This guide is for owners, fit-out contractors and property managers pricing the core trades behind a Dubai renovation or fit-out — the work that sits under the finishes. Bands below are indicative planning figures from current UAE projects, not a quote. Civil works is measured work: rates move with substrate condition, specification and access, so the confirmed number follows a site visit and a measured scope.
Indicative trade rates
| Trade | Scope basis | Indicative rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tile work | Supply & fit, per sqft, by material | AED 15–90 / sqft |
| Plaster work | Skim / render, paint-ready, per sqm | AED 22–45 / sqm |
| Gypsum false ceiling | Board, frame & finish, per sqft | AED 18–55 / sqft |
| Block work | Partition / boundary, per sqm by height | AED 220–950 / sqm |
| Pipe installation | Re-pipe / new lines, per point or run | quoted per scope |
| Electrical works | Circuits, DB, rewire, DEWA-tested | quoted per scope |
By typical job
| Job | Notes | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom retile | Strip, waterproof, re-tile, supply & fit | AED 8,000–18,000 |
| Villa floor retile | Whole-floor, material-dependent | AED 40,000–150,000+ |
| Office partitioning | Block or gypsum, per floor zone | AED 280–420 / sqm |
| Villa re-pipe | CPVC, pressure-tested | quoted after survey |
What moves a measured rate
- Substrate condition. Sound screeds and walls take finishes cleanly; out-of-level or failed substrate needs making good first.
- Material specification. Tile format and type, board grade (standard vs moisture- or fire-rated) and block type swing rates significantly.
- Waterproofing. Wet areas need tanking before tiling — a non-negotiable line that protects everything above it.
- Access & sequencing. Occupied buildings, lift bookings and after-hours windows add programme.
- Approvals. Structural block work, DEWA-tested electrical and DM/Civil Defence sign-off where the scope requires it.
- Demolition & disposal. Strip-out, dust control and DM-compliant waste handling are real, often-missed lines.
- Testing & certification. Pressure tests, electrical certificates and handover documentation.
What a civil-works quote covers
In scope: a free site visit, a measured itemised quote, in-house trades, substrate preparation appropriate to the finish, waterproofing where wet areas are in scope, DEWA/DM/Civil-Defence coordination and testing where required, clean handover, and a written workmanship guarantee with the period stated in your documents.
Outside the civil quote: latent defects only visible once surfaces are opened (flagged and priced as a variation), authority fees paid directly, and finishing trades outside the civil scope unless bundled.
A standards note from experience: before we tile we hold the screed to below ~4% moisture and water-test wet-area waterproofing — skipping that is the most common cause of the bathroom failures we get called back to fix on other contractors' work. Civil works is delivered as a sequenced package; we don't take standalone emergency call-outs.
Need the core trades measured and priced? See our civil works services or book a free site visit.