House Renovation Cost in Dubai (2026)

Last updated: May 2026 · 12 min read

Quick answer: A full home renovation in Dubai in 2026 typically costs AED 150 to AED 1,000+ per square foot, depending on finish level. For a standard 2-bedroom apartment that's roughly AED 80,000–300,000. For a 4-bedroom villa, expect AED 300,000–1.5 million+. Kitchens and bathrooms eat 50–60% of most budgets. Quotes vary widely because contractors price scope, materials and risk differently — not because anyone is being dishonest.

If you've started getting renovation quotes in Dubai, you've probably noticed the same thing every other homeowner does: the numbers are all over the place. One company says AED 80,000 for a kitchen, the next says AED 250,000. Nobody seems to publish straight prices, and the answer is always "depends on scope."

That's true — but it's not the whole story.

At Taamir we connect homeowners with verified renovation companies across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Because we see real quotes from real projects every week, we can do something most contractor websites can't: tell you what renovations actually cost in 2026, what makes prices swing so much, and how to plan a realistic budget before you talk to anyone.

This is the hub guide. We'll break costs down three ways — by tier (per square foot), by property type, and by room — then we'll explain the cost drivers everyone leaves vague.

Want a personalised number now? Try the Taamir AI Cost Estimator on our home page — it gives you a tailored range in under 60 seconds. No sign-up needed.

1. Renovation cost per square foot in Dubai (2026)

Dubai contractors price renovation per square foot of built-up area. This is the cleanest way to estimate — it scales with property size and adjusts for finish level.

Across verified providers on Taamir we see four clear tiers in 2026.

A basic or cosmetic renovation runs AED 150–300 per sqft. That buys paint, basic flooring, a light fixture swap and minor carpentry. Layout stays the same.

A mid-range renovation runs AED 300–600 per sqft. New flooring throughout, full painting, mid-tier kitchen and bathroom upgrades, and light electrical work. This is the bracket most Dubai homeowners actually mean when they say "I want to renovate."

A premium renovation runs AED 600–1,000 per sqft. Custom joinery, stone countertops, quality tile, smart-home features and some layout change.

A luxury renovation runs AED 1,000–1,500+ per sqft. Italian or imported cabinetry, natural marble, premium appliances such as Miele or Gaggenau, full layout redesign and full smart home.

A note on the wider ranges you'll see online. Some Dubai sites quote AED 50/sqft and others AED 1,500/sqft for the same property. Both are technically true — they're describing very different scopes. AED 50/sqft is a cosmetic refresh of paint and a few fixtures. AED 1,500/sqft is a full strip-out with imported finishes. The ranges above reflect the complete renovations most homeowners are actually planning.

2. Renovation cost by property type

Per-sqft is useful for estimating. Total project cost is what you actually need to budget.

Apartment renovation cost in Dubai. A studio (350–500 sqft) runs roughly AED 25,000–60,000 for basic, AED 60,000–120,000 for mid-range and AED 120,000–200,000 for premium. A 1-bedroom (650–900 sqft) is AED 50,000–100,000 basic, AED 100,000–200,000 mid-range, AED 200,000–350,000 premium. A 2-bedroom (1,000–1,400 sqft) — the most common renovation on the platform — runs AED 80,000–180,000 basic, AED 180,000–350,000 mid-range, AED 350,000–700,000 premium. A 3-bedroom (1,500–2,000 sqft) runs AED 150,000–300,000 basic, AED 300,000–600,000 mid-range, AED 600,000–1.2 million premium.

Apartments in Dubai Marina, Downtown, Palm Jumeirah and Bluewaters typically cost 20–30% more than the same scope of work in JVC, JLT, Discovery Gardens or International City. Partly because of access logistics — lift bookings, restricted delivery hours, common-area protection — and partly because owner expectations and finish levels are higher.

Villa renovation cost in Dubai. Villas span the widest range — from a light refresh in The Springs to a complete tear-out on Palm Jumeirah. A 3-bedroom villa (2,500–3,500 sqft) runs AED 250,000–500,000 mid-range, AED 500,000–900,000 premium, AED 900,000–1.8 million luxury. A 4-bedroom (3,500–5,000 sqft) runs AED 400,000–800,000 mid-range, AED 800,000–1.5 million premium, AED 1.5–3 million luxury. A 5-bedroom or larger (5,000+ sqft) runs AED 600,000–1.2 million mid-range, AED 1.2–2.5 million premium, AED 2.5–5 million+ luxury.

Villas also need to budget for things apartments don't: landscaping, pool, exterior paint, driveway and often AC ducting replacement. A typical 4-bedroom villa renovation in Arabian Ranches or Mirdif lands around AED 600,000–1.2 million at mid-range finish, including approvals.

