A real Dubai villa renovation, costed line by line
Most "case studies" online are contractor adverts. This one isn't. It's a real ~280 m² villa renovation we prepared an independent bill of quantities for — anonymised, with the real numbers, so you can see where the money actually goes.
We prepare independent bills of quantities for Dubai homeowners — the documented scope that turns a vague renovation into a project you can price, compare and control. This is one of them, fully anonymised for client confidentiality (no names, no address, figures rounded). We take no commission from any contractor or supplier, so the numbers reflect the work, not a sales target.
The project
- Property: a villa of roughly 280 m² in a Dubai community.
- Scope: a whole-home renovation and external works, keeping the existing kitchen.
- Specification: value / cost-effective — good, durable finishes rather than a mid-to-premium fit-out.
- Documented as: a 35-line bill of quantities, priced by trade.
The headline numbers
| Renovation works (excl. VAT) | ≈ AED 400,000 |
| Rate per square metre | ≈ AED 1,450 / m² |
| Contingency built in | ≈ 5% |
| VAT | 5% on top |
At around AED 1,450 / m², this sits at the value end — below the AED 1,800–2,800 / m² mid-range villa band in our cost guide and calculator. That gap isn't a bargain or a mistake: it's specification. This home kept its kitchen and used good, durable, cost-effective finishes rather than a mid-to-premium fit-out. A mid-range renovation of the same-size villa would run roughly AED 500,000–780,000 on our calculator. Same villa, very different number — because on a renovation, spec and scope drive the cost far more than floor area does.
Where the money actually went
Here's the part the textbooks get wrong. Generic guides tell you kitchens and bathrooms are 30–40% of a renovation. On this real project, they weren't even close — because this villa kept its kitchen and the work was services- and structure-heavy. This is exactly why a per-square-metre rule of thumb can mislead you, and why a scoped BOQ tells the truth.
| Trade | Share of the works |
|---|---|
| MEP — electrical, plumbing, cooling | ≈ 29% |
| Civil & structural | ≈ 19% |
| Demolition & strip-out | ≈ 13% |
| Flooring & tiling | ≈ 11% |
| Painting & ceilings | ≈ 9% |
| Finishes & sanitaryware | ≈ 13% |
| External works | ≈ 5% |
| Preliminaries & management | ≈ 1% |
Five lessons from a real BOQ
1. The invisible work costs the most. MEP was the single biggest line — nearly a third of the budget, more than any finish you can see. It's also the first place a cheap quote quietly cuts. On a renovation, what's behind the walls deserves your budget's protection, not its savings.
2. There is no "typical" cost split. This villa's kitchen was barely touched, so joinery was tiny and MEP, structure and demolition dominated. A rule-of-thumb budget built on "kitchens are 40%" would have been wrong here by a wide margin. Only a scoped bill of quantities reflects your actual project.
3. What's outside matters. External works added around 5% directly and helped push civil and structural to nearly a fifth of the budget. Homeowners plan for the rooms and forget the plot — then get surprised.
4. Contingency isn't optional. A ~5% contingency was built in from the start. On a services-heavy renovation like this — where opening a wall can reveal old wiring or a drainage problem — that buffer is the difference between a surprise and a crisis.
5. This document is the protection. Thirty-five priced line items, with quantities and rates by trade — that's a bill of quantities. It's what makes competing contractor quotes genuinely comparable, ends "we'll sort the extras later", and stops a fixed price quietly becoming an open one. It's precisely what a Renovation Blueprint™ gives you before you hire anyone.
The reason this project ran to a real, defensible number — and not a moving one — is that the scope was written down before anyone quoted it. That single step is the difference between a renovation you control and one that controls you.
Real Dubai villa renovation — frequently asked questions
What does a villa renovation actually cost in Dubai?
In this real, anonymised case study, a whole-home renovation plus external works on a ~280 m² villa came to about AED 400,000 excluding VAT — around AED 1,450 per square metre. That's a value / cost-effective specification, which is why it sits below the mid-range villa band of AED 1,800–2,800 / m². A mid-range fit-out on the same villa would run roughly AED 500,000–780,000. Specification, not floor area, drives the difference — see our cost guide.
What is the biggest cost in a Dubai renovation?
On this project, MEP — electrical, plumbing and cooling — was the single biggest line at about 29% of the works, more than any finish. The invisible work behind the walls often costs the most, and it's where cheap quotes quietly cut.
What should a renovation BOQ include?
A proper bill of quantities lists every item of work with its quantity and rate, grouped by trade — demolition, civil, MEP, tiling, joinery, finishes, external works and preliminaries. That detail is what makes competing quotes comparable and protects you from variations.
Is this a real renovation project?
Yes — a real Dubai villa renovation we prepared an independent bill of quantities for, fully anonymised for client confidentiality with figures rounded. We take no commission from contractors or suppliers.
Want a real, defensible number for your project?
This is what we do: an independent, documented scope and budget before you speak to a contractor. Book a free strategy session and we'll show you where your project's money will really go.