Reviewed October 2026. Prices are Bait Al Ebdaa's published starting prices, in AED and excluding 5% VAT. Your own quotation follows a site survey.

There is no single price for a villa renovation in Dubai: refreshing the living areas and re-planning a 6,000 sq ft villa are different projects. This guide sets out Bait Al Ebdaa's published price levels for villa work, shows how to turn them into a first budget, and explains what moves the number up or down.

Our price levels for villa renovation

The smallest level is a selective interior upgrade, from AED 150,000, for projects that cover some rooms rather than the whole house. A townhouse with turnkey interiors starts at AED 275,000. For a whole villa we price by floor area: AED 300–450 per sq ft for a standard finish, AED 500–750 per sq ft for a luxury specification and AED 800–1,200+ per sq ft for fully bespoke interiors.

Turning a price per square foot into a first budget

Multiply the area being renovated by the band. A 5,000 sq ft villa renovated throughout to a standard finish comes to AED 1,500,000 to AED 2,250,000; at the luxury level, AED 2,500,000 to AED 3,750,000.

Two cautions. Most renovations do not cover the whole floor area, and the band is a starting figure for planning, not a quote: your quotation follows a site survey.

What pushes a villa renovation budget up

  • The villa's condition. An older villa may need services replaced or surfaces repaired before any new finish goes on.
  • Structural or MEP changes. Moving walls, relocating a kitchen or bathrooms, or re-zoning the air-conditioning are among the biggest cost drivers.
  • Kitchens and bathrooms. Wet areas pack plumbing, waterproofing and finishes into a small space, so they usually cost the most per square metre.
  • Joinery. Our wardrobes start at AED 1,800 per linear metre and kitchens at AED 2,400 per linear metre; in a large villa, joinery becomes a major line.
  • Furniture. Loose furniture is a budget line of its own, so check whether it is in your quotation.
  • Finish level. This is the step between the bands above.

How to read a villa renovation quotation

A quotation you can compare should break the work into lines rather than give one lump sum. Expect to see, in some form:

  • Design and drawings, if they are not already done.
  • Strip-out and preparation: removing old finishes, joinery and fittings.
  • Civil works: partitions, ceilings, screeds and wall finishes.
  • MEP: electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning changes.
  • Finishes room by room: flooring, tiling, paint and sanitaryware.
  • Joinery: kitchens, wardrobes, doors and panelling, measured in linear metres.
  • Approvals: NOC and permit coordination, with authority fees shown at cost.

If two quotations differ widely, compare them line by line: the gap is usually in what one of them left out, not in the rate. Also keep a contingency outside the quoted figure, because opening up walls and ceilings in an older villa can reveal work that nobody could price from a survey.

Approvals and NOCs

Many Dubai communities ask for an NOC before renovation works, and changes that go beyond decoration need a permit from the relevant authority. Our published support starts at AED 2,500 for landlord or community NOC coordination and AED 4,500 for Dubai Municipality approval support; authority, developer and consultant fees are charged separately at actual cost. Our Dubai fit-out page summarises each authority's published requirements.

How long a villa renovation takes

Plan around two published figures: three to six months for a full turnkey villa, counted from the first consultation, and typically 6–10 weeks of work on site once the design is signed off. In a renovation, most of the gap between the short and the long end opens before anyone starts on site: how quickly you approve the design, and how long the community NOC and any permit take. Deciding finishes early is the cheapest way to shorten a renovation.

Living in the villa during the works

A villa renovation can be phased so you can stay in the home, for example finishing one floor or wing before starting the next. Phasing usually lengthens the programme, so decide on it early.

Two Dubai villa projects

In an Al Barari villa suite (6,800 sq ft, 2025), the existing joinery was removed and replaced with custom walnut wardrobes and dressing units, with new curtain tracks, layered window treatments and soft furnishings. In a Dubai Hills Estate villa (8,200 sq ft), the turnkey scope covered interior design, civil and finishing works, European walnut joinery, and motorized curtains and lighting coordination.

What the price does not include

Our published prices exclude 5% VAT, authority fees, specialist access and third-party charges unless the quotation specifically includes them.

When to ask for a quote

Have the villa's floor plans if you can, a list of the rooms you want to change and photos of their current state. The first site survey is free anywhere in the UAE. See our villa renovation service in Dubai or the full price list.