a second, branding a third and furniture a fourth, every delay becomes an argument and you own the interface between them. Crafty Clare keeps interior design & fit-out services in Dubai under one roof, from drawings and permits through partitions, ceilings, joinery, branded graphics and custom furniture. The same team that builds your office handles exhibition stand design and build for your next trade show, so brand standards, finishes and material choices carry across both. Call or WhatsApp 050 857 0938 to talk through your floor plate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an office fit out cost per square foot in Dubai?
A CAT B office fit out in Dubai costs AED 250 to AED 450 per square foot in 2026, depending on glass, acoustics, joinery and AV. Shell and core or CAT A packages sit at AED 140 to AED 220 per square foot. Loose furniture and AV add AED 60 to AED 150 per square foot on top of that.
What is the cheapest way to fit out an office in Dubai?
Retain what the landlord already installed. Keep the ceiling grid, light fittings, HVAC and any usable partitions, then spend on paint, flooring, a reception and signage. A retained shell can come in below AED 200 per square foot, but only if the existing electrical load and HVAC capacity already match your headcount.
What is the difference between shell and core and a CAT B fit out in Dubai?
Shell and core is the bare structure with no finishes, so you pay for everything above the slab. CAT B is a fully finished, branded workplace with partitions, ceilings, lighting, power and data, finishes and joinery. CAT A sits between the two as the landlord base finish in a multi tenant tower.
How long does an office fit out take in Dubai?
Allow 6 to 12 weeks on site for a 2,000 to 3,000 square foot office, plus 3 to 5 weeks for design and authority approvals. Long lead glass, joinery and HVAC equipment can add 3 to 6 weeks to the programme. Occupied towers with restricted working hours usually take longer.
Who is responsible for fit out permits in Dubai?
The tenant or the appointed contractor submits them, and the contractor normally prepares the drawings, NOCs and submissions for DET, Trakhees, DEWA and Civil Defence. Liability stays with the tenant and the premises, so confirm in writing who pays each fee and who holds the completion certificate before you sign.
