How to Compare Fit-Out Quotations in Dubai Without Choosing on Price Alone

Issue one common scope and information set

Provide the same drawings, room schedule, material intent, equipment information, landlord manual, target programme and commercial instructions to every bidder. Record document versions and answer questions through a shared clarification process where appropriate.

If design is incomplete, define how design development will be handled and list uncertain items separately. A contractor cannot price missing information accurately; an apparently fixed total may simply hide assumptions.

Normalise the bill of quantities and responsibilities

Create a comparison table that aligns demolition, protection, partitions, ceilings, floors, finishes, doors, joinery, MEP, fire coordination, data, security, furniture, signage, approvals, testing, cleaning and handover. Confirm whether quantities are measured, lump sum or subject to remeasurement.

Use a responsibility matrix for landlord submissions, specialist design, equipment, utility upgrades, permits, deposits, inspections and third-party fees. Unassigned scope often becomes a late client cost.

Separate fixed scope from allowances and provisional sums

A provisional sum is an allowance for work that cannot yet be defined or priced accurately. It is not automatically the final cost. Record what each allowance covers, how it will be measured, overhead treatment and the evidence required when it is adjusted.

Compare the proportion of the quotation that is genuinely fixed. A low total with large allowances, missing quantities or optimistic rates can carry more cost uncertainty than a higher but better-defined proposal.

Compare specifications, samples and workmanship

Check brands, model references, thicknesses, substrates, hardware, performance, fire requirements, warranties and approved equivalents. Descriptions such as premium or equivalent are not sufficiently precise for major finish or equipment decisions.

Review relevant completed work, sample boards, mock-up approach, shop-drawing process and quality inspections. The proposal should explain how the promised visual quality will be converted into controlled fabrication and installation.

Interrogate exclusions, assumptions and change control

List exclusions side by side and convert important omissions into priced options or client-retained scope. Review assumptions about working hours, storage, power, water, access, existing services, hidden conditions and authority comments.

Understand the variation process: instruction, quotation, approval, programme impact and record. Strong change control protects both client and contractor from proceeding on unclear verbal requests.

Test the programme and proposed resources

Ask for a programme showing design, approvals, procurement, enabling work, MEP, finishes, joinery, commissioning and handover. Check long-lead dates and dependencies. A short duration without a credible sequence is a commercial risk.

Review the proposed project manager, site supervision, design coordination, safety resources and specialist supply chain. Confirm whether the named people are available for the planned dates.

Compare commercial terms and whole-project value

Review payment milestones, retention, securities where applicable, insurance, delay provisions, suspension rights, ownership of materials, warranty, defects response and document handover with professional advice. Payment should relate to clear deliverables and verified progress.

Build an adjusted comparison including exclusions, likely allowance movement, client costs, programme exposure and operational risk. Select the proposal that offers the clearest path to the required outcome—not the smallest untested number.

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