What a kitchen renovation costs in Dubai

The layout decision. Keeping the sink, hob and dishwasher where they are is the cheapest kitchen renovation you can do well, because the trades stay simple: remove the old kitchen, fit the new one, and connect it to the pipes and power already in the wall. Bestimate, a Dubai quote-comparison platform, names cabinets, countertops, appliances, permits, plumbing and electrical work as the lines where kitchen quotes differ most.

Moving any fixed point adds plumbing, drainage and electrical work, plus opening and repairing walls or floors. Bestimate notes that moving the sink, dishwasher, cooker or gas point can trigger approval work as well. A kitchen island with a sink or hob is the most common layout change, and it adds the most hidden work under the floor, so decide on it before asking anyone to price the job.

Cabinets are one of the largest lines in any kitchen quote. Modular units in standard sizes cost least and arrive fastest. Semi-custom and fully custom joinery cost more because every unit is made to fit the room, and lacquer or solid wood finishes add again. Bestimate adds that a villa kitchen with an island costs significantly more than a compact apartment galley kitchen, even at a similar finish level.

When comparing quotes, check the number of units, the carcass material, the door finish, the hinges and the drawer runners. A vague line such as supply and install kitchen cabinets hides the differences that matter, and it makes two quotes impossible to compare line by line.

Laminate is the budget option. Quartz, granite, porcelain slab and marble cost more for the material and for cutting, and stone is usually templated after the base units go in, which adds a gap to the programme. Bestimate prices worktops per linear metre, so a longer run or an island moves this line quickly.

Sink and hob cut-outs, edge profiles and an upstand along the wall are often priced separately. Bestimate lists countertop cut-outs among the hidden extras that appear later as variations, so ask each contractor whether they are in the worktop line before you compare totals.

Built-in appliances change both the cabinet design and the budget. Decide early whether the contractor supplies them, installs ones you buy, or leaves them out, because a quote that excludes appliances will always look cheaper than one that includes them. If you buy your own, ask who connects and tests them and who removes the old ones.

New induction hobs and built-in ovens often need their own circuits. Older apartments can need a distribution board upgrade before a modern kitchen will run, and Bestimate flags load checks as especially important in older Dubai apartments. If your hob is on gas, moving it is gas work under your building's rules. All of this sits behind the finishes and is easy to leave out of a first quote.

Ask for the plumbing and electrical scope as its own lines: sink and tap connection, dishwasher supply and drain, sockets, appliance points, lighting circuits and a leak test after completion. A quote that shows those lines can be checked against the work on site.

Often, yes. In an apartment building, Bestimate reports that many buildings ask for a NOC before demolition or noisy work, and building management may set working hours and lift bookings that stretch the programme. Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019 goes further for jointly owned buildings: substantial alterations to the structure or external appearance of a unit need the approval of the master developer, the Dubai Land Department and the competent authority.

If you rent, Article 19 of Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 says the tenant may not make changes or carry out restoration or maintenance works unless the landlord permits it and the required licences are obtained. In a managed villa community, alterations need community approval. Emaar Community Management, for example, handles that through Home Modifications on its community portal. The renovation approvals guide covers who approves what.

In areas regulated by Dubai Development Authority, a fit-out permit for works inside part of a building is requested by the contractor and needs a NOC from the building owner. Dubai Development Authority says structural changes need a building modification request instead.

Bestimate publishes timeline bands for the same four kitchen scopes it prices. They are one publisher's planning figures, and it says delays are common when custom joinery, imported materials, permit approvals or several trades need to be coordinated. Add the time your building or community takes to issue a NOC, which none of these bands include.

Check before you compare. The UAE Ministry of Finance states that Value Added Tax was introduced across the UAE on 1 January 2018 at a standard rate of 5%. Bestimate advises confirming whether a kitchen quote includes that 5%, because a quote with a VAT line and one without are not the same price. If VAT is charged, it recommends asking for a UAE tax invoice showing the contractor's TRN.

The table below shows ranges published by Bestimate for kitchen jobs it defines by scope. We list each one with the variant it describes, because a same-layout renovation and a full remodel are different jobs and their prices should never be compared.

Treat them as one publisher's planning benchmarks, based on its own survey of contractor pricing. They are not Dubai Renovations prices and not a quote.