Carpentry and furniture repair in Dubai: prices and what to check

A carpenter in Dubai typically charges AED 150 to 200 for the first hour. As of November 2026, small repairs such as a hinge, a sticking door or a loose drawer typically cost AED 100 to 400 per item. A custom wardrobe typically costs AED 1,200 to 3,500 per linear metre, depending on the material and finish.

Many carpenters have a minimum charge. Furniture assembly is usually cheaper and is often charged by the hour. Kitchen cabinets and built-in furniture are priced per linear metre or as a project.

Before you pay a deposit, check three things: the business has a valid trade licence that covers carpentry or joinery, you have a written quote with materials and dimensions, and, if you rent, your landlord has agreed to the work. This guide explains each one, with typical prices and the warning signs to watch for.

Most calls to a carpenter in Dubai fall into a few groups. Knowing which one you have helps you describe the job and compare quotes.

• Small repairs: loose or broken hinges, sagging wardrobe doors, sliding wardrobe tracks, drawer runners, door handles and locks, doors that stick or will not latch.
• Doors: planing a door that rubs after the AC is switched off, replacing a damaged door, fitting new interior doors and frames.
• Wardrobes: repairing an existing built-in wardrobe, adding shelves or hanging rails, or building a new custom wardrobe.
• Kitchen cabinets: replacing hinges and doors, refacing old cabinets, or building and fitting a new kitchen.
• Furniture assembly: flat-pack beds, wardrobes, desks and cots.
• Repair and polish: fixing a wobbly table or chair, repairing chipped veneer, sanding and re-polishing wooden furniture.
• Custom pieces: TV units, shelving, study desks, shoe cabinets and children's beds made to measure.

Many small jobs overlap with a handyman's work. If you only need flat-pack assembly or a curtain rail, a handyman may be cheaper; see the handyman price guide. For anything made to measure, a carpentry workshop is the right choice, and you can compare licensed carpenters by emirate.

Carpenters also help make a home safer for an older relative, for example by adjusting a bed's height, fitting sturdy handles or removing a door threshold. If you are arranging care at home, our guide to home nursing and elderly care in Dubai explains the licences and costs.

There is no official price list for carpentry. These are typical Dubai prices as of November 2026, based on rates published by several UAE carpentry and handyman companies and our own carpentry price guide. Prices vary, and materials are often charged on top of labour.

• Hourly labour: typically AED 150 to 200 for one hour, AED 600 to 700 for half a day and AED 1,000 to 1,200 for a full day. Some companies charge a two-hour minimum.
• Small repair (hinge, door adjustment, drawer runner, handle): typically AED 100 to 400 per item.
• Furniture assembly: around AED 129 an hour on one large booking platform, or roughly AED 80 to 300 per item depending on size.
• Furniture repair or re-polish: typically AED 150 to 600 per piece, depending on the damage and how hard the finish is to match.
• Interior door, supply and fit: typically AED 700 to 2,500.
• Fitted shelving or a small custom cabinet: typically AED 800 to 2,500.
• Custom wardrobe: typically AED 1,200 to 3,500 per linear metre.
• Kitchen cabinets: typically AED 1,800 to 4,500 per linear metre, with worktops and appliances priced separately.

Ask whether VAT is included in the quote, and whether the price covers removal of the old unit and the debris.

The material is usually the biggest single factor in the price of anything made to measure. Two quotes that look far apart are often for different boards.

• MDF (medium-density fibreboard): smooth, cheap and easy to paint or cover. Standard MDF swells if it gets wet, so ask for moisture-resistant MDF near sinks, bathrooms and AC units.
• Plywood: layers of wood veneer glued together. Stronger than MDF, holds screws better and handles humidity better, so it suits kitchen carcasses and wardrobes. It costs more.
• Particle board (chipboard): the cheapest board, used in much flat-pack furniture. Fine for light use, but screws pull out easily if a door is forced.
• Solid wood: oak, walnut, teak, beech and others. Beautiful and repairable, but expensive, and it moves with the seasons as the AC dries the air.
• Laminate: a hard plastic finish bonded to MDF or particle board. Durable and easy to clean, with a huge choice of colours and wood looks.
• Veneer: a thin slice of real wood on a board. Looks like solid wood for less, but deep scratches are harder to repair.
• Lacquer or paint finish: a smooth painted look, usually at the higher end because of the extra spraying work.

