Part one · The client asks
"One contractor said one permit. Another said none. A third sent me a list of six."
I have two jobs to do this year and I am getting three different answers for each of them.
The first is a one-bedroom apartment in Jumeirah Village Circle that I rent out. The tenant has left, and I want to repaint, replace the kitchen in the same position, retile the bathroom and add a couple of sockets in the living room. The building manager has sent me a fit-out form, and one contractor tells me that is all I need. Another says I need Nakheel as well. Nobody has mentioned the authority.
The second is the villa we have just bought in Jumeirah Park for ourselves. We want to take out the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, move the kitchen sink to the island, put a pergola on the back terrace and redo the floors and bathrooms throughout. One contractor says "one permit, we handle it". A second says the kitchen work needs no approvals at all because it is inside. A third sent a list: Nakheel, Trakhees, DEWA, a structural engineer, a work permit, a completion certificate. He may be the only honest one, or he may be padding the quote.
I do not want to pay for approvals I do not need, and I certainly do not want a stop notice halfway through a job because I skipped one I did need.
So my questions are simple. How many approvals does each of these jobs actually need? Which ones, and from whom? Does painting need anything at all? What does each one cost? And which of them can I get myself?
Part two · HDi answers
The straight answer
A repaint or cosmetic refresh needs none or one approval, a like-for-like kitchen or bathroom needs one or two, an apartment refit that moves plumbing or adds circuits needs three to five, and a villa where a wall, drainage or the outside of the house changes needs four to six. The number is set by what you change, not by what you spend: the moment a wall, a water point, an electrical load or the outside of the house moves, the job leaves the community's desk and goes to the building authority as well.
Your apartment, with new sockets, sits in the three to five band. Your villa, with a wall out, a sink moved and a pergola, sits in the four to six band. The third contractor's list was not padding. Here is the count job by job, what each approval is, and what it costs.
This guide is about how many approvals and which ones. For how long each one takes and the order they go in, see our companion guide, how long Dubai renovation approvals really take.
The count, by type of job
We count every separate sign-off you have to collect, from the first permission to the completion certificate at the end. Where a range is given, the higher number applies when the electrical load increases (DEWA) or fire systems are touched (Civil Defence).
| Job | Approvals | Which ones |
|---|---|---|
| Repaint, wallpaper, curtains, loose furniture | 0 - 1 | Building or community work permit, for access, hours and debris. In Nakheel communities expect an NOC even for cosmetic work |
| New floor finish over a sound screed; light fittings or taps swapped on the same points | 1 | Building or community work permit, sometimes with an NOC |
| Kitchen or bathroom replaced in the same position, built-in wardrobes, false ceilings, no points moved | 1 - 2 | Building or community NOC, and the work permit |
| Apartment refit that moves plumbing or electrical points, or adds circuits | 3 - 5 | Building NOC and fit-out permit (one approval in an apartment), authority permit, completion sign-off, plus the community NOC in Nakheel communities and DEWA if the load increases |
| Villa interior with a wall removed, a kitchen or toilet moved, or drainage changed | 4 - 6 | Community NOC, authority permit with structural drawings, work permit at the gate, completion certificate, plus DEWA and Civil Defence where scope touches them |
| Terrace cover, pergola, windows or facade changed | 4 - 5 | Community NOC, authority permit, work permit, completion certificate, plus DEWA if lighting or power is added |
| Extension or swimming pool | 5 - 6+ | Community NOC with any added-area fee, authority permit with structural drawings, work permit, completion certificate, usually DEWA, and Civil Defence where fire systems are affected |
Two adjustments to the table. A standalone villa with no master developer, in areas such as Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim, Al Barsha or Mirdif, drops the community NOC and the gate permit, so subtract one or two. And a resale home where a previous owner made changes without approval adds one: those changes have to be regularised before your own will be looked at.
Your two jobs, counted
The JVC apartment: four, possibly five
- Building NOC and fit-out permit. The form from building management, with the method statement, insurance and a refundable deposit. In an apartment this is also your work permit.
