Budget Planner
Draw up your renovation the way a contractor prices it: room by room, from itemised Dubai quote rates. See the total, where each dirham goes and how long it takes, before you speak to anyone.
Every AED 100 of your budget
Each square is AED 1 in every 100. Hover a square, a room or a line to see it across the plan.
Schedule of works
How your plan sits in the Dubai market
Published per sq ft ranges from our villa renovation cost guide. Your plan uses itemised quote rates instead, so it shows where your scope and finish land.
From approval to handover
Bill of quantities
Quantity x rate, AED before VATPay by finished stage
Contracts in the benchmark end with a 5% payment on handover; hold it until snagging is done. Contingency is only paid if used.
Your split against 23 Dubai villa projects
Bars show the middle half of 23 itemised villa estimates, works only. The dot is your plan.
What each finish level buys
Supply allowances: the amount a quote includes for the item itself. Pick something dearer and you pay the difference. Brands are examples, not endorsements, and no brand pays SoukLocal.
| Item | Essential | Mid-range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall-hung WC with cistern | RAK about AED 1,200–2,500 | Grohe about AED 3,800 | Kohler or Bagnodesign AED 6,000–8,000 |
| Shower set (mixer and head) | RAK AED 1,350–2,100 | Grohe about AED 2,400 | Premium AED 5,250–7,000 |
| Washbasin | RAK AED 450–1,500 | RAK upper range | Premium AED 3,100–5,000 |
| Floor tile, per sq m | Porcelain AED 100 | Porcelain 60x120 AED 120 | Marble AED 250–350 |
| Kitchen worktop, per sq m | Granite or quartz AED 325 | Quartz AED 350 | Premium quartz AED 600 |
| Spotlight, each | AED 70 | AED 100 | AED 100 plus decorative lights from AED 250 |
| Switch or socket, each | Schneider AED 60 | Schneider AED 60 | Premium ranges about AED 100 |
| Internal door leaf | AED 275 | AED 350 | AED 600 |
See every line of your plan
A free account unlocks:
- Every line with quantity, rate and amount
- Payment stages and brand allowances for your finish
- Save it, change it later, and send it to up to 3 vetted contractors
A mid-range full interior renovation of a 3,000 sq ft Dubai villa comes to about AED 552,000 with design, approvals, a 10% contingency and VAT. Kitchen and joinery take about 25% and bathrooms about 19%. The planner builds each budget from itemised quote rates, so you can change rooms, scope and finish and watch the split move.
How the Budget Planner works
- Rates: 2,791 priced lines in 24 itemised quotes for Dubai villa and apartment renovations, 2024 to 2026, by a mid-to-premium design-and-build contractor. Essential uses the lower quartile of what was quoted, Mid-range the median, and Premium the upper quartile or premium-brand allowances. Budget contractors may quote less; check the market panel.
- Quantities: worked out from your home. Finished floor area is 80% of the built-up area; gypsum ceilings cover 65% of it. One spotlight per 2.5 sq m of ceiling, and one switch or socket per 2.5 sq m of floor. AC sized at 1 ton per 400 sq ft, in 5-ton ducted units. Each bathroom: 22 sq m of wall tiles and 5 sq m of floor; the main bathroom gets a bathtub at Premium. Doors: one per bedroom and bathroom, plus two. Windows: two per bedroom, plus four. Each wall removed: 10 sq m of new blockwork and 25 sq m of screed to make good. Garden: half paving, 40% grass; planters along a quarter of the edge. Painting is quoted per home; the planner prices it per sq ft of a 3,000 sq ft home, times yours.
- Fees: design, approval drawings and site set-up are priced as fees by project size, as contractors quote them. Developer NOC fees and deposits are shown separately; see do you need a permit?
- One room: switch to One room to price a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or living room by its size, from the same rates. Fees are left out there, because contractors often fold them into a single-room price.
- Range: the low and high figures move half a finish level down and up, the spread between levels in the same quotes.
- Time: working days on site from 10 recent Dubai renovations in the same benchmark. Community NOC times are from published developer guides.
- Split check: your split against the middle half of 23 itemised villa estimates. As verified contractors share quotes through SoukLocal, we will widen the benchmark and publish the sample size.
A planning guide, not a quote. Get itemised quotes in AED, with VAT shown, before you commit. For single rooms see kitchen and bathroom costs.
Questions
How much does it cost to renovate a villa in Dubai?
For a 3,000 sq ft villa with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, a mid-range full interior renovation (kitchen, bathrooms, floors, ceilings, wardrobes, doors, electrical and AC) comes to about AED 552,000 including design, approvals, a 10% contingency and VAT. Adding new windows, a garden, a pergola and a 30 sq m pool takes it to about AED 819,000. A refresh of floors, ceilings, lighting and paint is about AED 203,000.
Where does the money go in a villa renovation?
In a mid-range full interior plan, kitchen and joinery take about 25% of the budget, bathrooms about 19%, MEP, AC and lighting about 12%, and flooring about 12%. Design, approvals and site set-up are fees of roughly AED 10,000 to 14,000 each on a project under AED 1 million.
Where do the planner's rates come from?
From 2,791 priced lines in 24 itemised quotes for Dubai villa and apartment renovations, 2024 to 2026, by a mid-to-premium design-and-build contractor. Essential uses the lower quartile of what was quoted, Mid-range the median, and Premium the upper quartile or premium-brand allowances. Budget contractors may quote less.
How long does a villa renovation take in Dubai?
Across 10 recent Dubai renovations in the same benchmark, full interior jobs ran 55 to 75 working days on site and whole-villa jobs with outdoor or structural work ran 110 to 156 working days. Add the community NOC before work starts, and an authority permit for structural or external work.
Is VAT included?
Yes. The planner adds VAT at 5% to the contractor's works, fees and contingency. Developer NOC fees and refundable deposits are shown separately because you pay them to the developer, not the contractor.
Why do I need an account to see the full plan?
The full plan is personal: every line with quantity and rate, brand allowances for your finish level, payment stages, and the option to save it and send it to up to 3 vetted contractors. A free account keeps it for you. We only contact you about your project.