Everything owners ask before they book.
If yours isn't here, WhatsApp us. We answer the same day.
What is Vakeel?
Vakeel is an independent owner's representative for villa and office renovations in Dubai. It works only for the owner: brief and target cost, levelled tender, owner-side contract, weekly verified inspections by a registered engineer, payment and variation checks, and a dashboard that shows what was claimed, verified and paid.
What does an owner's representative actually do?
Attends, observes, reviews, verifies, reports and recommends in your interest. We are not the contractor, the designer or the engineer of record; they stay responsible for their work. We make sure you can see it and pay only for what's real.
Do you build or design?
No. Vakeel never designs, builds, supplies or takes a commission from anyone who does.
What does it cost?
A monthly subscription for the length of your build: Watch AED 5,000, Guardian AED 15,000, Principal AED 25,000, plus only the modules in your tray. Cancel any month. Overrun months bill at the Watch rate whatever your package. See pricing.
Can I start mid-project?
Yes. We baseline what has been paid against what we can verify, and go from there. The earlier we start, the more we can protect.
Do I have to use your contractors?
No. Bring your own contractor and we verify them like any panel member. The panel exists because it lets us run a levelled tender on one BOQ, which is the fairest way to compare prices.
What does "verified" mean?
Seen, measured or tested by a Vakeel representative at that time, with photographs on your record. It is not a warranty of the contractor's work; it is the evidence that lets you pay with confidence.
What gets inspected before it is covered up?
Waterproofing to wet areas and terraces, structural openings and supports, MEP first fix, drainage, and anything else that will be hidden by screed, gypsum or tiles.
Which approvals does a villa renovation in Dubai need?
Typically a Dubai Municipality permit for structural or MEP changes, a no-objection certificate from the master developer or community, DEWA approval for additional load, and in some areas Trakhees or the relevant free-zone authority. The brief maps exactly which apply to your villa and scope.
I live outside the UAE. Does this work for me?
It was designed for you: verified photos before anything is covered, live cameras, decisions with a recommendation and a deadline, and a weekly call in your time zone with the absent-owner module.
Is Vakeel connected to a contractor?
Vakeel's founder also owns a Dubai fit-out contractor. It is barred from the Vakeel panel and never sees a Vakeel tender, and every agreement says so. Read how we stay independent.
What will I sign?
A short agreement in plain English: what we do, what we don't, what you pay, and how either side can end it on fourteen days' notice. Read the draft before you ever talk to us.
What is the free quote check?
Send up to three contractor quotes. Within 48 hours an engineer returns a written verdict: what is missing, high, low and excluded, against real Dubai rates. No quote yet? The free scan does the same job from the other end: walk your property with your phone and get a floor plan, a condition record and a target cost range.
How do I start?
Book the free quote check or scan. An engineer answers within 48 hours, and you keep what we gave you whatever you decide. Start here.