Construction Estimating Services in Dubai
Dubai developers need to know what a project will cost long before the drawings are finished, and contractors need a price they can stand behind. Optimar Precon prepares cost plans that follow the design from concept to tender, plus priced bids for the contractors who build it.
- Elemental cost plans at concept, schematic and detailed design
- Main contractor and subcontract tender pricing in AED
- Cost movement reported each time the design changes
Dubai Estimating Enquiry
Are you a developer or a contractor? Tell us the design stage, the building type and when you need the figure.
More Projects Are Being Costed Than Ever
Dubai building permit activity in the first half of 2025.
Dubai figures for H1 2025. Every one of those permits started with a budget, and most were priced by more than one contractor.
Know the Cost Before the Design Locks It In
Most cost overruns are fixed at design stage, long before a contractor prices anything. A cost plan updated at each design stage shows where the money is going while it is still cheap to change, whether that’s façade, MEP, basements or finishes.
Cost per square metre by element
Substructure, frame, envelope, finishes and services split out, so you can compare them with your past projects.
What moved since the last stage
A short reconciliation explains every increase or saving between one cost plan and the next.
Options priced side by side
Two façade systems or two parking solutions costed equally, so the design team can decide on numbers.
Dubai Estimates for Developers and Builders
From the first budget to the subcontract package, the estimates Dubai teams ask us for.
Feasibility budgets
Order-of-cost estimates from a massing study or area schedule, to test a plot before design fees are spent.
Early cost advice →Design-stage cost plans
Elemental cost plans updated at each design stage, with the cost of each design change reported.
Cost planning →Main contractor bids
Priced tenders for towers, villa phases and mixed-use buildings, with preliminaries tied to the programme.
Bid estimating →MEP and façade packages
Specialist subcontract estimates for building services and curtain wall, priced from supplier quotes.
MEP estimating →Steel-framed buildings
Warehouses and industrial units priced on steel tonnage, connections, cladding and erection.
Steel estimating →Office and retail fit-out budgets
Cat A and Cat B fit-out costs for landlords, tenants and fit-out contractors, by area and specification level.
All estimating services →A Cost Plan a Dubai Board Can Read
Built to be read quickly in an investment meeting and checked line by line afterwards.
One-page summary
Total cost, cost per m² of built-up area, and the main changes since the last report.
Elemental breakdown
Costs grouped by building element in NRM1 style, so they can be compared with other projects.
Escalation allowance
A separate line for price rises between the estimate date and the expected tender date.
Design and risk contingency
Contingencies shown openly and reduced as the design develops.
Exclusions up front
Land, fees, authority charges and furniture listed as included or excluded, so nobody is surprised later.
Basis of estimate
The drawings, revisions and assumptions each figure is based on.
Prices are in AED, with VAT shown separately. Cost plans are advisory and are prepared from the design information you provide.
Three Dubai Estimating Requests
One developer, one contractor, one fit-out. The shape of what we’re usually sent.
Concept cost plan for a mid-rise residential block
A developer has massing drawings and an area schedule and needs a budget before appointing the full design team.
- You send
- Massing, area schedule, outline spec
- You get
- Elemental cost plan, cost per m²
- Typical time
- 4–6 working days
Priced tender for a 2B+G+20 tower
A main contractor needs the BOQ priced, preliminaries built and supplier quotes levelled before closing.
- You send
- Tender documents, BOQ, quotes
- You get
- Priced BOQ, summary, risk list
- Typical time
- 7–10 working days
Cat B budget for an office floor
A tenant’s project manager wants a fit-out budget from a test-fit layout before going to tender.
- You send
- Test-fit plan, brief, spec level
- You get
- Fit-out budget by trade and area
- Typical time
- 3–4 working days
These are example scopes, not completed client projects. For finished work, see our success stories.
An Estimate That Grows With the Project
Concept
A budget per m² from massing and brief, to confirm the project stacks up.
Schematic design
An elemental cost plan, with the biggest cost drivers highlighted for the design team.
Detailed design
Measured quantities replace allowances, and changes are reconciled against the last plan.
Tender
A pre-tender estimate to compare contractor bids against, line by line.
Dubai Cost Estimating FAQs
What’s the difference between a cost plan and a tender estimate?
A cost plan is prepared for the developer during design to set and control the budget. A tender estimate is prepared for a contractor to price the finished documents and submit a bid. We prepare both, but never for both sides of the same project.
Can you estimate from concept drawings only?
Yes. Early estimates use areas, an outline specification and allowances, with a higher contingency. The figure gets firmer as the design develops.
How do you deal with price rises in Dubai?
Escalation is shown as its own line, based on the time between the estimate and the expected tender or construction date. That way it can be reviewed separately from the base cost.
Do you prepare fit-out budgets?
Yes. Cat A and Cat B fit-out budgets for offices, retail and F&B, priced by area and specification level, with landlord works separated out.
How much does a Dubai cost plan cost?
There’s a fixed fee per stage, based on project size and design stage. Ask about bundled pricing if you need cost plans at several stages. WhatsApp +91 88008 75774 for a figure.
Related services
Budget Meeting Coming Up?
Send what you have, even if it’s only a massing study. We’ll tell you what figure we can give and when.