Fees, timelines and documents
A drawing set can be technically right and still come back because of how it was set up. Here is what each authority asks for, what is only good practice, and what to check before you upload.
CAD drawing requirements in Dubai depend on the authority, because there is no single standard for all of them. DDA asks for A1 sheets in DWF format, with each sheet in its own file. Trakhees modification applications go online as PDFs, with drawings that stay readable at A3. Civil Defence's fire code asks consultants for A1 plans at 1:100 or 1:150. Dubai Municipality submissions go through its Building Permit System, where the rules for your application type apply. Set up the drawings for the authority that controls your plot, not from a template used on your last job.
This guide from the DXB Approval Team separates written authority requirements from general drafting practice, because many lists online mix the two. We prepare and coordinate drawing sets for these routes, but a correct format doesn't guarantee approval, and rules can change. Confirm the current requirements with the authority or your registered consultant before you upload.
| Requirement | DDA | Trakhees (modifications) | Civil Defence | Dubai Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upload format | DWF | Confirm on the current portal | As shown in the Building Permit System | |
| Sheet size | A1 | A3, clear and readable | A1 for consultants and contractors; A3 for décor companies | Confirm for your application |
| Files or set | One sheet per file | Sorted into the form's folder codes | Cover page with stamp space | Confirm for your application |
| Colour | Black and white, except perspectives and shaded area diagrams | Not specified on the form | Colour-coded plans are welcomed | Confirm for your application |
| Changes to approved drawings | Yellow cloud on approved, red cloud on proposed | Revised drawings highlighting the revision | Approved and revised plans together, changes highlighted | Confirm for your application |
| Who to check with | DDA or your consultant | Trakhees or your consultant | Your Civil Defence approved consultant | Your DM-registered consultant |
This table covers file set-up. For the review stages and who approves what, see our drawing approval process guide.
DDA's Circular 400, dated September 2021, is the clearest public standard. Its main rules are:
DDA's linked sheet list asks for at least four elevations and two sections. For a final architectural submission, it also lists accessibility drawings and details such as stairs, lift core, doors and windows. Build your sheet index from that list so the numbering doesn't have to change later.
Trakhees sets out different requirements, depending on the application.
For modification permits and NOCs, form TRK-CED-MF-CF01a (Rev. 05, April 2025) asks for documents and drawings to be submitted online at online.trakhees.ae in PDF format. Drawings must be A3, clear and readable, and a printed, signed copy of the application form goes in with the documents.
For new buildings, the Trakhees architecture guide asks for electronic PDF submittals, saved in one size and direction, with the consultant's stamp and signature on all pages of the digital drawings. The title block must follow the authority's arrangement, and the project ID comes from project registration on e-Permit before the concept design goes in.
Chapter 19 of the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice, "Requirements for Submission of Drawings", sets a standard plan format and says submissions that don't follow it won't be reviewed. The chapter describes printed, bound sets. Civil Defence also issued its own Drawing Submission Requirements in September 2018, and submissions now go through its online services, so ask for the current version before you upload.
| Who submits | Sheet size | Plan scale |
|---|---|---|
| Consultant | A1 | 1:100 or 1:150 |
| Décor company | A3 | 1:50 or 1:100 |
| Contracting company (shop drawings) | A1 | 1:100 or 1:150 |
The same chapter also asks for:
For what the review covers, see our Civil Defence approval page.
Dubai Municipality building permit applications go through its Building Permit System, usually through a registered consultant. This is where you should be most careful with online advice. Consultant websites disagree on the basics: some say DWG only, others say PDF or DWF, and some list layer rules without naming a source.
Take the file type, sheet size and title block from the system and your registered consultant for that application. Ask before drafting starts, because a change of sheet size or title block late in the job means reissuing the whole set.
As a general guide, keep an editable DWG master and be ready to issue both PDF and DWF from it. Some consultants also say the system checks files automatically before a person reviews them. We can't confirm how that works, but clean files cost little: use simple layer names with no spaces or unusual characters, and make sure every file opens without errors.
Larger projects may need more than 2D drawings. Since January 2024, Dubai Municipality has required BIM-based designs for some new building permit applications, including certain high-rise and large projects, hospitals, universities and government projects. The thresholds differ between architectural and structural designs, so ask your consultant early whether your project is covered.
Authorities don't all use the same title block, so use the required template where there is one. Trakhees, for example, asks for its own arrangement and a title sheet showing the project name, owner's name, plot number, coverage, car parking and built-up area.
Where no template is given, this is the information we expect a title block to carry:
Keep the same sheet title wording in the title block, the schedule and the file name. A mismatch is easy to miss in-house, but it slows down anyone trying to follow the set.
