The short answer
It depends on the scope of work and on whether the villa is being extended. As a guide, concept design takes up to 3 months and the full design up to 6 months. The master developer NOC and the authority approval each take 1 to 2 months for a renovation, or around 3 months when the villa is being extended. Tendering takes about 2 months and overlaps with design. Site works take 6 to 12 months, and snagging and handover a further 1 to 3 months. Because several stages run in parallel, the overall programme is shorter than the sum of its parts.
Typical durations at a glance
- Design: Concept design takes up to 3 months. The full design, through schematic and detailed design, takes up to 6 months.
- Master developer NOC: 1 to 2 months for a renovation, or around 3 months if the villa is being extended.
- Authority approval: 1 to 2 months for interior, exterior and landscape works, or up to 3 months for an extension, particularly where structural strengthening is needed.
- Tender and BOQs: About 2 months. Tendering starts once the concept is complete and continues through schematic and detailed design.
- Site works: 6 to 12 months, depending on the scope, whether the villa is being extended and how readily materials are available.
- FF&E delivery: 3 to 6 months for pieces ordered from Italian and other European brands. Selections are made during design so that orders can be placed early.
- Snagging, de-snagging and handover: 1 to 3 months.
Stage 1: Design
Design takes the project from the brief to a complete set of drawings and specifications, in three steps: concept, schematic design and detailed design. Concept design takes up to 3 months, and the full design up to 6 months. It can move faster when the client gives a clear brief and direction and responds promptly at each review, which makes the most of the design period. Reopening decisions that have already been agreed is the most common cause of delay at this stage.
Ganggaan designs to authority and regulatory requirements from the outset, so the drawings submitted for approval are the drawings that were designed, not a reworked version. Our guide to what a full interior design package includes sets out what is produced.
Stage 2: Approvals
If the work affects walls, services, layout or external appearance, it needs a modification permit. In a master-developer community, the master developer's NOC must be obtained before the authority submission. Typical durations:
- Master developer NOC: 1 to 2 months for a renovation, or around 3 months if the villa is being extended.
- Authority approval: 1 to 2 months for interior, exterior and landscape works, or up to 3 months for an extension, particularly where structural strengthening is required.
Every round of comments means a resubmission, which is why compliant drawings save time. A purely cosmetic renovation may not need this stage at all. See do you need a permit to renovate your villa.
Time saver: submit for approvals in parallel with detailed design, rather than waiting for it to finish.
Stage 3: Tender and BOQs
Tendering does not wait for the design to be finished. Contractors give initial prices once the concept is complete, and the bills of quantities (BOQs) are refined through schematic and detailed design, so the pricing becomes more accurate as more detail becomes available. The tender takes about 2 months. Taking the time to prequalify contractors and compare bids properly pays off: a poor appointment costs far more on site. See how to tender and appoint a fit-out contractor.
Stage 4: Site Works
Site works typically take 6 to 12 months, depending on the scope, whether the villa is being extended and the availability of materials:
- Cosmetic renovation: protection, finishes, joinery, lighting and sanitaryware. Fewer trades and fewer dependencies.
- Gut refurbishment: strip-out, an assessment of what is found, new services, then reinstatement and finishes, with each stage depending on the last.
- Extension: structure and envelope first, then the interior, often while the rest of the villa is being reworked.
Our comparison of gut refurbishment and cosmetic renovation explains the difference.
Stage 5: FF&E and Handover
Furniture, lighting and made-to-order pieces have production and shipping lead times, so FF&E selection takes place during design and long-lead items are ordered early. Pieces ordered directly from Italian and other European brands typically take 3 to 6 months to arrive, and this is often the more cost-effective route. Buying through Dubai distributors usually costs more, and if an item is not in stock locally, it can still take up to 3 to 4 months to arrive from abroad. If orders are placed late, the villa is finished but empty.
Handover then takes 1 to 3 months. This covers snagging and de-snagging: inspecting the works, recording defects, having the contractor rectify them and re-inspecting, together with the completion paperwork. Our guide to snagging and handover explains what to check.
What causes delay
- Late or changed decisions after drawings have been issued.
- Approval comments that require redesign.
- Extensions that require structural strengthening.
- Discoveries during strip-out in older villas.
- Materials that are out of stock, and long-lead items ordered too late.
- Variations agreed on site without a formal process.
Most of these are avoidable with a clear brief, compliant drawings, early approvals and orders, and a project manager on your side.
How Ganggaan keeps it moving
Because design, Architect of Record permitting, FF&E sourcing and site supervision sit in one studio, the stages overlap wherever it is safe to do so: pricing starts at concept, approvals run alongside detailed design, and long-lead orders are placed during design. There are no hand-offs between firms. Ganggaan tenders and supervises the contractor; it does not build.