Two quotations for the same space can differ by a wide margin. Before treating the lower one as the better one, compare what each actually includes. This guide gives a practical checklist for a fair comparison.
Compare like with like
- Scope: are the same areas and works covered?
- Specification: the same materials, finishes and fixtures, or equivalents?
- Preparation and protection: is surface preparation and protection of existing areas included?
- Services: electrical, plumbing and specialist systems, and who coordinates them.
- Access and working hours: are restrictions allowed for in price and programme?
- Programme: start, duration and key dates.
- Quality checks and handover: how work is inspected and what is delivered at the end.
- Variation rules: how changes are priced and approved.
Why prices can differ significantly
Differences usually trace back to scope, specification, assumptions and exclusions rather than to one contractor being more expensive. A low total sometimes reflects work that is simply not included.
What to check before accepting a low quote
- Which items are marked provisional or by others.
- Whether the exclusions list is longer than in the other proposal.
- Whether the programme is realistic for the stated scope.
How to treat provisional items
A provisional item is a placeholder, not a fixed price. Ask what it assumes, how it will be confirmed and who bears the difference if the final figure changes.
Questions clients ask
What clarifications should be requested?
Ask each contractor to confirm assumptions, exclusions, provisional items, programme and change rules in writing against one common scope.
Is the lowest price always a risk?
Not always, but it deserves a closer look at what is covered before it is accepted.
How SADEED helps you compare
SADEED writes proposals so they can be compared line by line, with assumptions and exclusions stated openly, and is glad to explain any item.
Have two proposals you want to understand better?
Related guides
- Commercial Fit-Out Cost in Dubai: What Influences the Final Price?
- From Site Visit to Quotation: What Happens Before a Commercial Proposal Is Issued?
- How to Evaluate a Commercial Maintenance Provider Beyond the Monthly Price
- Design & Build programme
- Request a site visit
Last reviewed: October 2026. This guide is general information; requirements vary by property, scope and authority.