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01COMMERCIAL SERVICE
Commercial fit-out in Dubai
A commercial fit-out turns a shell or a tired unit into a working business. It runs on the landlord's rules, the authorities' approvals and a fixed opening date — and the contractor's job is to manage all three alongside the build.
Next step
Tell us the type of business, the unit size and your target opening date. We match you with fit-out contractors.
Request a commercial consultationOr message us on WhatsApp02WHAT IT COVERS
- Design and space planning
- Landlord and authority approval packages
- Partitions, ceilings and flooring
- Electrical, data and lighting
- Air-conditioning modification
- Fire alarm and sprinkler adjustments
- Joinery, counters and display
- Signage coordination and handover
Who you are really working for
In a commercial fit-out, three parties must sign off: the landlord or mall, the authorities that issue the fit-out and fire-safety approvals, and you. The landlord's fit-out guide sets what can be changed in the unit, which contractors may work in the building and how the work is inspected. Authority approvals cover the building works and the fire and life-safety systems. A contractor who has delivered fit-outs before will build the approval timeline into the programme from the start.
Shell, Cat A or existing unit
What you take over matters. A bare shell needs everything from ceilings and air-conditioning distribution upwards. A Cat A unit already has raised floors or screed, ceilings and basic services, so the work is the business-specific Cat B layer. An existing unit from a previous tenant may need stripping back to a state the landlord accepts before your fit-out can start.
Protecting the opening date
Rent-free periods are usually tied to the fit-out, so time is money in the most literal way. Long-lead items — specialist lighting, imported joinery, kitchen equipment — are ordered as soon as the design is frozen, and approvals are submitted in parallel with procurement rather than after it.
- Landlord fit-out guide reviewed before design
- Approval submissions run alongside procurement
- Long-lead items ordered at design freeze
- Snagging and authority inspections planned before opening
—PLANNING THIS PROJECT
Commercial Fit-Out: questions to settle before you hire.
- Commercial fit-out cost
Unit condition, services, approvals and finishes decide a commercial fit-out budget in Dubai. How the costs build up and how to compare fit-out quotes.
- Commercial fit-out approvals
Landlord consent, authority fit-out permits and fire and life-safety approvals — the sequence of approvals for a commercial fit-out in Dubai.
- Commercial fit-out process
Brief, design, approvals, procurement, construction and handover — the stages of a commercial fit-out in Dubai from signing the lease to opening.
- Cat A vs Cat B fit-out
What a Cat A fit-out provides, what Cat B adds, and how the difference affects your budget and programme when leasing commercial space in Dubai.
03QUESTIONS
- Do you handle fit-outs for small businesses?
- Yes. We match small offices, single shops, salons and cafes as well as larger units, with contractors suited to the size of the space.
- Who obtains the fit-out approvals?
- Normally the fit-out contractor or their consultant prepares and submits the drawings to the landlord and the authorities. The contract should state clearly who is responsible for each approval.
04RELATED
- Office Fit-Out
New office or refurbishing an existing one? Get matched with office fit-out contractors for partitions, ceilings, power, data and finishes in Dubai.
- Retail Fit-Out
Fit out a shop, kiosk or showroom in a Dubai mall or on the street.
- Restaurant & Cafe Fit-Out
Fit out a restaurant, cafe or takeaway in Dubai — kitchen, extraction, seating and finishes.
- Salon & Spa Fit-Out
Fit out a beauty salon, barbershop or spa in Dubai.
- Commercial fit-out approvals
Landlord consent, authority fit-out permits and fire and life-safety approvals — the sequence of approvals for a commercial fit-out in Dubai.
- Cat A vs Cat B fit-out
What a Cat A fit-out provides, what Cat B adds, and how the difference affects your budget and programme when leasing commercial space in Dubai.
05NEXT
Fitting out a commercial space?
Describe the work and the property, and get matched with contractors who quote it itemised before anything starts. There is no fee to use the platform.