Drawings & design · All authorities
A permit is only as good as the drawing set behind it. We prepare and coordinate architectural, structural, MEP and fire & life safety drawings that reviewers can check quickly, so your application spends less time in comment rounds.
Every authority in Dubai reviews drawings, not intentions. Whether the file goes to Dubai Municipality, Trakhees, the Dubai Development Authority or a free zone, the reviewer sees only what is on the sheets, and anything missing, unclear or contradictory comes back as a comment.
This page is about the drawing package itself: what goes into it, which standards it must meet, and how it travels from your brief to an approved, stamped set. If you already know which permit you need, the matching permit page explains the approval route. Here we focus on producing drawings that survive review.
We are an independent consultancy. The authorities alone decide whether to approve a design. Our role is to prepare drawings that are complete, coordinated and compliant, and to manage the revisions until the set is accepted.
"Engineering drawings" covers several disciplines that have to agree with each other. A typical package for a building permit, modification or fit-out approval brings together the following sets. Not every project needs every one, and smaller works may need only two or three.
Site plan with setbacks, floor plans, roof plan, elevations, sections, area statements and door and window schedules. For alterations, clearly marked existing, demolished and proposed elements.
Foundation layouts, column and beam schedules, slab details and the supporting calculations. For changes to an existing building, a check of the structure that will carry the new loads.
Electrical layouts and load schedules, water supply and drainage, air-conditioning and ventilation, and thermal insulation details. See our MEP design service for the detail.
Fire alarm, firefighting and voice evacuation layouts, escape routes and compartmentation, prepared for Civil Defence review where the building or use requires it.
Alongside the sheets sit the supporting documents: ownership proof, the official site plan, developer NOCs, consultant and contractor appointments and, where the building type calls for it, soil investigation and survey data. A drawing set that cites a plot area different from the site plan, or a use different from the trade licence, will stall however good the design is.
Reviewers don't assess drawings against general good practice. They check them against specific codes, and the drawings should make compliance easy to see.
| Standard | What it covers | Where it shows up in the drawings |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Building Code (2021 edition) | Minimum design requirements across architecture, accessibility, vertical transport, building envelope, structure, incoming utilities, indoor environment, security and villas. Mandatory across Dubai under Decree No. 45 of 2021. | Room sizes, stair and corridor widths, accessible routes, envelope build-ups, structural design basis, utility rooms |
| Al Sa'fat green building system | Sustainability requirements. New buildings must reach at least the Silver Sa'fa level. | Insulation and glazing specifications, U-value calculations, water and energy measures |
| UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice | The fire code Dubai Civil Defence applies to fire alarm, firefighting, evacuation and fire separation. | Fire and life safety layouts, exit widths and travel distances, fire-rated construction |
| Service authority regulations | DEWA electricity and water requirements, plus drainage, district cooling and telecoms where they apply. | Load schedules, meter and substation rooms, connection points |
| Developer and community guidelines | Appearance, height, materials and boundary rules in master communities. | Elevations, materials schedules, 3D views |
The Dubai Building Code is split into Parts A to K. Part A sets out the general rules and how to navigate the code. The rest are themed: Part B architecture, C accessibility, D vertical transportation, E building envelope, F structure, G incoming utilities, H indoor environment, J security and K villas. Our Dubai Building Code explainer gives a plain-English tour.
Free zones too: the Dubai Building Code applies emirate-wide, including free zones. Authorities such as Trakhees also publish their own regulations, which apply in their jurisdiction alongside it.
The same building can need slightly different presentation depending on who reviews it. We confirm the permit authority from the plot's site plan before drawing anything, because the route affects both the format and the order of submissions.
We collect the title deed, site plan, any existing approved drawings and the developer's guidelines, and visit the site. If the existing drawings don't match what is built, we recommend an as-built survey before design starts.
You + our team
We list the rules that will govern the design: zoning, setbacks, height, permitted use, parking, and the code parts and authority guidelines that apply. This becomes the checklist for every discipline.
Our team
Architectural layouts are developed first, then checked with the structural and MEP designers so shafts, risers, plant rooms and structure fit before detailing begins.
Design team
In master communities the developer usually reviews the design before the authority does. We submit and close out developer comments first.
Consultant · developer
Each discipline completes its sheets, schedules and calculations. We run an internal cross-check so areas, levels, grid lines and room names agree on every sheet.
Design team
The package is submitted through the authority's portal by a registered consultant. We track comments from each department and service authority and return revised sheets with a clear response sheet.
Registered consultant
The stamped drawings become the contractor's reference for construction and inspections, and later the basis for the completion certificate.
Authority · contractor
For a side-by-side view of how DM, DDA, Trakhees and Civil Defence handle drawing review, read our guide to drawing approval in Dubai.
We quote design work after seeing the brief, because the effort varies widely. A non-structural office fit-out can need a small set of architectural, MEP and fire layouts. A new multi-storey building needs a full coordinated package and several review stages. The main factors are:
Authority fees are paid to the authorities and listed separately from our fee in every quotation.
Most comment rounds trace back to a handful of avoidable issues. Our article on architectural mistakes that delay approval goes into more detail.
Often, yes. We review them against the code, the site plan and the authority's requirements and tell you what needs changing. Drawings must still be submitted by a consultant registered with the relevant authority.
Usually architectural layouts, MEP layouts and fire and life safety drawings, plus any landlord or developer requirements. Structural drawings are needed only if loads or structure change. The exact list depends on the authority and the use.
The Dubai Building Code is mandatory across the emirate, including free zones. Some authorities, such as Trakhees, also apply their own published regulations, and developers add community guidelines.
The authority or developer may hold copies. If not, or if the building has changed, an as-built survey produces accurate drawings that can support a new application or regularisation.
No. Approval is the authority's decision. Complete, coordinated drawings reduce comment rounds and avoid the most common reasons for delay.
On this page
Need a drawing set reviewed or prepared?
Send the plot number, the authority if you know it, and any drawings you already have. We will tell you what is missing.
Service
Measured as-built surveys and drawings for Dubai villas, units and buildings: for completion certificates, resale, new permits and regularising unapproved works.
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Service
Coordinate mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems around the proposed space and equipment. We help connect the architectural layout to practical service routes, demand information and technical submissions.
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Service
Understand how proposed changes or observed concerns affect a building’s structural assessment. We help define the investigation brief and coordinate the records required by the responsible structural professional.
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Service
Get support for Dubai Municipality approval: drawings, NOCs, permits, submissions and completion coordination. Check the approval route for your project.
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Service
DCD approval support in Dubai for fire and life-safety drawings, fire alarm and firefighting coordination, submissions, inspections and completion.
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Guide
Different bodies review different aspects of a proposal.
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Guide
Architectural drawings should communicate the proposed work unambiguously.
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Guide
The Dubai Building Code provides a framework for minimum building requirements.
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Guide
An engineering consultant’s contribution should be defined through a clear appointment: design scope, technical coordination, submissions, responses and any site-related services.
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Share a few details and we will tell you which approvals apply, what documents you need and how we can help. There is no obligation.