What is the difference between a fit-out company and an interior designer?

An interior designer creates the design, drawings and specifications, while a fit-out company builds and installs them on site. A design-and-build company does both under one contract.

How many quotes should I get for a fit-out?

Enough to compare fairly, and always on the same brief and drawings. A few well-prepared, like-for-like quotations are more useful than many based on different assumptions.

Who is responsible for approvals on a fit-out?

It should be agreed in the contract. Often the fit-out company prepares drawings and submissions to building management, the master developer or the relevant authority, but you should confirm this in writing.

What should happen at handover?

You should walk the space with the company, list any defects on a snagging list and see each one closed out. You should also receive warranties and operating information, and know how to report issues during the defects period.

Interior Fit-Out Buyer's Guide for Dubai

The right interior fit-out company in Dubai is one whose completed work matches the standard you expect, who prices your project on a clear written scope, and who takes responsibility for approvals, site management and defects after handover. Choosing well comes down to preparing a good brief, comparing proposals on the same basis and checking a few essentials before you sign.

What an interior fit-out company does

A fit-out company turns an empty or existing space into a finished, usable interior. Depending on the contract, that can include partitions and ceilings, flooring, wall finishes, joinery, doors, MEP work such as electrical, lighting, plumbing and air conditioning changes, and final installation of fixtures and furniture.

In commercial property in Dubai you will often hear two terms:

Shell and core or Category A describes the base provided by the landlord, typically with basic services, ceilings and floors in place.
Category B describes the tenant's own fit-out on top of that base: the layout, meeting rooms, finishes, branding and furniture that make the space theirs.

Check your lease or handover documents to see exactly what the landlord provides, because it changes what the fit-out company needs to price.

Build only or design and build?

Before approaching companies, decide which kind of service you need.

Build only. You already have a complete design, drawings and specifications from a designer, and you want a contractor to deliver them. You can tender the same package to several companies.
Design and build. One company produces the design and then builds it. This gives a single point of responsibility, and design decisions are made with buildability and cost in mind.

Neither is right for every project. Build only works well when the design is fully resolved and you have someone to check the contractor's work against it. Design and build tends to suit owners who want one accountable team and fewer handovers between parties.

Whichever route you choose, be clear about who answers for the result. In build only, the designer answers for the design and the contractor for the workmanship, so gaps between the two need someone to manage them. In design and build, both sit with one company, which simplifies things when a detail needs to change on site.

Prepare a brief that companies can price properly

The quality of the quotations you receive depends on the quality of the information you give. A useful brief includes:

The property type, location and size, with any existing plans.
How the space will be used, and for a business, how many people and what activities it needs to support.
The level of finish you expect, with reference images or examples.
Any landlord, building or community requirements you already know about.
Your target completion date and a realistic budget.

Give the same brief, and the same drawings if you have them, to every company you invite. Otherwise you will be comparing different projects rather than different prices.

Criteria for choosing a fit-out company

Relevant completed work

Look for projects similar to yours in type and level of finish. An office, a salon and a family villa each demand different skills. Ask to see completed spaces, not only renders, and look closely at details such as joinery edges, tile alignment and how finishes meet.

Licensing and insurance

Confirm the company is properly licensed for the work it will carry out, and ask what insurance it holds for the works and for third parties. Building management may ask for these documents before allowing work to start.

Who does the work

Ask which trades the company carries out itself and which it subcontracts. Subcontracting is normal, but you should know who is responsible for coordinating and checking each trade.

Approvals

Find out who prepares drawings and submissions, and who obtains approvals from building management, the master developer or the relevant authority. What is needed depends on the building and the scope, so the company should explain it for your project specifically. Our authority approvals page explains how we handle this on our own projects.

Site management and communication

Ask who will supervise the site day to day, who your single point of contact will be, and how progress will be reported. Clear, regular communication prevents most disputes.

Knowledge of local conditions

A good fit-out company specifies for Dubai rather than for a catalogue. Ask how they choose joinery boards, timber and adhesives for humidity and constant air conditioning, how they protect finishes near large glazed areas from strong sun, and how they plan around building rules on working hours, deliveries and noisy work. Their answers show whether they have dealt with these issues before.

Warranty and aftercare

Ask what defects liability period applies after handover, what it covers, and how manufacturers' warranties on equipment and fittings will be passed to you.

How to compare quotations like for like

Quotes for the same project can look very different, and the lowest total is not always the lowest final cost. To compare fairly:

Check they price the same scope. Line up the items in each quote and look for anything missing.
Look for itemised pricing. A single lump sum makes it hard to see what you are paying for or to price changes later.
Compare specifications. The same item can be priced at very different grades. Ask for brands, models or material grades where they matter.
Review allowances. Sums set aside for items not yet chosen should be realistic, or the price will rise when you select them.
Read the exclusions. Approvals, MEP changes, furniture and site protection are common exclusions.
Compare the programme and payment schedule. Payments linked to clear stages of completed work are easier to manage.

Warning signs to watch for

A price given without a site visit or drawings.
A vague scope that uses general phrases rather than listing items.
Pressure to start before approvals are in place.
Reluctance to show completed work or to put commitments in writing.
A request for most of the money before meaningful work has been done.
No clear process for pricing and approving changes.

What the contract should cover

Whoever you choose, make sure the agreement sets out the scope, drawings and specifications it is based on, the price and payment stages, the programme, how changes are handled, who is responsible for approvals, the handover and snagging process, and the defects liability period. A clear contract protects both sides and makes the project easier to run.

Residential and commercial fit-outs differ

Residential projects focus on comfort, durability for family life and, often, working around occupants. Commercial projects add requirements such as brand identity, capacity, staff and customer flow, and landlord handover conditions. Commercial buildings and malls often have their own fit-out guidelines and review of drawings, and some limit noisy work to set hours, which the programme must allow for. For commercial examples, see our Luxury Salon in Dubai Marina and our office fit-out in Deira, and read more about commercial interior design.

Talking to us about your fit-out

At Xena Design & Build we offer design and build, design-only consultancy, approvals, project management and on-site supervision. Our fit-out service page explains how we work. To discuss your space, contact the studio with its location, size and your plans, and we will send an indicative estimate and proposed timeline within one working day.

Interior Fit-Out Buyer's Guide: Quotes, Checks and Warning Signs