Apartment Renovation in DAMAC Hills

The honest answer: an apartment renovation in DAMAC Hills runs from AED 55,000 for a quick-turn 1-bedroom investor package up to AED 220,000+ for a 3-bedroom owner-occupier premium renovation. The variance comes from three things — size, scope and finish level. Here are real numbers from First Unicorn jobs in Carson, Vita, Loreto and Park Greens over the last 18 months, not made-up "from AED X" marketing prices:

Studio apartment, 450–550 sqft (Carson, Vita): full kitchen replacement plus bathroom upgrade, paint, basic joinery — AED 55,000–85,000 typical. The kitchen alone is usually AED 45,000–55,000 because the footprint is small but quality cabinetry, worktop and appliance integration drive most of the cost.

1-bedroom, 700–900 sqft (Carson, Loreto, Park Greens): kitchen, bathroom, paint, flooring change, master-bedroom wardrobes — AED 75,000–130,000. Adding marble or large-format porcelain flooring instead of standard porcelain adds AED 15,000–25,000.

2-bedroom, 1,100–1,400 sqft (Vita, Bellavista, Golf Promenade): kitchen, two bathrooms, full flooring, all joinery, paint, basic smart-home (lighting, AC, curtains) — AED 110,000–180,000.

3-bedroom, 1,500–1,800 sqft (Park Central, Topanga, Genesis): kitchen, three bathrooms, all flooring, all joinery, full smart-home, premium finishing (book-matched marble, Italian sanitaryware) — AED 170,000–260,000+.

What pushes the price up: book-matched marble (adds AED 25,000–60,000), Italian kitchen brands like Pedini or Boffi (doubles the kitchen cost), full smart-home with lighting/AC/blinds/security (adds AED 25,000–50,000), structural changes requiring DM permit (adds AED 12,000–25,000 in engineering, drawings and longer timeline), bespoke joinery (every linear metre of custom built-in adds AED 1,800–3,500 depending on materials).

What pulls the price down: keeping existing tile in wet areas and just regrouting (saves AED 8,000–15,000 per bathroom), refacing kitchen cabinets instead of full replacement (saves AED 20,000–35,000 but only viable if carcasses are sound), staying within the developer's existing electrical and plumbing layout (no DM permit needed), choosing standard porcelain over marble.

Our quotes are fixed price — no provisional sums, no "subject to site conditions". The number on the BOQ is the number you pay, unless you change scope in writing.

Most owners we meet are surprised at how strictly DAMAC enforces its NOC process. Unlike some master developers who treat the NOC as a paperwork formality, DAMAC Properties' Owners' Association actively inspects sites and will halt work if a renovation starts without an approved NOC. We've seen contractors barred from working in DAMAC Hills for 12 months after one unauthorised job. So step one is always: secure the NOC before any tools come on site.

The DAMAC NOC application typically requires: a copy of your title deed (or current tenancy contract if you're an investor renting), your Emirates ID, the contractor's Dubai Municipality trade licence (we're licensed under DED 1167512), the contractor's third-party insurance certificate (minimum AED 1 million coverage), a scope-of-works letter signed by the owner, drawings of any structural change, and the security deposit. The deposit is refundable on satisfactory site close-out and is typically AED 2,000 for a small apartment and AED 5,000 for larger units or works involving common areas (e.g. corridor floor protection requirements).

If your scope involves anything structural — moving a wall, changing a wet-area footprint, adding new electrical circuits, swapping a gas hob for an induction hob with a load increase — you also need a separate Dubai Municipality Building Permit. DM permits in 2026 are issued via the Building Permit System portal, processed by a registered Engineering Consultant who submits stamped drawings on your behalf. We work with two consultants who handle DAMAC Hills regularly and turn around stamped sets in 5–10 working days. DM processing on top adds 5–14 days depending on permit type. For straightforward non-structural renovations (replace kitchen in same footprint, replace bathroom in same footprint, paint, flooring) you don't need DM permits — the DAMAC OA NOC is enough.

DEWA approval kicks in if your electrical load changes. Adding a high-load appliance (induction hob, EV charger, additional aircon) requires DEWA load-increase approval, which is filed alongside the DM permit. Plumbing changes that don't touch the building riser are within the apartment's licensed plumbing envelope and don't need DEWA approval. We always do a load calculation at site visit so we know on Day 0 whether DEWA is in scope.

One thing worth noting: DAMAC enforces strict working hours and noise rules. Demolition and heavy hammering are typically allowed only between 9 am and 5 pm, Saturday to Thursday. Friday morning is no-work. Drilling and noisy works are not permitted during Eid and major UAE holidays. Our schedules account for all of this from Day 0, so we don't hit timeline surprises mid-project. The 4–10 week ranges we quote already include these constraints.

Finally — if you're an investor renovating between tenants, time the renovation start to coincide with the tenancy end date plus 10 days. The 10-day buffer accommodates DAMAC NOC processing, which we file the day the apartment becomes vacant. That avoids paying empty service charges during a long approval wait.