How long does a kitchen renovation take in Dubai? Every step, in order

What are the steps of a kitchen renovation, in order?

Every kitchen we build goes through the same stations. Knowing them helps you plan the months around it, from the school run to the summer trip.

How long does each step take?

The part before the firm quote moves at your pace. A design you are sure of can be confirmed quickly. A design that changes every weekend cannot, and that is fine. Better to change a drawing than a cabinet.

We confirm production and installation dates with your quote after reviewing the design and site readiness. Building approvals, appliance deliveries and worktop fabrication can affect the schedule.

Do you need building approval for a new kitchen?

Often, yes, and it is the step that catches people out. One large developer's community management answers the question "I want to carry out some alterations to my property. Do I need to seek permission?" with a plain yes, and asks residents to apply for a NOC through its community portal.

Other developers and buildings run their own process, so ask your community or building management before you book any dates. We walk through the paperwork in our guide to the renovation NOC in Dubai.

Source: Emaar Community Management: Lifestyle FAQs

When are contractors allowed to work in your building?

That is set by your community, not by the contractor. One master developer says any renovation should begin with approvals before contractors start work. It adds that approved contractors usually have to follow access procedures, work timing rules, delivery controls and waste disposal rules.

In practice, check the community circulars and the permitted hours before the fitting week. A tower that only allows noisy work at certain times, or deliveries through one service lift, changes how many days the fitting takes. Tell us about it at the site visit.

Source: Dubai Properties: Maintenance, fit out rules and community guidelines

Why is the worktop fitted after the cabinets?

Because a stone worktop is cut to follow the cabinets and walls as they really are. One UK worktop guide explains that the template for a stone or quartz top cannot be made until the base cabinets are fitted. The top is then made off site and brought back to fit, and the same guide notes that in the UK there is usually a few weeks' wait between the two, often bridged by a temporary worktop.

We work in the same order: the worktop is measured for cutting once the cabinets are in, so it follows your walls. Ask any maker how they bridge that gap, and whether you can use the sink in between.

Source: Screwfix: Kitchen worktop buying guide

What must be on site before the worktop is measured?

More than you might think. The pre template checklist from one UK kitchen maker asks for all units to be level and fixed, and for all sinks, taps, hobs and other appliances to be on site, either in place or with their positions marked, with their manuals to hand. Plastering and pipe boxing should be finished, and for full height splashbacks, the extractor, wall units, sockets and switches should be in position.

So choose your appliances early. Give us the model numbers at the site visit and we size the cabinets around them, or we can supply built in appliances. A hob still sitting in a warehouse in Jebel Ali cannot be templated around.

Source: DIY Kitchens: What to do after you have ordered your granite, quartz or Dekton worktops

How do you keep a kitchen renovation on time?

Settle the design before you confirm. A change after that is priced before it is made, and it can move the date. Start the building approval as soon as the layout is clear. Pick the appliances and the sink before the site visit if you can. And if your old kitchen has to come out first, we can remove it, as its own line on the quote.

Want a head start? Sketch the layout in our kitchen planner, with your wall lengths, fronts and countertop, and send it to us.

When is your new kitchen finished?

For new quotes, the final 25% is due at the end of installation, following 50% to start and 25% on delivery to site. We record installation completion and any defects or unfinished items separately. Each snag retains an owner and resolution date; the payment does not erase it.

Here is what a snag list is and what to check on a kitchen. When you are ready, start with our custom kitchens in Dubai, where the whole process sits on one page.