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Villa renovation in Emirates Hills — Emaar first, then DDA.

In Emirates Hills, villa work beyond routine maintenance and repair needs an Emaar NOC first, then a DDA Building Modification permit, and a completion sign-off at the end. Emaar’s standard NOC factsheet excludes Emirates Hills, so the fees differ from its other communities: on our 2026 applications, AED 500 to apply and a refundable AED 10,000 deposit.

Last reviewed 16 Oct 2026Sources and dates

Estimate projectVilla renovation in Dubai →
Design & build · Emirates Hills · Since 2011Villa budgets from AED 1M
Render: dining table in a double-height void, with relief art panels, a gallery landing and a chandelier dropping from a recessed ceiling
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At a glance

Emirates Hills, at a glance.

Emaar logo
Master developer
Emaar2
Master community
Emirates Living, managed by Emaar Community Management3
NOC issued by
Emaar, outside its standard factsheet service1
Dubai Development Authority logo
Permit authority
DDA · Building Modification – Design, Permit and Completion179
Where to apply
Community portal → Home Modifications; contractors at ecmpermits.ae57
Plots
Custom-built homes on plots of 12,000 to 45,000 sq ft2
Setting
17 lakes, the Montgomerie fairways and three parks2
Handover era
Emirates Living launched in 20034; portals date the sectors to the late 2000s16

Approvals · Emirates Hills

The Emirates Hills approval route, in six steps.

Emaar reviews the villa alteration first; DDA then approves the design, issues the permit and signs off completion. The fees are Emaar’s Emirates Hills figures, not its standard factsheet.

  1. Step 01 / 06

    Survey the house as built

    Issued by
    Fajr Interiors, at the site survey
    Where
    Your villa
    You receive
    Measured drawings, the scope and the documents list
    What to know

    Emirates Hills homes were custom-built on their plots,2 so there is no standard type plan to start from. We measure the house and record earlier changes before anything is drawn.

  2. Step 02 / 06

    Emaar logo

    Emaar NOC

    Issued by
    Emaar
    Where
    Community portal → Home Modifications
    You receive
    The Emaar NOC for the works
    What to know

    Apart from routine maintenance and repair, the Emirates Living rulebook requires detailed plans and the Community Manager’s written approval first.6 On our 2026 applications Emaar charged AED 500 to apply and took a refundable AED 10,000 deposit.17

  3. Step 03 / 06

    Dubai Development Authority logoDubai Civil Defence logo

    DDA Building Modification – Design

    Issued by
    DDA; the consultant applies
    You receive
    Stamped, approved drawings
    What to know

    DDA asks for the approved drawings, the proposed changes highlighted, structural calculations where relevant, and a Dubai Civil Defence NOC where fire and life safety systems change.8

  4. Step 04 / 06

    Dubai Development Authority logo

    DDA Building Modification – Permit

    Issued by
    DDA; the contractor applies
    You receive
    The building modification permit
    What to know

    Charged per square foot of added or relevant built-up area, with an appointment letter signed by the owner, consultant and contractor.9

  5. Step 05 / 06

    Emaar logo

    ECM contractor entry permit

    Issued by
    Emaar Community Management
    You receive
    An entry permit for Emirates Living and this contract
    What to know

    The contractor registers with its trade licence and the manager’s passport and Emirates ID.7 The community manager can refuse entry at any time.6

  6. Step 06 / 06

    Emaar logoDubai Development Authority logoDubai Civil Defence logo

    Completion, then the deposit

    Issued by
    Emaar, then DDA
    You receive
    Emaar’s sign-off, the DDA completion certificate and the deposit back
    What to know

    DDA asks for a Dubai Civil Defence completion certificate where fire and life safety systems changed.10 The AED 10,000 deposit is refundable; we confirm the refund terms with Emaar when it is paid.17

Read the detailClose the detail

Emirates Hills is one of five communities in Emirates Living, with The Springs, The Meadows, The Lakes and Hattan.3 It shares their rulebook and their contractor permits, but not Emaar’s standard NOC service: the factsheet says that service is not applicable to Emirates Hills.1 That is why the review fees and times published for other Emaar villas do not appear on this page.

The order on our 2026 applications was Emaar’s NOC first, then DDA.17 We lodge the Emaar submission as soon as the layout is signed, so the DDA design review runs inside the 8-week design stage.

Villa NOCs in Dubai, explained →Our process, stage by stage →

Documents

What goes into an Emirates Hills submission.

Emaar reviews detailed plans; DDA adds its own lists for design, permit and completion. We assemble both from one survey.

