What's included in a turnkey fit out in Dubai
A turnkey fit out is one contract covering design, authority approvals, MEP, finishes, joinery and handover, ending with the keys and a completion certificate. In Dubai the word is used loosely, so two quotes can look identical on page one and contain completely different work. Confirm what sits inside the number before you pay a deposit.
What turnkey actually means on a Dubai unit
Turnkey describes responsibility, not a price. The contractor owns the drawing set, the approvals, the site and the handover. On a standard unit that means a landlord NOC, a consultant-stamped submission to the authority, a permit, inspections and a completion certificate. When the scope stops at building what someone else drew, you are the one chasing approvals, and that is how a ten week job becomes four months.
On any turnkey interior fit out in Dubai, ask who signs the submission. If the answer is you, the scope is not turnkey.
What is included in an interior fit out, trade by trade
Design and shop drawings come first. Fit out drawings meaning: the set a contractor builds from and an authority approves. Concept images and a mood board are not that set. Ask for the architectural layout, reflected ceiling plan, MEP drawings, joinery details and finishes schedule before you compare money.
Then MEP. HVAC units, ducting, diffusers and controls. Electrical distribution, containment, small power and lighting. Plumbing, drainage and water heaters. Fire sprinklers, detectors, alarm and extinguisher provision.
Then the visible work: partitions, ceilings, flooring and skirting, joinery and millwork, shopfront and signage, painting, final cleaning and waste removal.
Signage is where quotes quietly diverge. On our own reception projects the backlit logo, the wall behind it and the lighting that washes it are three trades, and all three belong in the drawing set before that wall closes. When signage sits in a quote as a provisional sum, the number is not final.
Lounge seating, timber panelling and a feature ceiling light, all resolved in one drawing set.
What falls outside the turnkey fit out scope in Dubai
Landlord works come first. Shell and core finishes, the base slab, capped sprinklers, sometimes the shopfront frame and the building's own fire system. Your fit out connects to these. It does not replace them.
Authority and utility fees are normally outside a construction price: submission and permit fees, DEWA connection and meter charges, Civil Defence fees. Ask for them as a separate line so you can read them next to the build cost.
Then structural change. Slab openings, new steel and anything touching the building frame needs its own engineer and its own approval. Add loose furniture and FF&E, IT and AV cabling, signage permits as distinct from the fit out permit, and extra AC capacity when your heat load is higher than the landlord's unit can carry.
None of that is dishonest. It only becomes a problem when it appears for the first time after you have signed.
How to read a turnkey BOQ and programme
Hold the BOQ against the finishes schedule and check them line by line.
| BOQ line | What to check |
|---|---|
| Specification lines | Brand, model and thickness named, not the word equivalent |
| PC sums and allowances | The allowance amount, and who pays the difference |
| Wastage | Stated percentage on tiles and carpet, not buried in the rate |
| Snagging and defects | Snag closure and defects period written into the contract |
| Programme milestones | Dates for approval, first fix, ceiling closure, handover |
Approvals run in a fixed order. Landlord NOC and building management sign-off on the drawing set. Consultant-stamped submission to the authority and Civil Defence. Permit issue and mobilisation. Inspections at MEP first fix, ceiling closure and final. Completion certificate, then handover.
On a 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft office, retail or F&B unit that sequence takes three to five weeks before anyone lifts a tool, and the build takes another seven to nine. Ten to fourteen weeks from signed drawings is realistic. Six weeks is either skipping approvals or has not done them.
Before signing, put three questions in writing. Which authority and utility fees are inside the price. What each PC sum covers and who pays the overrun. Whether the defects period starts at handover or at completion certificate.
Glass partitions and a suspended ceiling need lighting and HVAC positions fixed before the ceiling closes.
Snagging, handover and the defects period
Snagging has a date, not an opinion. Walk the unit with the contractor and the consultant, list every item, fix, re-inspect, and sign the list closed before the final payment.
Interior fit out handover in Dubai should give you a pack, not a handshake. As-built drawings. O&M manuals. Test certificates for duct pressure, electrical insulation and earth, fire alarm cause and effect, sprinkler pressure. Material warranties. The authority completion certificate. The DLP start date written as a calendar date in the document.
If you are still comparing contractors, see completed fit out projects in Dubai and check whether the finish levels in a quote are the ones actually built. There are more fit out guides on drawings, approvals and handover.
Send photos of the unit as it stands, the floor plan with dimensions marked, the building name, and whether it is shell and core or a previous fit out. Add your target opening date. WhatsApp is the fastest way to get a read on what is inside the price, and you can request a turnkey fit out scope review through the site.
Frequently asked questions
Does a turnkey fit out price include DET approval fees?
Usually not, and this is the most common surprise on a first quote. Submission fees, permit fees, DEWA connection and Civil Defence charges are often listed as reimbursables or left out entirely. Ask for them as a separate line so the build cost and the authority cost sit side by side.
How long does a turnkey fit out take for a 2,000 sq ft office in Dubai?
Approvals take three to five weeks and the build another seven to nine, so ten to fourteen weeks from signed drawings is a fair expectation. A unit that already holds a permit shortens the front end. A shell and core unit that needs extra AC capacity adds weeks before the programme even starts.
Is furniture included in a turnkey interior fit out?
Normally not. Fit out covers what is fixed to the building: partitions, ceilings, flooring, joinery, MEP and signage. Loose furniture, seating, IT equipment and AV are FF&E and quoted separately. If a contractor says furniture is included, ask which items and which brand.
What is a PC sum on a fit out BOQ?
A provisional sum for something not yet selected, usually light fittings, sanitaryware or signage. The BOQ carries an allowance and the final cost follows your selection. Check the allowance amount and confirm in writing who pays the difference if your choice comes in higher.
What should be in an interior fit out handover pack?
As-built drawings, O&M manuals, test certificates for duct pressure, electrical and fire systems, material warranties, the authority completion certificate, and the DLP start date. Keep it. You will need it for your maintenance contractor and for any future landlord or authority inspection.
