Home renovation in Dubai

A home renovation in Dubai falls somewhere between a refresh of the finishes and a rebuild that moves walls and adds space. The Dubai Building Code sorts changes to an existing building into classes, and the class tells you how much design and approval work comes with the job. A finishes refresh sits at the light end, and an extension that adds built-up area sits at the heavy end.

Most whole-home jobs in Dubai mix classes. New bathrooms rebuilt in place, rewiring and a kitchen opened to the living room can all sit in one contract. Tell Dubai Renovations which rooms change and roughly how far, and the partner contractor sorts the scope into the right class at the visit.

Write down every change you want for the home, then sort it into three lists: must happen, would like, and only if the budget allows. A partner contractor can price all three lists at one visit, so you see what the extras cost before you commit to them, and you can drop a list without redesigning the rest.

Rooms that share services belong in the same phase of a home renovation. A kitchen and the bathroom behind the same wall often share plumbing routes, and new flooring laid before a kitchen is fitted can be damaged during the installation. Grouping those rooms means the walls and floors are opened once.

Most whole-home renovations in Dubai follow the same sequence, and the partner contractor's written programme should show it. If a quote has flooring going down before the plumbing is moved, or painting before the ceiling cables are in, ask the partner to explain the order before you sign.

• Protection of the rooms you keep, then demolition and debris removal
• First fix: new pipes, cables and AC ductwork inside walls and ceilings
• Plastering, screeding and gypsum ceilings
• Waterproofing in wet areas, then tiling and flooring
• Joinery, kitchen cabinets and wardrobes
• Painting, then second fix: switches, lights, taps and sanitaryware
• Testing, snagging and cleaning before handover

In a managed villa community, the community management approves alterations. Emaar Community Management tells owners in Emirates Living and Arabian Ranches that any alteration to the villa has to be approved by Emaar, applied for by selecting Home Modifications in the community portal. In Arabian Ranches, interior painting and regular maintenance need no NOC, although the contractor still needs an entry permit. Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Village Circle and Dubai Hills Estate have their own routes too, and the villa renovation page lists them.

An apartment is jointly owned property. Article 39 of Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019 says an occupant may make substantial alterations to the structure or external appearance of a unit only after approval from the master developer, the Dubai Land Department and the competent authority. Building management also issues its own no objection certificate (NOC) and sets the working rules. The apartment renovation page covers what Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay and JLT ask for.

Structural changes can need an authority permit as well. In Dubai Development Authority areas, the contractor applies for a building modification permit with an appointment letter signed by the owner, the consultant and the contractor. If you rent, Article 19 of Law No. 26 of 2007 says a tenant may not make changes without the landlord's permission. Dubai Renovations does not apply for any of these; the partner contractor who quotes the job does.

When a home renovation moves walls, the new rooms have to meet the Dubai Building Code's minimum sizes. For villas and townhouses, a bedroom or living room needs at least 10.5 m² of net area and at least 3 m in both length and width. An enclosed kitchen needs at least 5.4 m² and 1.8 m across, with 1.2 m of clear space between facing counters.

Height and openings matter too. The code sets a minimum clear height of 2.7 m in living rooms and bedrooms and 2.3 m in other spaces, measured from the finished floor to the ceiling or any beam below it. Bathroom doors need a clear width of at least 710 mm and entry doors 915 mm. Bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens need windows with a net glazing area of at least 10% of the floor area.

Those figures are why a partner contractor asks for floor plans early. Splitting one large bedroom into two, or dropping a gypsum ceiling in a room that is already low, can fail the code even when it looks fine on a sketch.

A home renovation that runs through a Dubai summer has to work around the UAE midday break. Work under direct sunlight and in open places is not allowed between 12:30 pm and 3 pm from 15 June to 15 September every year. Garden work and roof work done in the sun fall under that rule, so a partner's programme for those months moves outdoor tasks to the morning and late afternoon.

Agree payment stages tied to finished work, such as demolition complete or tiling complete, rather than dates. Ask how a change is priced once work has started, and get that process in writing before the first payment. Keep part of the final payment until the snagging list is closed.

Check how the quote treats VAT. The UAE introduced Value Added Tax on 1 January 2018 at a standard rate of 5%, so a quote that leaves VAT out of the total will read 5% lower than the invoice. Any warranty on the work comes from the partner contractor, so ask for its terms in the contract.

The brief Dubai Renovations sends a partner is only as good as what you tell us. The most useful details are:

• Villa, townhouse or apartment, and the community or building
• Which rooms change and what you want in each
• Photos of each room, and floor plans if you have them
• A budget band and the month you hope to start
• Whether you own the property or rent it