Ask three fit-out contractors to quote the same office and the numbers rarely land close together. That's not always one contractor overcharging or another underbidding, it's usually because each quote is scoped differently, one includes MEP and one doesn't, one assumes existing ceiling tiles are reusable and one doesn't, one allows for a mid-range finish and one for a premium one. Before comparing a single dirham figure, it helps to know which line items actually move the total.
Shell condition sets the floor
A fit-out starts from one of two positions: shell and core (bare concrete, no ceiling, no partitions, no finished MEP) or a warm shell or previously fitted space with some infrastructure already in place. Shell and core costs more per square foot because everything, from the first partition to the last light fitting, is new. A space that already has a working ceiling grid, functioning AC distribution and existing flooring can come in significantly cheaper if that infrastructure is reused rather than stripped out.
This is the single biggest reason two quotes for the same floor area diverge: one contractor priced against the actual site condition, the other quoted a standard rate per square foot without a proper site survey. A fit-out cost estimate that wasn't preceded by a site visit is a placeholder, not a real number.
MEP and approvals are where budgets actually break
MEP, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, is usually the least visible line item and the one most likely to be underestimated. Relocating AC diffusers, adding data and power points for a new desk layout, and running additional circuits for a server room or pantry all add real cost that doesn't show up in a simple per-square-foot partition and paint estimate.
- Partitions, ceiling and flooring: the visible, most commonly quoted layer
- MEP: AC relocation, additional power/data points, fire and life safety systems
- Joinery: reception desks, storage, custom millwork
- Approvals: authority and civil defence submissions, which add time even when they don't add much direct cost
- Finishes: the tier of flooring, ceiling tile and paint specified, often the easiest place to cut cost without touching layout
Authority and civil defence approvals in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah each run through a different process, and a project that skips a required submission can be forced to redo completed work to pass inspection. A contractor quoting a realistic timeline builds approval lead time into the schedule rather than treating it as a formality at the end.
What to ask for before comparing quotes
The fastest way to get quotes that are actually comparable is to ask every contractor for the same scope in writing: a site survey before pricing, a line-item breakdown (not a single lump sum), and an explicit statement of what's excluded. A quote that's meaningfully lower than the others is usually lower because something, MEP scope, approvals, a finishes allowance, has been left out, not because that contractor is simply more efficient.
