Home maintenance cost in Dubai: per visit or a plan

How much does home maintenance cost in Dubai?

There is no single figure, because the cost follows the home. The size and type of property, the number of AC units, water heaters and pumps, the age of the equipment and how hard it runs all change what a year of maintenance costs. So does who pays: a tenancy contract may split some repairs between landlord and tenant.

For market ranges and what changes the price of a contract, read how much an AMC costs in Dubai.

Paying per visit: what it costs

Paying per visit suits a home with few faults. With OMEGA, a maintenance inspection is AED 200 incl. VAT for one concern, and it is deducted from the repair quotation if you approve it. Repairs have a minimum work order of AED 1,000 incl. VAT, and parts are quoted separately.

To price a specific job before you book, use the maintenance cost estimator.

Paying for an annual plan: what it costs

An annual plan turns planned maintenance into one known yearly price. OMEGA’s plans include planned AC, electrical and plumbing maintenance, unlimited free call-⁠outs for listed emergencies and a service record after every visit. For the 6 listed emergencies: one technician for up to 1 hour on site, with no labour charge in that hour. Parts, and work beyond that, are quoted first. Labour for planned maintenance is included. Repairs and parts are quoted first. Core includes 2 planned visits a year, Core Plus 3 and Perform 4. Consumables are also quoted separately, for your approval.

See every plan and size on AMC plans and prices in Dubai.

For houses, compare plans and sizes on villa AMC prices.

Service charges are a separate cost

In a jointly owned building, Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019 lists what service charge money may pay for: the cleaning, security, operation, maintenance and repair of the common parts, insurance and management fees. Equipment that serves only your unit, such as its own AC, water heater and bathroom fittings, is not among those uses, so its upkeep is a separate budget.

For what the law counts as common parts, read service charges in Dubai explained.

Budget for big-⁠ticket replacements

Maintenance keeps equipment running, but it does not stop equipment ageing. DEWA gives ten years as the optimal lifetime of an AC unit, and says replacing older units with 4- or 5-⁠star rated models can save up to 25%. Replacements are quoted separately under every OMEGA plan, so set money aside for them.

For the next most common replacement, read whether to repair or replace a water heater.

A worked example: a two-⁠bedroom apartment

On the Core plan, a two-⁠bedroom apartment costs AED 2,495 incl. VAT for the year. That covers 2 planned visits, with their labour, and unlimited free call-⁠outs for listed emergencies; repairs and parts are quoted first.

Paying per visit, each concern starts with an AED 200 incl. VAT inspection, and each repair you approve is at least AED 1,000 incl. VAT, with the inspection fee deducted. Add up what last year’s call-⁠outs and repairs cost you, leave parts out of both sides, and compare that total with the plan price.