This guide is for Dubai apartment owners and tenants pricing a repaint — whether it's a quick refresh before moving in, an end-of-tenancy hand-back, or a full interior reset. If you're moving out specifically, see our dedicated end-of-tenancy painting page. The numbers below are indicative planning bands from current UAE work, not a quote. Paint cost is mostly labour and preparation, so the real figure depends on wall condition far more than litres of paint.
Indicative bands by apartment size
For a standard two-coat interior repaint in good wall condition:
| Apartment | Scope | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | Walls + ceiling, two coats | AED 500–1,200 |
| 1-bed | Walls + ceilings, two coats | AED 900–2,200 |
| 2-bed | Walls + ceilings, two coats | AED 1,800–3,500 |
| 3-bed | Walls + ceilings, two coats | AED 2,800–5,500 |
By scope and surface
| Item | Notes | Indicative rate |
|---|---|---|
| Interior walls & ceilings | Two coats, premium emulsion, minor prep | AED 8–18 / sqft |
| Single feature / accent wall | Colour or texture, one wall | from AED 400 |
| Heavy prep surfaces | Crack repair, skim, damp/peeling treatment | priced as a variation |
| Decorative finish | Polished plaster / microcement, per sqm | AED 95–200 / sqm |
What drives a repaint price
- Wall condition. Sound walls take paint; cracked, previously-papered or damp walls need prep that costs more than the paint itself.
- Paint system. Standard emulsion, washable, anti-mould or low-VOC systems sit at different price points and longevity.
- Coverage. Strong colour changes (dark to light) often need an extra coat.
- Ceilings and trims. Including ceilings, skirtings, doors and frames materially changes a per-unit number.
- Occupied vs empty. Working around furniture and a living household adds masking, moves and protection time.
- Building access. Tower units may need a building NOC, lift booking and defined working hours, which affects scheduling.
- End-of-tenancy standard. A landlord-grade hand-back finish is held to a tighter standard than a quick refresh.
What a painting quote covers
What's covered: a free colour consultation and site visit, surface preparation appropriate to the wall condition, masking and protection, two coats unless stated, clean-up and snag walk-through, and a written workmanship guarantee covering application issues such as peeling or poor adhesion from our prep, with the period stated in your quote.
Outside the painting quote: furniture removal beyond reasonable shifting, structural damp remediation (we flag the cause first), and product warranties beyond the paint manufacturer's own terms.
A process note from experience: we don't paint over active damp or efflorescence to make a unit look ready — it returns within a season. Where we find it, we identify the source and quote the fix separately rather than burying it. Painting is delivered as a scheduled package, not as same-day handyman call-outs.
Want this priced against your unit? See our painting services, our end-of-tenancy painting service, or book a free colour consultation and site visit.