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UAE Villa Fee and Milestone Planner

Split design and supervision the way UAE practice actually does, and get the milestone schedule.

Why this exists. UAE practice splits design and supervision into two separate commissions with different billing rhythms. No calculator anywhere models that, so every online estimate is structurally wrong.

Observed market range is about 4 to 8 per cent, scaling down as value rises.
Observed range about 1.5 to 3 per cent.

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Total consultancy feeAED 200,000AED 150,000 design plus AED 50,000 supervision.
Construction value
AED 2,500,000
Construction cost per sq ft
AED 500
Design fee at 6.00%
AED 150,000
Supervision fee at 2.00%
AED 50,000
Supervision billed monthlyOver 14 months
AED 3,571 / month
Dubai Municipality construction permitStatutory rate of AED 0.30 per sq ft of building area
AED 1,500
DEWA connection chargeOn 120 kW connected load, including VAT and the knowledge and innovation dirhams
AED 31,520
Design fee milestones
MilestoneSharePayment
Advance on appointment10%AED 15,000
On completion of initial drawings25%AED 37,500
On completion of performance drawings and authority approval35%AED 52,500
On tender analysis report and execution contract30%AED 45,000

Design and supervision are two separate commissions in the UAE. Design is paid on milestones, supervision monthly through construction. The split exists because supervision carries greater liability under the Civil Code.

There is no official UAE fee scale. The Dubai standard consultancy contract leaves every percentage blank for negotiation, so these are observed market rates, not a published tariff.

How this is calculated

  • Design milestone percentages are the common market convention. The official Dubai standard form prescribes three design milestones and leaves the percentages open.
  • The Dubai Municipality permit fee is the statutory rate under Local Order 3 of 1999, which is per square foot of building area, not a percentage of value. Other authorities charge differently. DDA, for example, charges AED 1.00 per square foot.
  • DEWA connection uses the marginal slab table on connected load. Slabs stack like income tax rather than applying a single rate.
  • Authority fees are the owner's cost, not the consultant's, under the standard form.
  • Civil Defence, telecom and RTA costs are excluded because those authorities publish no usable schedule.

Sources

  • Dubai Local Order No. 3 of 1999, Article 10 and Schedule 2
  • DEWA connection charges, effective 1 January 2017

This is a planning estimate, not professional advice. Read the full disclaimer.

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