Sammy Credenza
For children
Linen & Light
Concrete & Grain
First Room
Cafés, shops, offices
Rooms and nooks, fitted
Our story
Custom furniture in Dubai is priced from four things: how much board the piece uses, how long it takes to cut and assemble, how long it takes to finish, and the work around the making, meaning drawings, hardware, delivery and fitting. At Plyconcept, custom projects start at AED 5,000, and a real number for your piece comes once there is a drawing to price, not before. Here is how a workshop builds that number, what moves it up or down, and what to send to get one quickly.
Why nobody can price a bespoke piece from a photo
A photo of a sideboard you like tells us its look. It does not tell us how wide your wall is, how many drawers you need, whether it stands or is fixed, or which floor of which building it is going to. Each of those changes the price, so a number given from a photo alone is a guess, and a guess is either padded or wrong. The honest first reply to a custom enquiry is a set of questions. Our guide to how custom furniture works covers the stages; this one is about the money.
What goes into the price of a bespoke piece
Board
Birch plywood comes in full sheets of a fixed size, and a piece is priced on the sheets it opens, not on its volume. The parts are laid out on each sheet like a puzzle, and a piece that nests neatly uses less board than a slightly different one that spills onto another sheet. We can share the specification of the birch board we use on request, and one tree is planted through One Tree Planted for every board, so the sheet count is also the tree count.
Cutting and assembly
Straight cuts on flat panels are quick. Arches, curves, cut-in handles, slatted doors and rounded edges take longer, because every one is cut, then sanded and eased by hand. Drawers take longer than shelves: more parts, runners to fit, and fronts to line up.
Finishing
The faces and every cut edge of our work are sealed, because an unsealed edge is where moisture gets in. Staining and sealing take several coats with drying time between them. One finish across a whole piece is one run; two finishes mean two.
Hardware
Hinges, drawer runners, push-openers and wall fixings are priced by the piece. A cabinet with two doors and a shelf carries very little; a chest of drawers carries a lot.
Drawings
Every custom piece is drawn before it is made, and the drawing is revised until it is right. A clear brief with a reference or a sketch needs fewer rounds than an open one.
Delivery and fitting
A freestanding piece is delivered and placed. A fitted piece needs a fitting day: sections carried in, levelled, fixed and scribed to walls that are never quite straight. Tower buildings add lift bookings and permitted working hours. If sockets need moving, that is an electrician's work, and a good quote says who is doing it. Our guide to fitted joinery in Dubai villas goes into what fitting involves.
One piece or several
The first piece carries the drawing and the setting-up. A second identical piece shares them. That is why a café ordering a run of matching units, or an office ordering several desks, sees the cost per piece come down.
Why a resized collection piece is priced as custom
People are sometimes surprised that "the same sideboard, just a little longer" is not the listed price plus a bit. A collection piece is made from a cutting plan that has been worked out and made many times, with the hardware known and the finishing done in familiar runs. Change the width and every horizontal part changes, the doors change proportion, the layout on the sheet changes and there is a new drawing to agree. It goes through the custom process, and it is priced that way.
It is often still the best answer. A Jeffrey plywood sideboard or Sammy credenza resized to an alcove keeps a design that is already resolved. Our sideboard and credenza sizing guide helps check whether a standard size already fits. Collection pieces usually take 10–14 working days; custom work takes longer, and we confirm a date before you commit.
Why small changes are a simpler conversation
Some changes leave the structure alone: a different handle, an extra shelf, or a mix of finishes, say Snow on the carcass and Natural on the doors of a Boho Soul sideboard. The cutting plan barely moves, so these are a simpler conversation than a resize. Ask on WhatsApp and we will tell you straight away which kind of change you are asking for.
