Timelines, documents, costs and what actually happens when an authority raises comments. If your question is not here, ask us directly — no obligation and no sales pitch.
FAQs
Timelines, documents, costs and what happens when an authority raises comments.
A standard DM fit-out permit for a commercial unit typically takes 7 to 14 working days once the drawings are complete. DCD adds another 10 to 21 days depending on the fire scope, and DEWA runs in parallel. Villa extensions are longer, usually 15 to 30 working days. The single biggest variable is drawing quality — incomplete packages get comments, and each comment cycle adds three to five days.
At minimum: the tenancy contract or title deed, the affection plan, the landlord or community NOC, your trade licence, and any existing as-built drawings for the unit. If you do not have drawings, we can survey the space and produce them. For DCD we also need the intended occupancy type and any kitchen or gas equipment schedule.
Cost has two parts: authority fees, which are fixed and paid directly to DM, DCD or DEWA, and our consultancy fee, which depends on scope, unit size and how many authorities are involved. A single-authority retail fit-out is at the lower end; a restaurant needing DM, DCD, DEWA and gas approval sits higher. We quote a fixed fee up front with no variation unless the scope changes.
Yes. Free zones and master developers run their own approval tracks separate from Dubai Municipality. We handle Trakhees for Ports and Free Zone areas including Palm Jumeirah and Discovery Gardens, TECOM and Dubai Development Authority for the media and internet city clusters, plus Nakheel, EMAAR and CONCORDIA community NOCs.
Comments are normal and are not the same as rejection. We revise the drawings, respond to each comment in writing and resubmit — included in our fee, with no extra charge. Our first-submission pass rate is around 98% because we run every package through an authority-specific checklist before it goes in.
Regularly. Send us the current submission reference, the open comments and whatever drawings exist. We review where the file actually stands, tell you honestly what is salvageable, and take over the portal. Most stalled files we inherit are missing one or two specific documents rather than being fundamentally wrong.
Yes. We prepare coordinated mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings to authority standards, and photorealistic 3D renders for landlord approval or client sign-off. Having the drawings and the submission handled by the same team removes the back-and-forth that usually causes delays.
We work across the UAE. Dubai is our core market and where we are fastest, but we handle approvals in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates through the relevant municipality and civil defence departments. Tell us the emirate and we will confirm the route and timeline.
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