Concept visualisation: villa floor plans, joinery elevations and material samples laid out on a design tableConcept visualisation
Drawings and samples, prepared by our team for the submission

You provide

  • Title deed and owner ID
  • The villa’s approved drawings, if you hold them8
  • Earlier NOCs, if the villa has been altered

We prepare

  • Detailed plans of the works for Emaar6
  • Proposed drawings with the changes highlighted8
  • Structural calculations where relevant8
  • Owner, consultant and contractor appointment letter9
  • Site mobilisation layout where one applies9

Registered with Emaar and DDA

  • Contractor entry-permit registration on ecmpermits.ae7
  • Trade licence, manager’s passport and Emirates ID7
  • Neighbours’ NOCs, where the works call for them6
Read the detailClose the detail

A DDA design application starts from the approved drawings of the villa as built.8 A custom house may have been altered since its first approval, so the survey measures what stands rather than trusting an old set.

Fees and timelines

Fees and timelines for an Emirates Hills villa.

Emaar’s figures from our own 2026 applications, and DDA’s published fees, each dated. Confirm every one at application.

The villa programmeAround 12 months, brief to handover

  1. 4 weeksPlanning
  2. 8 weeksDesign, approvals in parallel
  3. 6–8 monthsBuild
  4. 2 weeksHandover
ItemFigureTimingCharged bySource
Emaar NOC · application feeAED 500Paid when you applyEmaarFrom Fajr’s 2026 applications; estimated, not an official schedule. Source 17. Confirm at application.
Security depositAED 10,000, refundableRefund terms confirmed with Emaar at applicationEmaarFrom Fajr’s 2026 applications; estimated, not an official schedule. Source 17. Confirm at application.
Extension fee · added BUAAED 1,000 per sq ftCharged on the added area; each extension assessed case by caseEmaarFrom Fajr’s 2026 applications; estimated, not an official schedule. Source 17. Confirm at application.
Emaar’s standard NOC feesNot applicable: the factsheet excludes Emirates HillsIts published review times do not apply eitherEmaarAs published by Emaar, April 2022. Source 1. Confirm at application.
DDA Building Modification – DesignAED 1,500 + AED 10 Knowledge + AED 10 Innovation Dirham5 working days; approved design valid 6 monthsDDAAs published by DDA, September 2026. Source 8. Confirm at application.
DDA Building Modification – PermitAED 1 per sq ft of added or relevant BUA + AED 202 working days; renewal AED 200 per 3 months, up to 1 yearDDAAs published by DDA, September 2026. Source 9. Confirm at application.
DDA Building Modification – CompletionNo fee for a standard submission3 working daysDDAAs published by DDA, September 2026. Source 10. Confirm at application.
Read the detailClose the detail

Emaar does not publish an Emirates Hills fee schedule. Its standard factsheet excludes the community,1 so the AED 500 application fee, the AED 10,000 deposit and the AED 1,000 per sq ft extension fee come from our 2026 applications.17 We ask Emaar to confirm each in writing with the application.

DDA’s pages are undated, so they show the month we read them.

What’s allowed

What you can change in an Emirates Hills villa, and what needs Emaar.

The Emirates Living rulebook and ECM’s guidelines, in three states. Each chip links to its source.

Allowed without an NOC3

  • Routine maintenance and repair6
  • Servicing and upkeep of AC systems6
  • Clearing drains and gutters6

Needs approval first7

  • Any alteration beyond maintenance, on detailed plans6
  • Pergolas, sheds and shade structures6
  • Pools, fences and gates6
  • Removing a tree6
  • Significant window or ceiling changes6
  • Water-heater and drainage alterations6
  • Extensions, charged per sq ft of added area17

Not allowed5

  • Exterior alterations, including doors, windows and window coverings5
  • Solar panels visible from common areas or neighbours6
  • Lights facing neighbouring villas6
  • Outdoor AC units visible on the façade6
  • Wells, bore wells and reverse-osmosis plants6
Read the detailClose the detail

An extension needs Emaar’s prior approval and settlement of its charges.6 On our 2026 applications that charge was AED 1,000 per sq ft of added area.17 Emaar assesses each extension case by case, so it is drawn and put to Emaar before it is priced.

ECM’s guidelines for Emirates Living prohibit exterior alterations, doors and windows included.5 They are written for the whole master community, and Emirates Hills homes are custom-built, so we put every exterior item to Emaar in writing before it is drawn.

Rules on site

Rules on site in Emirates Hills.

The Emirates Living villa rulebook, uploaded in February 2026, sets the hours below. Noisy work outside them earns a notice of violation.

The working daySource 6

06:0008:0010:0012:0014:0016:0018:0020:00
  • Monworks
  • Tueworks
  • Wedworks
  • Thuworks
  • Friworks
  • Satworks
  • Sunno works
Noisy works 10:00–13:00 and 15:00–17:00, Monday to Saturday. No works on Sundays or public holidays, except emergencies.

