How to plan a villa renovation in Dubai, from the survey to the snag list
How to plan a villa renovation in Dubai: the survey, a written scope, approvals, pricing trade by trade, staged payments and the snag list, in the right order.
By the Ajusteur team5 minute read
Where should a villa renovation start?
With a survey, before anyone talks about prices. Someone measures every room, photographs it, and checks the wiring and plumbing behind the walls you want to change. Villas that have run their AC through many summers can hide a few surprises above the ceiling, and you want to find them now, not halfway through the tiling.
Our survey is free. It ends with a written scope and a firm quote, so the next conversation is about a document instead of a long thread of voice notes.
What should a written renovation scope say?
Everything that is included, and everything that is not. Go room by room: what comes out, what goes in, which finishes, and who supplies what. A good scope names the exclusions out loud. Are the new light fittings yours or the contractor's? Is the garden part of it? What about the rooms you are not touching but which will need a coat of paint after the dust settles?
A simple rule saves a lot of arguments later: if it is not in the scope, assume it is not in the price.
How is a villa renovation priced?
Trade by trade, each with its own quantity. The size of the villa and the number of rooms you open up set the total. Kitchens and bathrooms pack plumbing, electrics, tiling and joinery into a small room, so expect them among the biggest lines. A typical quote groups the work like this:
Do you need approval to renovate a villa in Dubai?
Often, yes, and it comes first. One large developer's community management, for example, 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 master developers run their own processes, and rules change, so check with your community management before you book any trade. We check at the survey and prepare the drawings and applications where your building needs them.
Which authority issues the renovation permit?
That depends on where the villa is. Dubai Municipality lists a service called Permit to Make Modifications or Additions to Buildings, for changes to existing buildings and buildings still under construction. Which works need it, and which documents go with it, is for the municipality to confirm for your plot.
Source: Dubai Municipality: Services
What if your villa is in a Dubai Development Authority area?
Some communities fall under a different authority. The Dubai Development Authority, for example, runs its own fit out permit. Its service page names the contractor as the applicant and lists a NOC from the building owner among the documents, with approved and proposed drawings. If you are not sure which authority covers your villa, ask your community management before anything else.
Can you live in the villa during the renovation?
For one or two rooms, usually yes. For a full renovation we plan around you, and the schedule shows which rooms are closed and when, so you know where the family sleeps and where the cooking happens each week.
Ask how closed rooms will be sealed off. Dust travels through a house, and the AC is very good at spreading it.
How do staged payments protect you?
Write down exactly what each stage means. Our new quotes use 50% to start, 25% on delivery to site and 25% at the end of installation. The accepted quote records delivery and installation scope. Record any disputed or unfinished items with the coordinator; paying an invoice does not close the snag list.
Ask any contractor to write the stages down, with what counts as finished for each one. Then read the quote the way you would read a kitchen quote: line by line, before you look at the total.
Who runs the trades on a villa renovation?
A villa job can bring in electricians, plumbers, tilers, painters and joiners, and the risk is that each one waits for the last. With us, one site lead runs one schedule, books every trade on it and sends you a weekly update: what is done, what is next and what is still open.
The joinery is made off site in our workshop from our drawings. A new kitchen and fitted wardrobes can sit inside the same renovation, with every part priced on its own line. When you are ready, plan your villa renovation with a few photos and the size of the place.
Quick questions
How much does a villa renovation in Dubai cost?
It depends on the size of the villa, the rooms you open up and the trades involved. A survey and a written scope give you a firm quote, trade by trade. A single price per square metre tells you little until you know which trades it covers.
Do I need a NOC to renovate my villa?
Often, yes. One large developer, for example, asks residents to apply for a NOC before alterations, and some work also needs a permit from the authority. Rules differ by community, so check with your community management first.
Can I stay in the villa during a renovation?
For one or two rooms, usually yes. For a full renovation, the schedule shows which rooms are closed and when, so you can plan around it.
How long does a villa renovation take?
It depends on the scope and the approvals. Your schedule shows every stage, and your site lead sends a weekly update on what is done and what is next.