What makes a piece cost more or less
| Factor | Costs more | Costs less |
|---|---|---|
| Size against the sheet | Spills onto another sheet | Nests within fewer sheets |
| Shape | Arches, curves, slats, cut-in handles | Straight lines, flat panels |
| Storage | Many drawers | Shelves and doors, or open shelving |
| Finish | Two finishes on one piece | One finish throughout |
| Hardware | Lots of runners and fittings | A few hinges |
| Design | An open brief, several rounds of drawings | A clear brief with a reference |
| Installation | Fitted and scribed on site, tower access | Freestanding, delivered and placed |
| Quantity | A single one-off | Several identical pieces |
The minimum, the deposit and VAT
Why there is a minimum
Custom projects start at AED 5,000. The drawing, the setting-up, the finishing run and the delivery take much the same time for a small piece as a large one, so below a certain size a custom job cannot be done properly for a fair price. If what you describe sits below it, we will say so at once, and often point you to a collection piece or a small change that does the job.
How payment works
Custom work is paid as a deposit to start and the balance before delivery, and only once the drawings and the quote are agreed. Nothing is cut before that.
VAT
Prices on the site include 5% UAE VAT; a tax invoice is issued with every order. A business reclaiming VAT needs that tax invoice, with our TRN on it, and should ask for the same from any maker.
What a good quote contains
From us or anyone else, a custom quote you can hold a maker to should include:
- the drawing it is based on, with a revision date;
- overall dimensions and what is inside: shelves, drawers, hanging;
- the material and the finish for each part;
- the hardware;
- what is included, such as delivery and fitting, and what is not, such as electrics or wall repairs;
- the price, with VAT shown;
- the payment stages;
- a date, confirmed before you commit;
- the warranty: ours is a one-year warranty.
Our questions to ask a made-to-order maker in Dubai go further.
What to send to get a real number fast
- Photographs of the space, straight on and from the side, with floor and ceiling in frame.
- Rough measurements: width, height, depth, and anything in the way, like sockets, skirting or an AC grille.
- What it has to hold, and who uses it.
- A reference: a collection piece, a photo, a sketch.
- A finish: Natural, Snow, Sand or Smoke.
- A budget, if you have one. It lets us draw to it rather than redraw.
- Timing and access: a move-in date, the building, the lift.
The brief form on our custom work page takes the words; send photographs on WhatsApp, as the form cannot take attachments. A person reads it, comes back with questions, then drawings.
If the piece you are pricing is a kitchen, we are not quoting those yet: a birch plywood kitchen range is in design, nothing is on sale, and we would still like to hear from you if you are planning one.
From the workshop
Before a custom piece is priced, its parts are laid out on the sheet. The grain decides more than people expect: a door wants its grain running up and down, so it cannot simply be turned sideways to squeeze into a gap, and a row of doors looks best cut in sequence so the grain carries across. Sometimes moving a shelf or narrowing a side panel a little lets the whole piece come out of one sheet fewer, and when it does, we would rather tell you and leave the choice with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does custom furniture cost in Dubai?
It depends on the board used, the cutting and finishing time, the hardware and the fitting. Custom projects start at AED 5,000, and a real number for a particular piece comes with the drawing.
Why does a resized collection piece cost more than the listed price?
Changing the size changes every part, the layout on the sheet and the drawing, so it goes through the custom process and is priced as custom work.
Do Plyconcept's prices include VAT?
Yes. Prices on the site include 5% UAE VAT; a tax invoice is issued with every order.
How is custom furniture paid for?
A deposit to start and the balance before delivery, once the drawings and quote are agreed. Nothing is cut before that.
How long does custom furniture take in Dubai?
Collection pieces usually take 10–14 working days. Custom work takes longer, and we confirm a date before you commit.
What should I send to get a custom furniture quote?
Photographs of the space, rough measurements, what it has to hold, a reference, a finish, a budget if you have one, and your timing. Photographs are easiest on WhatsApp.
Talk to the workshop
Send your photographs and a few lines on WhatsApp, fill in the custom work brief, or write through the contact page. Tell us what the room needs and we'll say honestly whether it's one for us. Visits to our Dubai workshop are by appointment; there is no showroom. The FAQs cover delivery and payment, and the newsletter sign-up is in the footer.
