#1. 2026 rates for warehouse demolition
Ranges assume standard industrial access with hardstanding for plant and tippers.
- Steel portal frame with cladding: AED 8–16 per sq ft before steel credit
- Concrete panel or blockwork warehouse: AED 13–24 per sq ft
- Mezzanine and internal office pod removal: AED 25,000–120,000 depending on area
- Ground slab breakout and removal: AED 45–90 per square metre
- Racking dismantle and removal: often cost-neutral where racking is resold
- Recovered structural steel credit: typically offsets 15–35% of the demolition cost
#2. The Jebel Ali / JAFZA approval sequence
Free zone plots have an extra layer above the standard demolition permit chain:
- Lease and handover terms review — the lease usually dictates the required end state
- Free zone authority application with contractor licence and insurance certificates
- Method statement and risk assessment approval for the specific structure type
- DEWA disconnection and, where present, industrial gas and process line isolation
- Fire system decommissioning notification, including sprinkler drain-down
- Work permit issue with agreed working hours and gate access arrangements
- Handover inspection against the lease's reinstatement condition
#3. Steel recovery — how it actually prices
Structural steel from a portal frame is worth recovering when it can be cut into transportable sections cleanly and loaded without excessive crane time. The credit shows on a quotation in one of two ways: as a deduction from the demolition price, or as a separate salvage line paid back to the client.
Insist on the second format. A deduction buried in a lump sum makes it impossible to know whether the recovered tonnage was fairly valued. A separate line, with estimated tonnage and the price per tonne applied, is auditable.
#4. What usually goes wrong
Three recurring issues. First, the lease requires the slab to remain intact but the contractor priced for slab removal, or vice versa — read the reinstatement clause before pricing. Second, process residues in floor channels and sumps turn out to be a hazardous stream requiring licensed disposal. Third, live services crossing the plot to a neighbouring unit are discovered mid-demolition, halting work.
A proper pre-demolition survey catches all three.
#5. Programme expectations
A 30,000 sq ft steel-framed warehouse with clean access typically takes 3–4 weeks from mobilisation to cleared handover, including slab breakout. Concrete-panel structures run 40–60% longer. Free zone approvals should be started 4–6 weeks ahead of the intended start.