The short answer
Design fees in Dubai are usually set as a fixed fee by stage, a percentage of the construction cost, or a rate per square foot or square metre. No model is better in itself. What matters is what each stage includes, what is excluded, and whether permitting, FF&E and site supervision are inside the fee or extra.
The common fee models
Fixed fee by stage. A set amount for each stage of the work, such as concept, detailed design, approvals, tender and supervision. It gives clarity on cost, as long as the scope of each stage is written down.
Percentage of construction cost. The fee moves with the value of the works. It reflects the effort of larger and more complex projects, but the final fee is not known until the construction cost is.
Rate per area. A rate per square foot or square metre of the space designed. It is easy to understand and scales with the project: a larger space carries more detail and more work. The rate itself should reflect how much detailing the design needs.
Many proposals combine models, for example a fixed fee for design and a separate fee for supervision.
What each stage should include
- Concept: layouts, options and the material palette.
- Detailed design: a complete drawing set and specification a contractor can price.
- Approvals: submissions by an Architect of Record: the master developer NOC, local authority NOCs and permits, and responses to authority comments.
- FF&E: selection, sourcing and procurement, or advice only.
- Tender: prequalifying and comparing contractors.
- Supervision: site visits, quality checks, variations and handover.
Our guide to what a full interior design package includes covers these in detail.
How to compare proposals
- List every stage and check which proposals include it.
- Ask for the drawing schedule, so you know what documentation each fee buys.
- Check whether permitting is included, and who signs as Architect of Record.
- Check how FF&E is charged: inside the fee, as a procurement fee, or not at all.
- Read the exclusions and assumptions.
- Ask how changes to the brief are charged.
A lower fee with a thinner drawing set is not the same service, and the gaps often return as variations from the contractor. Design-only vs design-and-fit-out contracts explains how the contract structure moves cost and risk.
The fee is not the whole cost
The design fee is a small part of the total project cost, but it decides how the rest of the budget behaves. Complete documentation lets contractors price like for like; supervision keeps substitutions and variations under control. Judge the fee by what it protects, not only by its size.
Questions to ask any studio
- What exactly is included at each stage?
- Is the Architect of Record role included?
- How are FF&E and custom furniture charged?
- How many site visits are included, and what do they cover?
- How are extra services or changes to the brief priced?
How Ganggaan works
Ganggaan usually charges either a fixed fee per stage or a rate per square metre, depending on the type and size of the project: a larger project involves more detail, and therefore more work. Its engagements cover design, Architect of Record permitting, FF&E sourcing and site supervision in one studio, so the scope can be read stage by stage. Ganggaan tenders and supervises the contractor; it does not build.