There is no one scale for all of Dubai, but the Trakhees architecture guide gives useful benchmarks:
| Drawing | Scale in the Trakhees guide |
|---|---|
| Layout plan | 1:1000 |
| Setting-out plan | 1:200 |
| Floor plans | 1:100 |
| Elevations and sections (concept design stage) | 1:100 |
| Schematic landscape and topographical plans | 1:200 |
Civil Defence asks for its own plan scales, shown in the section above.
In our own drafting, plans and elevations are usually 1:100 or 1:50, and details are 1:20 or larger. State the scale on every view, not only in the title block.
Check what happens when a sheet is resized. A1 drawn at 1:100 becomes 1:200 when it is reduced to A3. It is worth adding a graphic scale bar, because it stays correct at any print size.
The site plan should start from the plot limits on the current affection plan, not from an old drawing. Check these points:
Dubai's local grid is the Dubai Local Transverse Mercator (DLTM), which uses metres. Completion submissions can ask for as-built drawings in CAD and PDF with DLTM coordinates, so it helps to set the site file up correctly from the start.
Units cause a common drafting error. If the site file is in metres and the building is in millimetres, an external reference (xref) can come in 1,000 times too big or too small. DLTM values also run into the hundreds of thousands and millions, which can make very detailed work unstable in AutoCAD. We keep detailed drawing files close to the origin and place them in a separate coordinated site file.
The authority documents covered above don't list layer names or pen weights, so treat this section as a recommended starting point and not as an authority rule. If your consultant or reviewer issues a template, follow that instead.
Layer names. Use a discipline letter, then the element, in the style of the AIA layer guidelines:
| Discipline | Example layers |
|---|---|
| Architectural | A-WALL, A-DOOR, A-GLAZ, A-ANNO-DIMS, A-ANNO-TEXT |
| Structural | S-GRID, S-COLS, S-BEAM |
| Mechanical and plumbing | M-HVAC, P-SANR, P-DOMW |
| Electrical | E-LITE, E-POWR |
| Fire | F-ALRM, F-SPKL |
| Modification status | A-WALL-EXST, A-WALL-DEMO, A-WALL-NEW |
Pen weights. These are sensible values for an A1 sheet at 1:100:
| Element | Pen weight |
|---|---|
| Cut walls and columns | 0.50 to 0.70 mm |
| Visible edges, doors and windows | 0.25 to 0.35 mm |
| Dimensions, grids and furniture | 0.13 to 0.18 mm |
| Hatching | 0.09 to 0.13 mm |
Text heights. For an A1 sheet, use about 5 mm for sheet titles, 3.5 mm for view titles and 2.5 mm for notes and dimensions.
Three habits matter more than the exact values:
Most of the work stays in DWG, your editable file. What you upload is usually a published copy, so the plot settings decide what the reviewer sees.
Before you upload, go through the set once with fresh eyes:
For the wider design errors that come up in review, see our guide to drawing mistakes that delay approval.
The authority documents covered here don't name one, because the upload is usually a DWF or PDF. As a general guide, save DWG files in AutoCAD 2018 format, which recent releases still use, unless the person receiving them asks for something else.
It depends on the authority and the application. DDA takes DWF sheets and asks for a digital AutoCAD copy with third party survey reports. Trakhees modification applications are submitted in PDF. Confirm the format for Civil Defence and Dubai Municipality on their current systems.
The Trakhees architecture guide uses 1:100. The fire code asks Civil Defence consultants for 1:100 or 1:150, and décor companies for 1:50 or 1:100. In our own drafting, plans are usually 1:100 or 1:50.
For new buildings, the Trakhees architecture guide asks for the consultant's stamp and signature on all pages of the digital drawings. The fire code says contractor submissions without the consultant's stamp and signature won't be reviewed. Confirm the rule for your application, and don't assume a stamp on the cover sheet is enough.
DDA asks for A1 and Trakhees modification applications ask for A3. The fire code asks for A1 from consultants and contractors, and A3 from décor companies. Check before you start, and if you can only draw for one size, test how the set reads at the smaller one.
It depends on the authority, the application and the portal account. Dubai Municipality submissions usually go through a registered consultant. DDA's standards are addressed to consultants and contractors. Confirm who can submit before you prepare the set.
For DDA, cloud every change, in yellow on the approved stamped drawing and in red on the proposed drawing, and name them As Approved and As Proposed. For Trakhees, submit revised drawings that highlight the revision. For Civil Defence, submit approved and revised plans together, with the changes highlighted.
Tell us which authority controls your plot and what you already have, whether that is a sketch, a PDF or an old DWG. Our CAD drafting service prepares editable DWG files and a submission set in the format your route needs. For plans, elevations and sections, see architectural CAD drafting.
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