- Nakheel NOC. JVC is a Nakheel community, and Nakheel generally wants to approve work in its communities, so the second contractor was right.
- Trakhees permit. JVC falls under Trakhees, and new sockets on a new circuit are electrical work that needs a permit. If the sockets go on an existing circuit, check with the consultant whether it drops to NOC only.
- Completion sign-off, from the authority and then the building, which releases the deposit.
- DEWA, only if the electrical load increases. Two sockets usually do not; a new oven or air conditioning unit might.
The repaint, the kitchen in the same position and the retiling ride on the same NOC. They do not need approvals of their own.
The Jumeirah Park villa: five, possibly six
- Nakheel NOC, covering the wall, the kitchen, the pergola and the floors in one application.
- Trakhees permit, with architectural, MEP and structural drawings. Expect the authority to want a structural engineer's view on any wall removal; if the wall carries load, stamped calculations are mandatory.
- Work permit at the community gate, so your contractor's people and trucks are let in.
- Completion inspection and certificate at the end, which also releases your deposit and which a future buyer's lawyer will ask for.
- DEWA, because an island sink usually brings an island hob or extra power with it, and a lit pergola adds circuits.
- Civil Defence, only if smoke detection or other fire systems are moved. In most villa remodels they are not.
The second contractor, who said inside work needs no approvals, is the one to worry about. Removing a wall and moving a sink are precisely the things the permit exists to check.
What each approval actually is
| Approval | Who issues it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Building NOC and fit-out permit | Building management or the owners association | Lift, hours, debris, protection of common areas, approved contractors, deposit |
| Community NOC | The master developer: Emaar, Nakheel, Dubai Holding, DAMAC and others | That the change follows the community's rules, especially anything visible from outside |
| Building or modification permit | Dubai Municipality, Trakhees or the Dubai Development Authority, depending on the plot | That the structure, drainage, electrics and air conditioning are designed safely |
| DEWA approval | Dubai Electricity and Water Authority | Changes to the electrical load or supply |
| Civil Defence approval | Dubai Civil Defence | Changes to fire detection, sprinklers, alarms or escape routes |
| Work permit | The building or the community | Lets the contractor through the gate, at agreed hours |
| Completion certificate | The authority, followed by the community's own inspection | Confirms the work was built as approved, and releases the deposit |
Which authority governs your plot is decided by the land, not your address, and published guides disagree about some communities. The plot's affection plan and the developer's customer service desk settle it in a day; our approvals guide lists the communities under each authority.
The rule that sets the number
If you remember one thing, remember this. Each of the following moves your job up a band, and each one is independent of the budget:
- A wall moves or comes out, load-bearing or not: authority permit with structural drawings.
- A water point moves, or drainage changes: authority permit.
- An electrical point moves, a circuit is added or the load increases: authority permit, and DEWA where the load goes up.
- Air conditioning is altered: authority permit.
- Sprinklers, alarms or escape routes are touched: Civil Defence.
- Anything outside changes: windows, facade, terrace cover, pergola, pool, boundary wall. Community NOC on its own terms, and an authority permit.
- Floor area is added: all of the above, and in Emaar communities a fee on the added area.
A very expensive kitchen in the same position can need fewer approvals than a cheap one where the sink moves a metre. If you are unsure which band a job is in, treat it as the higher one. An approval you turn out not to need costs you a fee; work you needed approval for and did not get costs you a stop notice.
What they cost
The fees are the smaller part of the bill. These are the published figures, which vary by community and scope:
| Item | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| Emaar home modification NOC fee | from about AED 500 to about AED 5,000 |
| Nakheel NOC administration fee | AED 2,000 - 5,000 |
| Community security deposit, villa (refundable) | AED 5,000 - 20,000 |
| Building management deposit, apartment (refundable) | AED 2,000 - 5,000 |
| DDA modification design and permit | AED 1,500 + AED 1 per square foot of built-up area |
| Dubai Municipality permit | around AED 1 per square foot, minimum around AED 200 |
| Trakhees permit | AED 2,000 - 15,000 by project type |
What costs more is the work behind each approval: the measured survey, the architectural, MEP and structural drawings in the authority's format, and the time spent submitting, answering comments and chasing. At HDi approvals start from around AED 5,000, and where they go from there depends on the scope and the community. Be wary of any quotation that has no approvals line at all. It is not cheaper; it has left out something you will pay for later.
