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For fit-out companies

Fit-out companies: what we check, and how invitations reach you

The checks that apply to a Dubai fit-out company, how client requests reach you, and what the Verified badge does and does not say.

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The short answer

A fit-out company becomes SoukLocal Verified when we confirm its trade licence covers the fit-out work it lists, its Dubai Contractor Register registration and class under Law No. 7 of 2025, Civil Defence approval if it does fire works, and liability and workers' compensation insurance. Requests reach you as private invitations; you offer in your portal, and contact details are shared only after you and the client both confirm the same offer.

By SoukLocal editorial teamUpdated

Which checks apply to a fit-out company?

The same standard applies to every contracting business. For a fit-out company, these are the checks that decide most applications:

CheckWhat we look at
Trade licence and activitiesA valid UAE trade licence, and an activity on it that covers each service you list. Dubai Municipality treats interior decoration as a secondary contracting activity, so a design-only licence cannot list fit-out works.
Contractor Register status and classYour registration and classification under Dubai Law No. 7 of 2025, and work listed only within that class. Companies working before the law have until 8 January 2027 to regularise; until then your listing states your status.
Civil Defence approval, where you do fire worksIf you list fire alarm, sprinkler or other fire and life-safety work, your Dubai Civil Defence approval for that activity. Approval is given by category, so installation does not cover maintenance.
Insurance, per our standardThird-party liability insurance covering the listed work, and workers' compensation or employer's liability cover for your site staff, both valid on the date we check.
Finished workTwo jobs you completed in the UAE in the last 24 months, with photos, and a client we contact to confirm the job was finished. It is not a review.

For fit-out permits, Dubai Municipality's decoration-works rules say the permit for a unit over 100 sq m is applied for by a Municipality-approved contractor, and that Civil Defence requirements apply whether or not a permit is needed. Which body approves a fit-out depends on the area: see fit-out approvals by jurisdiction.

The classification grades under the new law have not been published yet. Our Contractor Register guide sets out how to register, the deadline and the fines, and the readiness checker gives you a list of what to prepare.

The full list of checks (11)
  1. Valid UAE trade licenceThe licence is active and not expired on the date we check.
  2. Licensed activity covers the listed workEvery service on the listing is covered by an activity on the licence. A design-only licence cannot list building work.
  3. Authorised personThe person managing the listing is an owner or manager on the licence, or holds written authority from the company.
  4. Real business contactA working business phone that reaches a person. SoukLocal uses it to reach the business; it is not shown to clients before both sides confirm the same offer.
  5. No adverse statusNot suspended, deregistered or struck off by the licensing authority or register, and not previously removed from SoukLocal for misconduct.
  6. Named complaints contactA named person handles complaints, and the business agrees to answer complaints sent through SoukLocal within 5 working days and to follow the review policy.
  7. Business locationThe business address matches the licence. Showrooms and workshops listed for walk-ins are confirmed.
  8. Dubai Municipality Contractor RegisterRegistered and classified under Dubai Law No. 7 of 2025, and listed only for work within its classification. Contractors operating before the law have until 8 January 2027 to regularise; until then the listing states their status.
  9. Liability insurance in forceThird-party liability insurance covering the listed work, valid on the date we check.
  10. Proof of finished workAt least 2 jobs the business completed in the UAE in the last 24 months, each with photos, and a client SoukLocal contacts to confirm the job was finished. Clients are asked only to confirm, with their permission; it is not a review.
  11. Workers' compensation cover in forceWorkers' compensation or employer's liability insurance covering the business's site staff, valid on the date we check.

The full Verified standard

How each check is done: how we verify. The standard itself: the SoukLocal Verified standard.

How do client requests reach you?

Through private invitations, never a public job board or a list of phone numbers.

  1. Private invitation. When a request fits your trades and areas, we invite you, along with a small number of other verified businesses. The request is not posted publicly.
  2. You decide. You see the job, the area and the respond-by time, and choose whether to make an offer.
  3. Offer in your portal. You submit an itemised offer in AED in your SoukLocal portal. Each version you issue is kept as it was sent.
  4. Both confirm. The client compares offers and confirms one. You confirm the same offer in your portal.
  5. Contact details. Only then do you and the client get each other's contact details, and the job is yours to deliver.

Invitations follow published rules: fit for the job, area served, verification status and how you respond. No one can pay to be invited first. Neutrality rules.

What Verified is, and what it is not

Verified means you passed every check in the standard on the date shown on your profile. We re-check when your licence, registration or insurance expires, and at least every 12 months. If a check fails, the badge comes off until it is fixed.

Verified is not a guarantee. It does not promise the quality of your work, and we do not check:

  • Quality of workmanship: compare offers and ask questions before you confirm one. Client feedback after each job is tracked privately.
  • Prices: always compare itemised quotes.
  • A business's financial standing.
  • Permits for your specific project: the contractor or consultant must obtain these.

Apply as a founding business

Have your trade licence, your Contractor Register status, your insurance certificates and two recent finished jobs ready. You set up your profile and upload them yourself.

Apply as a founding business

Questions

Does a fit-out company need to be on the Dubai Contractor Register?

Yes, if it does contracting work in Dubai. Law No. 7 of 2025 bars anyone from contracting, or advertising as a contractor, without a trade licence and a register entry. Companies already working must regularise by 8 January 2027.

What does SoukLocal Verified mean for a fit-out company?

SoukLocal Verified means the business passed all 11 checks in the Verified standard on the date shown: a valid UAE trade licence covering the work, an authorised person, a working business contact and location, no suspension, a named complaints contact, Dubai Municipality Contractor Register status, liability and workers' compensation insurance, and finished jobs confirmed with past clients. It is not a guarantee of workmanship.

Do you check Civil Defence approval?

Only where you list fire and life-safety work, such as fire alarms or sprinklers. Then we check your approval to carry out that work. A fit-out company that does not do fire-system work is not asked for it.

How do I get work through SoukLocal?

When a client request fits your trades and areas, we invite you privately. You see the job and decide whether to make an offer in your portal. Contact details are shared only after you and the client both confirm the same offer.

Which classification grade do I need?

The grades under Law No. 7 of 2025 have not been published yet. Until they are, we record your current register status and class as shown by Dubai Municipality, and list you only for work within it.

Sources

Dubai Civil Defence's own site could not be opened on 3 November 2026, so the Civil Defence point above follows a secondary source; confirm current categories with Civil Defence.

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