Renovating an apartment in Dubai is one of the highest-return investments a property owner can make in 2026, but the spread between a “refresh” and a “full strip-out” is enormous. This guide breaks down what you actually pay per bedroom count and per scope, using current contractor rates in Dubai Marina, Downtown, Business Bay, JVC and JLT. For a tailored figure on your own unit, our apartment renovation service includes a fixed-price quote after one site visit.
The four scopes that decide your budget
Before any numbers, define scope. Almost every apartment renovation in Dubai falls into one of four buckets, and the price per square foot moves dramatically between them:
- Cosmetic refresh — paint, lighting, minor joinery, new taps. No walls touched, no MEP rerouted.
- Partial renovation — one or two wet areas rebuilt, kitchen cabinets replaced, flooring in living zones.
- Full renovation — every room stripped to slab, new bathrooms, new kitchen, full MEP upgrade, new flooring throughout.
- Structural reconfiguration — walls removed or added, layout changed. This triggers building management NOCs and often Dubai Municipality approval, which we cover in our apartment renovation process.
In 2026, expect to pay roughly AED 120–180 per sq ft for a cosmetic refresh, AED 220–320 for a partial renovation, AED 380–550 for a full renovation, and AED 600+ per sq ft once structural work and authority approvals are involved.
Cost by bedroom count
Studio apartment (450–650 sq ft)
A studio is the most efficient unit to renovate because there is one wet area, one kitchen line and a single open zone. A full renovation typically runs AED 95,000–AED 160,000. A cosmetic refresh sits between AED 35,000 and AED 60,000. Studios in Dubai Marina and JLT are where owners see the fastest resale uplift per dirham spent.
1-bedroom apartment (700–950 sq ft)
One-bed units in Downtown and Business Bay are the most common renovation we quote. A full renovation lands at AED 150,000–AED 260,000, with the bathroom and kitchen consuming around 55% of the budget. A partial renovation (bathroom + kitchen only) usually comes in at AED 90,000–AED 150,000.
2-bedroom apartment (1,100–1,500 sq ft)
Two-beds add a second bathroom and a larger kitchen, which pushes plumbing and tiling costs up sharply. Budget AED 260,000–AED 420,000 for a full renovation. Most two-bed owners in JVC and Dubai Marina opt for a partial scope at AED 160,000–AED 240,000, focusing on the two bathrooms and the kitchen while repainting the rest.
3-bedroom apartment (1,600–2,200 sq ft)
Three-bed units, common in Dubai Hills and larger Marina towers, carry three wet areas and a maid’s room in many cases. A full renovation runs AED 420,000–AED 700,000. At this size, material selection drives the variance more than labour — switching from 60x60cm porcelain to large-format 120x120cm slabs alone can add AED 60,000.
Where the money actually goes
Across all bedroom counts, a typical full-renovation budget splits roughly like this:
- MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing): 22–28%
- Bathrooms (2–3 wet areas): 20–25%
- Kitchen: 15–20%
- Flooring and wall finishes: 15–18%
- Joinery and doors: 8–12%
- Authority approvals and NOCs: 3–6%
- Contingency: 10% (do not skip this)
If your quote comes in without a contingency line, treat that as a red flag. Discoveries behind walls — corroded copper, non-compliant electrical, old waterproofing — are normal in Dubai towers built before 2015.
Hidden costs owners forget
Three items catch owners off guard every cycle. First, building management deposits: most Marina and Downtown towers charge AED 2,000–AED 5,000 as a refundable damage deposit plus a per-day work permit fee of AED 100–AED 250. Second, lifting and rubbish chute access: some buildings restrict chute use for construction waste, forcing manual debris removal at AED 3,000–AED 8,000. Third, post-handover snags: budget a 5% retention released after a 90-day defect inspection.
How to keep costs under control
Fix the scope before you fix the price. The single biggest cost driver in Dubai apartment renovations is mid-project change orders, which typically add 12–18% to the contract value. A fixed-price, architect-led contract — the model we use on every apartment renovation in Dubai — removes that risk by locking materials, layout and finishes before demolition starts.
Second, choose materials early. Porcelain from RAK Ceramics or Saudi Ceramics is 30–40% cheaper than imported Italian equivalents with near-identical performance in UAE humidity. Third, sequence the trades properly: waterproofing and MEP first-in, finishes last-out. Getting this order wrong is the most expensive mistake in apartment work.
The bottom line for 2026
A realistic 2026 budget for a full apartment renovation in Dubai is AED 150,000 for a one-bed, AED 320,000 for a two-bed, and AED 550,000 for a three-bed, plus a 10% contingency. Cosmetic refreshes start around AED 35,000. The numbers move with your tower’s access rules, your finish level, and whether structural changes trigger approvals — all of which a single site visit will pin down. If you want that figure for your unit, request a consultation and we will return a fixed-price quote within one working day.