Which ones you can get yourself
You can collect the title deed, passports and Emirates IDs, ask your bank for its letter if the property is mortgaged, request the original drawings from the developer, and pay fees and deposits. In many buildings you can apply for a cosmetic work permit yourself, so a repaint with nothing else may need no contractor paperwork at all.
You cannot submit drawings to Dubai Municipality, Trakhees or the DDA yourself. The submission has to come from a consultant or contractor registered with that authority, and structural calculations have to be stamped by a registered engineer. So from the authority permit upwards, the count above is a count of submissions your contractor makes on your behalf.
The approvals people forget
- The bank. Not an approval in name, but a mortgaged property needs the lender's letter before the community will look at anything, and banks are not quick.
- Old unapproved work. An enclosed terrace or a removed wall from a previous owner has to be regularised first. It is the commonest surprise on resale villas.
- The completion certificate. Easy to forget once the builders leave, and the thing a future buyer's lawyer asks for. No certificate, no deposit back.
- Expiry. NOCs and approved designs are generally valid for around six months. A job that slips past that collects the same approval twice.
- Changes after approval. Moving the island after the permit is issued is a revision: another fee and another review.
Your questions, answered one by one
How many for the apartment?
Four, possibly five: the building NOC and fit-out permit, the Nakheel NOC, the Trakhees permit and the completion sign-off, with DEWA only if the load goes up. Without the new sockets it would be two: the building permit and the Nakheel NOC.
How many for the villa?
Five, possibly six: Nakheel NOC, Trakhees permit with structural drawings, the gate work permit, DEWA and the completion certificate, with Civil Defence only if fire systems move.
Does painting need anything?
Usually only the building's or the community's work permit, and sometimes not even that. In Nakheel communities, ask before assuming.
What does each cost?
Fees run from a few hundred dirhams to around AED 15,000 depending on the authority and scope, with refundable deposits on top. The drawings and the running of the submission cost more than the fees.
Can I get any myself?
Cosmetic work permits often, yes. Authority permits, no: they must come from a registered consultant or contractor.
How HDi handles every one of them
We hold trade licence 1298938 with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, licensed for design, fit-out and manufacturing, with Contractor's All Risks insurance including third-party liability on every project. Our team prepares the drawings and handles the submissions to Emaar, Nakheel, Trakhees, the DDA and the other authorities, and follows them through to approval.
Before work starts you receive your schedule from our portal: approvals, design, samples, strip-out, factory production, installation and handover, with the key milestones and when payments fall due. Approvals sit inside the same contract as the design, the joinery from our own Dubai Production City factory and the fit-out, so there is one programme and one team answering for every approval on the list, rather than you collecting them one at a time.
It starts with the initial design consultation, AED 5,000 and credited in full against your project when you approve it. It covers the site measure, the concept layout and the first 3D visuals, and it is where we tell you exactly how many approvals your scope needs, which ones, and who issues each.
- Scope written down: which walls, water points, electrical points and outside elements change
- Band identified from the table, and the higher band taken if in doubt
- Authority confirmed from the affection plan and the developer
- Building or community NOC listed, with its deposit
- Authority permit listed if anything structural, MEP or external changes
- DEWA listed if the electrical load increases
- Civil Defence listed if fire systems or escape routes are touched
- Gate work permit and completion certificate listed
- Any previous owner's unapproved changes identified for regularising
- Bank letter requested on day one, if mortgaged
- Every approval priced as a line in the quotation
Getting three answers to one question? Book a consultation or call 050 578 1086, and we will count your approvals at the first meeting, name each one and tell you who issues it, before anything comes down.