Hardware matters too. Soft-close hinges and runners from a known brand cost more but last much longer than unbranded ones. Ask the workshop to write the board type, thickness, finish and hardware brand on the quote, so you can compare like with like.

If you rent. Under Article 19 of Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 on landlord and tenant relations, a tenant may not make changes or carry out restoration or maintenance works to the property unless the landlord permits it and the required licences are obtained from the official authorities. Get the landlord's approval in writing before you build in a wardrobe or replace kitchen cabinets.

The same law, in Article 16, makes the landlord responsible for maintenance and for repairing defects that affect your use of the property, unless your contract says otherwise. So a broken built-in wardrobe or a damaged door in a rented flat may be the landlord's job, not yours. Check your tenancy contract and ask the landlord or agent first.

Authority permits. Simple repairs and free-standing furniture do not usually need a permit. Bigger interior works can. Dubai Municipality's services include a permit to make modifications or additions to buildings and a self-permit for decorative works. In areas regulated by the Dubai Development Authority, a contractor needs a DDA fit-out permit for fit-out works, with a building owner NOC and approved drawings, and structural changes need a separate building modification request.

Your building's rules. Most towers and communities have their own rules on working hours, noise, lifts and debris, and many ask for a work permit or NOC from building management before a contractor can enter. Ask before the workshop books an installation date.

For a full kitchen or villa project, our guide to villa and kitchen renovation in Dubai explains the permits in more detail.

For a small repair, a few clear photos and a short video are often enough for a price by message. For anything made to measure, the carpenter should visit and measure.

1. Describe the job clearly: what is broken or what you want built, with photos, rough sizes and the brand of the furniture if you know it.
2. Ask for two or three quotes from licensed workshops, all for the same material and finish.
3. Ask for a drawing with dimensions, or a 3D view for larger pieces, before any cutting starts.
4. Check the quote lists the board type and thickness, the finish, the hardware brand, delivery and installation, removal of old units and whether VAT is included.
5. Agree the timeline. Custom joinery often takes several weeks from approval of the drawing to installation. Write the installation date on the quote.
6. Pay in stages. A deposit for materials, then the balance after installation once you have checked the work. Avoid paying the full amount upfront.

Warranty. Ask what the workshop guarantees and for how long, in writing: workmanship, hardware, and whether swelling or peeling of the board is covered. A guarantee only means something if the company has a real address and a trade licence. Our guide on how to check a contractor before paying has a full checklist.

A worked example: you want a 2.4-metre built-in wardrobe in laminated MDF with soft-close hinges. At AED 1,500 per linear metre, that is AED 3,600 before VAT. In veneer or lacquer at AED 3,000 per metre, the same wardrobe costs AED 7,200. Same size, very different price, which is why the material must be written down.

Other warning signs:

• No trade licence, or a licence for a different activity, such as general trading, with no carpentry or joinery on it.
• No past work to show, or photos that are clearly taken from the internet.
• A much cheaper price that turns out to use thinner boards or particle board instead of plywood.
• Pressure to start immediately "before prices go up".
• Cash only, no invoice and no company name on the quote.
• Offers to move a wall, a water pipe or a power point as part of a carpentry job. That work needs the right specialists and, often, approvals.

Checking the licence. Ask for the trade licence and check that the name matches the quote and the invoice, the licence is valid and the activity covers carpentry, joinery or furniture work. Our guide on how to verify a UAE trade licence shows you how to do it in a few minutes.

On Moathaq, we check the trade licence of each business before it shows as verified. You can start with carpenters in Dubai, or look across the UAE.

When you are ready, compare licence-checked carpentry businesses on Moathaq and request quotes from two or three.