Townhouse renovation cost. Townhouses (JVC, DAMAC Hills, Town Square, Mudon, Reem) sit between apartments and villas. Expect AED 200,000–700,000 for a full mid-to-premium renovation.

3. Renovation cost by room

Most homeowners don't do everything at once. Here's what each room actually costs in 2026.

Kitchen renovation. The single biggest line item in any renovation. Cabinetry alone is 35–45% of the kitchen budget. A basic refresh (AED 20,000–45,000) means repainting cabinet doors, new handles, a new countertop, new sink and tap, keeping the layout. A mid-range full renovation (AED 45,000–100,000) brings new custom joinery, a quartz or granite countertop, new tiles, mid-tier appliances and a basic island. Premium (AED 100,000–180,000) means bespoke joinery, stone (quartz, Dekton or marble), integrated appliances, full layout change and designer lighting. Luxury (AED 180,000–400,000+) is Italian cabinetry (Boffi, Poliform, Pedini), natural marble or Calacatta, Miele or Gaggenau appliances and smart home integration.

Bathroom renovation. A basic refresh is AED 8,000–18,000 per bathroom — retile, new sanitary ware, new mixers, new mirror. Mid-range is AED 18,000–40,000 — full strip-out, new layout, vanity unit, quality fixtures, decent tiling, glass shower. Premium or luxury is AED 40,000–100,000+ per bathroom — marble, freestanding bath, custom vanity, smart toilet, walk-in shower with rain head, sometimes underfloor heating.

Flooring. Ceramic or porcelain tile runs AED 50–150 per sqm installed. Large-format porcelain or marble-look tile is AED 150–300 per sqm. Real marble is AED 300–800 per sqm. Engineered wood or vinyl plank is AED 120–350 per sqm. Solid hardwood is AED 400–900 per sqm.

Painting. Standard interior painting is AED 10–25 per sqm. Premium, textured or specialty finishes run AED 25–60 per sqm. A full 2-bedroom apartment paint job is AED 3,000–8,000. A full 4-bedroom villa interior is AED 12,000–30,000.

Electrical and lighting. A full apartment rewire is AED 15,000–35,000. Lighting design plus fixtures in a mid-range apartment is AED 8,000–25,000. Basic smart-home integration is AED 15,000–50,000.

Joinery and built-ins. Custom joinery in Dubai runs AED 600–1,800 per linear metre depending on material. A full wardrobe wall in a master bedroom is typically AED 10,000–35,000.

AC system upgrades (often forgotten). In older Dubai properties, AC ducting and units are usually past their service life and silently add 10–20% to your renovation bill. Budget AED 8,000–15,000 per ton of cooling for full AC replacement. Always check the AC condition before signing anything.

4. Why renovation quotes in Dubai vary so much

This is the question almost no contractor answers honestly, so it's the one we'll answer directly.

If you've received three quotes that look like AED 90,000, AED 160,000 and AED 280,000 for the same kitchen, all three can be legitimate. Here's what's actually varying.

Scope assumptions. "Renovate the kitchen" can mean replace doors and countertop, or strip everything to the slab and rebuild. Contractors quote what they assume you mean. If the scope isn't itemised in writing, the cheap quote almost always grows during the project.

Material grade. "Quartz countertop" can mean AED 250/sqm Chinese quartz or AED 1,800/sqm Caesarstone. Same word, 7× the price.

Joinery origin. Local UAE-made cabinets versus Turkish versus Italian. A "custom kitchen" in Italian Pedini joinery is 4–6× the same kitchen built in Sharjah workshops.

Approvals included or excluded. Some contractors include the NOC, municipality permits and consultant drawings. Others exclude them and surprise you with AED 5,000–20,000 of fees mid-project.

Project management overhead. A larger turnkey firm bundles design, site supervision and warranty into the price. A smaller crew quotes labour and materials only — cheaper upfront, more headaches if something goes wrong.

Risk margin. Established firms add a 10–20% buffer for unexpected issues such as rotten subfloors, illegal previous work or AC ducting problems. Smaller operators don't — until the issue appears.

The trap is comparing prices without comparing scope. Always insist on an itemised quote with material brands and quantities specified.