  • Entry permits

    Contractors enter only with approved entry permits; the community manager can refuse access.6

  • Deliveries

    48 hours’ notice for bulk deliveries, Monday to Saturday, 10:00–13:00; none on public holidays.6

  • Noise

    Excessive if a neighbour can hear it inside their home; some works need neighbours’ NOCs.6

  • NOC on display

    The NOC is displayed on site during the works and kept with the property records.6

  • Common areas

    Dust controlled, paths protected while materials move, fire-alarm devices covered.6

  • Penalties

    Work without an NOC brings a notice of violation; fines go on the owner’s service-fee account.6

Read the detailClose the detail

ECM’s contractor portal gives different hours, 08:00 to 17:30 with Fridays off.7 The villa rulebook is the newer document and names Sundays as the rest day, so we plan to it and confirm with the community office at mobilisation. Ramadan hours are not stated in the rulebook.

Villa types

Emirates Hills villa types, and what each usually needs.

Most Emirates Hills homes were built to their owners’ own designs, so the type is a starting point. The survey reads the house itself.

  • Custom-built villas on owners’ plots

    Sectors E, H, L, P, R and W

    Bedrooms
    5–7+ bed
    Handover
    Late 2000s16

    Typical renovationWhole-house remodels with new services, phased by floor; any extension drawn for Emaar first.

  • Emaar-built villas, an original type

    Signature Villas

    Bedrooms
    5–7 bed
    Handover
    Not published12

    Typical renovationReception rooms and kitchens replanned; stone, joinery and lighting renewed.

  • Traditional Arabic-style villas

    Dyaar Al Hambra

    Bedrooms
    From 5,400 sq ft
    Handover
    Released 200511

    Typical renovationMajlis and family rooms re-planned inside the existing exterior.

  • Maisonettes, a few semi-detached

    Montgomerie Maisonettes

    Bedrooms
    3–4 bed
    Handover
    Released 200511

    Typical renovationKitchens and bathrooms renewed; party-wall work planned with the neighbour.

  • On the Montgomerie fairways

    Golf-course villas

    Bedrooms
    5–7 bed
    Handover
    Not published12

    Typical renovationTerraces and glazing kept as built; rooms replanned toward the course.

  • Around the 17 lakes

    Lake-facing villas

    Bedrooms
    5–7 bed
    Handover
    Not published2

    Typical renovationPool and terrace joined to the living rooms; waterproofing checked first.

Read the detailClose the detail

A 2014 portal article names three original types, Al Hambra, Signature Villas and Montgomerie Maisonettes, built in Traditional Islamic, Contemporary Modern and Classic European styles, and counts 250 course-facing villas.12 Gulf News reported the Maisonettes and Dyaar Al Hambra released in 2005.11

Portals name Sectors E, H, L, P, R and W; we found no full list of sectors from Emaar.1415 Bedroom counts come from portals, not Emaar; one cites land department records showing most villas at 5 to 7 bedrooms.13

Common projects

What Emirates Hills owners ask us to change.

Large custom houses, many from the 2000s: services, stone and the garden, at a scale that is phased rather than rushed.

  • Concept visualisation: open ceiling with ducts and services exposed during a villa renovationConcept visualisation

    Services at house scale

    AC plant, ducting and plumbing in a large villa are renewed with the ceilings open, sized for the house as replanned, not patched room by room.

  • Concept visualisation: travertine and white marble samples on a linen clothConcept visualisation

    Stone chosen from samples

    Stone and joinery for a house this size carry long lead times, so they are approved from samples while Emaar and DDA review the drawings.

  • lakePool to house

    Lakes and fairways

    Most homes overlook a lake, the fairways or parkland.2 Pools and terraces need written approval,6 so we draw the garden with the house.

  • Contemporary two-storey villa exterior with a pool and garden terrace

    Extensions, priced per sq ft

    On our 2026 applications Emaar charged AED 1,000 per sq ft of added area.17 We draw the extension and put it to Emaar before it is priced.

  • root zone keptMature gardens

    Mature trees stay

    Mature planting often sits where new terraces would go. No tree comes out without written permission.6

Cost

What an Emirates Hills renovation costs.

Villa renovation in Dubai runs AED 420–1,400 per sqft of built-up area, and our villa budgets start from AED 1M. In Emirates Hills the built-up area, the finishes and any extension decide the figure; an extension adds Emaar’s charge on the added area. Your number is a line-by-line quote against drawings, never a rate.

The villa renovation cost guide →Estimate project →

Emirates Hills FAQ

Before you renovate in Emirates Hills.

Villa renovation FAQ — Emirates Hills, Dubai.

The questions Emirates Hills owners ask before a survey, answered from Emaar’s, ECM’s and DDA’s own pages and our 2026 applications.

01Do I need an Emaar NOC to renovate my villa in Emirates Hills?

