Single vs multiple contractors for interior fit out Dubai
For most commercial fit outs in Dubai under about 5,000 sq ft, one turnkey contractor is cheaper, faster and carries less risk than splitting the work into joinery, MEP, glass and flooring packages. Split packages only win when the project is large enough to justify a paid client-side project manager.
Why work with INTERIOXPERT TECHNICAL SERVICES CO. L.L.C
- One contract covering joinery, MEP, partitions, ceilings and flooring
- DET, Dubai Municipality and landlord approvals inside the same scope
- Fixed lump sum pricing against a written scope of works
- One snagging list and a single 12 month defects liability period
- Direct line on phone and WhatsApp at +971 58 510 1641
What a single contractor actually means in a DET permitted fit out
One company signs one contract for the whole scope: permit drawings, every trade, site supervision, testing and commissioning, snagging and the defects liability period. You deal with one programme, one invoice schedule and one site manager.
It does not mean the contractor self performs every trade. Most interior fit out contractors in Dubai subcontract MEP and glass. The difference is contractual rather than physical. The main contractor carries the interface risk, which is the part that quietly costs clients money when nobody owns it.
What sits inside the single scope
- Design coordination and shop drawings
- Permit set for Dubai Municipality, plus Civil Defence where the unit is F&B or retail
- Landlord NOC, method statements, insurance and contractor induction
- Demolition, blockwork, ceilings, joinery, MEP first and second fix, partitions, flooring and decoration
- Testing and commissioning, as built drawings, O&M manuals and the handover file
Reception joinery, LED feature lighting and glass partitions delivered as one scope.
How the multiple package model works and who owns the interface risk
The package model splits the same scope into separate tenders, each with its own contract, payment terms and programme. You get four or five lower headline prices and you take on the gaps between them.
Those gaps are real and they show up late. Joinery gets measured before blockwork is final. The glass partition is ordered to a nominal opening and then the screed level moves. The MEP duct route needs a bulkhead that never made it onto the joinery drawing. In a split model each one becomes a variation with a markup and a week of argument.
Who owns interface risk in practice
Under split packages, you do, unless you pay someone to hold it. A client-side project manager on a fit out project management Dubai appointment typically charges 8 to 12 percent of construction value, and that fee is the price of turning four contracts back into one point of responsibility.
Cost comparison: a 2,000 sq ft office shell and core in Dubai
A single lump sum usually lands within 3 to 8 percent of the combined package price, and often below it once a project management fee and a client held contingency are added.
Take a 2,000 sq ft shell and core office in Dubai at mid specification: reception, two glass partitioned offices, a meeting room, a pantry and 18 workstations.
| Item | Single contractor | Four packages |
|---|---|---|
| Joinery and reception desk | inside lump sum | AED 168,000 |
| MEP: HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire | inside lump sum | AED 132,000 |
| Glass partitions and doors | inside lump sum | AED 92,000 |
| Flooring and ceilings | inside lump sum | AED 58,000 |
| Works subtotal | AED 492,000 | AED 450,000 |
| Client side PM at 9 percent | not required | AED 40,000 |
| Interface contingency held by client | not required | AED 27,000 |
| Total | AED 492,000 | AED 517,000 |
That works out at AED 246 per sq ft against AED 258 per sq ft. The single contract is roughly AED 25,000 cheaper before you count the 40 to 60 hours your own team spends chasing four suppliers. For a like for like baseline, ask for a turnkey interior fit out in Dubai quotation on the same drawing set.
For context, interior fit out cost in Dubai for a shell and core office runs about AED 180 to AED 350 per sq ft depending on specification. Retail and F&B sit higher, commonly AED 400 to AED 700 per sq ft, because of extraction, grease traps, Civil Defence and mall design review.
Programme and timeline, and who absorbs the delay
On a 2,000 sq ft office, one contractor typically delivers in 10 to 13 weeks from permit submission. Four packages usually add 3 to 5 weeks, and the client absorbs most of that slippage.