5. The costs nobody warns you about

Renovation budgets blow up because of items that don't appear on the first quote. A Dubai Municipality permit for major works runs AED 1,000–10,000. A building NOC for apartments costs AED 500–3,000. Consultant drawings and stamps run AED 3,000–15,000. Engineer site supervision is AED 5,000–20,000. Waste disposal and skip fees add AED 1,000–5,000. Common-area protection for apartment works is AED 1,000–4,000. High-floor or restricted-access loading fees run AED 2,000–8,000. Temporary accommodation during 4–12 weeks of work is AED 8,000–40,000. Storage of furniture during the build is AED 2,000–8,000. A snagging inspection at handover is AED 1,500–5,000. And on top of all of it, plan a 10–15% contingency. The headline construction quote is rarely the all-in number — add roughly 15–25% on top to land at a realistic budget.

6. How long does a renovation take in Dubai?

Cost and timeline trade off. Rushing usually costs more. Waiting for shoulder season usually saves.

A single bathroom is 2–4 weeks. A kitchen only is 4–8 weeks. A full 2-bedroom apartment is 8–14 weeks. A full 4-bedroom villa is 12–20 weeks, often longer with approvals. Approvals themselves add 2–6 weeks before work even starts.

September is the busiest renovation month in Dubai — demand spikes 2–3× as families return from summer. Booking a contractor for a September start in July typically gets you 5–10% better pricing than booking in August.

7. How to budget realistically

A rule that holds across nearly every Dubai renovation we see on the platform: allocate 7–12% of your property's market value for a mid-range full renovation.

For a AED 2.5 million apartment, that's AED 175,000–300,000. For a AED 8 million villa, that's AED 560,000–960,000. This isn't a hard rule — it's a sanity check. If a contractor quotes you 3% of property value for a "full renovation," they're cutting somewhere. If they quote 25%, you're paying for either ultra-luxury finishes or a brand premium.

Where to spend: cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, waterproofing, electrical work, AC ducting. These are buried in the walls and fixing them later costs 3–5× more.

Where to save: paint brand, drawer pulls, light fixtures, mirrors, faucets in secondary bathrooms. These are visible and easy to upgrade later.

8. Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to renovate a full house in Dubai? A full house renovation in Dubai in 2026 ranges from AED 80,000 for a basic studio refresh to over AED 3 million for a luxury villa overhaul. The most common bracket — a mid-range 2-bedroom apartment or 3-bedroom villa renovation — sits between AED 150,000 and AED 600,000, including approvals and a sensible contingency.

What is the most expensive part of a home renovation? The kitchen, almost always. Custom cabinetry alone runs 35–45% of the kitchen budget, and the kitchen itself takes 25–35% of a full home renovation. Bathrooms are second, followed by flooring across all rooms and joinery (wardrobes, built-ins).

Why do renovation quotes vary so much in Dubai? Because scope, material grade, joinery origin, approval responsibility, project management overhead and risk margin all vary between contractors — and most quotes don't itemise these. Two "kitchen renovation" quotes that differ by 3× can both be legitimate; they're describing different projects. Insist on itemised quotes that name materials, brands and quantities so you compare like-for-like.

Can I renovate an apartment in Dubai on a budget? Yes. A budget-conscious 2-bedroom apartment refresh — paint, flooring, kitchen door and countertop swap, new bathroom fixtures, new light fittings — can be done for AED 50,000–90,000. The key is keeping the layout, plumbing and electrical untouched. The moment you move a wall, plumbing or an electrical box, the cost roughly doubles.

How much does an interior designer cost in Dubai? Interior designers in Dubai typically charge either a flat fee (AED 50–250 per sqft of designed area), a percentage of the construction budget (8–15%) or a fixed package (AED 15,000–80,000 for an apartment, AED 50,000–250,000+ for a villa).

Do I need a permit to renovate in Dubai? For cosmetic work (paint, flooring, fixture replacement), usually no. For anything that touches plumbing, electrical, walls, or external appearance — yes. Apartments also need a building NOC from the developer or owners' association. Budget AED 2,000–15,000 for permits and approvals depending on the scope.

What's the cheapest part of Dubai to renovate in? Renovation labour rates are roughly uniform across Dubai, but logistics premiums vary. JVC, Discovery Gardens, International City, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Al Furjan typically come in 15–25% cheaper than the same scope of work in Palm Jumeirah, Downtown or Dubai Marina — purely because of access, delivery hours and community fees.

Should I get one quote or several? Always at least three, itemised. A single quote tells you nothing about whether you're being fairly priced. Five is the sweet spot — enough to spot outliers without drowning in revisions.

Get a real number for your project

Generic ranges only get you so far. To plan properly you need a number that reflects your specific property, scope and finish level. The fastest first step is the Taamir AI Cost Estimator — tailored AED range in under a minute, no sign-up. Once you have your range, browse verified renovation companies, interior designers and snagging professionals on Taamir to request itemised quotes side by side.

Prices in this guide are aggregated from verified renovation companies on the Taamir marketplace and updated quarterly. Last update: May 2026.