Yes, for anything beyond routine maintenance and repair. The Emirates Living rulebook, which covers Emirates Hills, requires detailed plans and the Community Manager’s written approval before works start, and the NOC stays on display on site. Work without an NOC brings a notice of violation and fines on the service-fee account.

02Which authority issues the building permit for an Emirates Hills villa?

The Dubai Development Authority, after the Emaar NOC; that was the order on our 2026 applications. The consultant applies for DDA Building Modification – Design and the contractor for the permit. Dubai Civil Defence joins only where fire and life safety systems change, and DDA closes the job with a completion certificate.

03What does Emaar charge for a modification in Emirates Hills?

Emaar’s standard factsheet excludes Emirates Hills, so its usual fees do not apply. On our 2026 applications Emaar charged a AED 500 application fee and took a refundable AED 10,000 deposit; an extension added AED 1,000 per sq ft of new area. DDA charges its own published design and permit fees on top.

04Can I extend my villa in Emirates Hills?

Yes, with Emaar’s prior approval, and its charges must be settled first. On our 2026 applications the charge was AED 1,000 per sq ft of added area. Emaar assesses each extension case by case, so we draw it and put it to Emaar before pricing, then DDA issues the permit.

05Can I change the exterior of my Emirates Hills villa?

ECM’s Emirates Living guidelines prohibit exterior alterations, including doors, windows and window coverings, and the rulebook bans visible solar panels and outdoor AC units on the façade. Emirates Hills homes are custom-built, so we put each exterior item to Emaar in writing before drawing it, rather than assume either answer.

06What are contractor working hours in Emirates Hills?

The Emirates Living villa rulebook, uploaded in February 2026, allows noisy works from 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday, with none on Sundays or public holidays except emergencies. Bulk deliveries need 48 hours’ notice and run from 10:00 to 13:00.

07How long does an Emirates Hills villa renovation take, and what does it cost?

Around 12 months from brief to handover: 4 weeks planning, 8 weeks design with approvals in parallel, 6–8 months build and 2 weeks handover. Villa renovation in Dubai runs AED 420–1,400 per sqft of built-up area, and our villa budgets start from AED 1M.

Sources

Sources, and when we last checked them.

  • Emaar logo
  • Dubai Development Authority logo
  • Dubai Civil Defence logo

Last reviewed 16 October 2026. Every rule, fee and time on this page is as published by the body named, on the date shown, except figures marked as from Fajr’s 2026 applications, which are first-hand estimates. Rules and fees change: confirm each at application.

All 17 sources, with linksClose the detail

Official sources

  1. Emaar, Home Modifications – Dubai factsheet, 2022, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  2. Emaar Community Management, Emirates Hills (Emirates Living residences), read October 2026, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  3. Emaar Community Management, Communities – Emirates Living, read October 2026, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  4. Emaar Community Management, About Emirates Living, read October 2026, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  5. Emaar Community Management, Guidelines – Emirates Living, read October 2026, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  6. Emaar Master Community Rules – Villas – Emirates Living, uploaded February 2026, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  7. ECM Contractors Portal, contractor registration and entry permits, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  8. Dubai Development Authority, Building Modification – Design, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  9. Dubai Development Authority, Building Modification – Permit, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  10. Dubai Development Authority, Building Modification – Completion, accessed 16 Oct 2026

Villa-type references: property portals and press

  1. Gulf News, Emaar unveils villas at Emirates Hills, 29 June 2005, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  2. LuxuryHabitat, Head to the hills, 17 October 2014, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  3. Betterhomes, Emirates Hills area guide, read October 2026, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  4. Bayut, Popular sectors to buy a villa in Emirates Hills, updated 16 October 2026, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  5. Property Finder, Emirates Hills Sector L area insights, read October 2026, accessed 16 Oct 2026
  6. Property Finder, Emirates Hills Sector W area insights, read October 2026, accessed 16 Oct 2026

First-hand: Fajr Interiors projects and 2026 applications

  1. Fajr Interiors, our own 2026 applications in Dubai communities, including Emaar, Nakheel, Emirates Hills, Tilal Al Ghaf and Al Barari submissions (first-hand, not an official schedule), as at 16 Oct 2026

Related

Other villa communities, and the guides.

Villa NOCs in Dubai →Villa renovation cost →Villa renovation timeline →Villa renovation in Dubai →

Villa renovation · Emirates Hills

Start your Emirates Hills villa in the right order.

Tell us the sector, the size of the house and what you want changed. We’ll come back with a scope, the Emaar and DDA route for your plot and a straight number, and a date for the site survey. Villa budgets start from AED 1M.

Estimate project WhatsApp us +971 800 3257

Since 2011 · 50+ projects · Trade licence 648890 · G+1 approved contractor (DM) · Registered with Emaar and Nakheel