Approval and build sequence under one contract
- Site survey and verification of the base build, week 1
- Concept, layout and permit drawing set, weeks 1 to 3
- Landlord NOC and Dubai Municipality fit out permit submission, weeks 3 to 6
- Mobilisation, protection and demolition, week 6
- Blockwork, MEP first fix and ceiling grid, weeks 6 to 9
- Joinery, glass partitions, flooring and decoration, weeks 9 to 12
- Testing, commissioning, snagging and handover, weeks 12 to 13
Who pays for a delay
With one contract there is one programme, one liquidated damages clause and one party to chase. With four contracts each trade blames the one before it and the client pays rent on an empty floor while that is resolved. A four week slip on 2,000 sq ft at AED 90 per sq ft annual rent is about AED 6,900 in dead rent, before you count delayed revenue.
Workstations and built in storage, with power, data and ceiling lighting coordinated on one drawing set.
Snagging, DLP and warranty liability across trades
One contractor means one snagging list, one 12 month defects liability period and one number to call. Split packages scatter that liability across four companies with four sets of warranty terms.
Joinery may carry 12 months on workmanship. MEP may carry 12 months. A sealed glass unit may carry 10 years from the manufacturer but only 12 months on installation. Flooring may carry 5 to 10 years from the manufacturer, void if the subfloor was not prepared to spec. When a door drops or a ceiling tile sags, someone has to decide which of those applies. Under a single contract that decision is not yours to make.
DET, landlord and building management approvals, who signs
Under a turnkey contract the contractor owns the submission pack. Under split packages it usually falls to the client or the PM, and that is where two to four weeks quietly disappear.
The pack normally holds the Dubai Municipality fit out permit drawings, the landlord or asset manager NOC and design review, contractor insurance and method statements, Civil Defence submission for F&B and retail, and a DET check where the trade licence activity, signage or licence category changes. Each authority answers to a named applicant. If that applicant is a joinery company, it cannot answer for the MEP design.
If you want one party accountable from submission to handover, request a single contractor fit out proposal and ask for the approval scope in writing.
Which model fits your project
- Office up to 5,000 sq ft: single contractor. The coordination saving beats the package saving.
- 5,000 to 15,000 sq ft with an in-house project manager: packages can work, budget 9 to 12 percent for the PM.
- F&B, clinic or retail unit: single contractor, because licensing and Civil Defence need one party controlling commissioning.
- Multi-floor or phased occupancy: single contractor with phased handover is usually faster than parallel packages.
- One highly specialised trade such as a cleanroom or lab: package that trade out and keep the rest turnkey.
Whichever route you take, compare three interior fit out company in Dubai proposals on the same scope, not on headline rate, and read the exclusions page before the price page. More interior fit out guides cover cost per sq ft and approval sequencing in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is one contractor cheaper than four packages for a fit out in Dubai?
On a 2,000 sq ft office, a single lump sum typically comes in 3 to 8 percent below the combined package price once a 9 percent project management fee and a client held contingency are added. The gap widens on smaller units, where mobilisation, site setup and coordination costs repeat four times.
Who is responsible if the MEP and joinery contractors blame each other?
Under split packages, you are, unless your PM contract makes someone else responsible. Each trade will claim the other blocked its work, and the argument runs on your rent. Under a single contract the main contractor absorbs that dispute and you keep one point of contact.
How long does a 2,000 sq ft office fit out take in Dubai?
About 10 to 13 weeks from permit submission under one contractor, including roughly 3 to 6 weeks for the landlord NOC and Dubai Municipality permit. Split packages usually add 3 to 5 weeks, and the client carries that extra time rather than the trades.
Who applies for the DET and municipality fit out approval?
Under turnkey, the contractor prepares and lodges the pack, including the landlord NOC, Dubai Municipality permit drawings and Civil Defence where needed. A DET check is added when the licence activity, signage or licence category changes. With split packages the client or the PM usually becomes the named applicant.
Does a 12 month defects liability period cover every trade?
Under one contract, yes, a single DLP covers the whole scope with one party answering for it. Under split packages each trade sets its own period, commonly 12 months on workmanship, with manufacturer warranties of 5 to 10 years on flooring and glazing that do not cover installation.
