What Property Types Do You Inspect in the UAE?
It was seven thirty on an October morning in Business Bay, and the office lights were still off when our engineer badged in.
The client had used us for his JVC apartment the year before. His message this time was short: “You did my flat last year. Do you also inspect offices?”
He had just taken back an office unit after a tenant fit out, and he wanted to know what he was getting before the contractor’s final invoice was settled.
We get some version of his question almost every week. Villa owners ask it. Landlords ask it. Owners associations ask it. What property types do you inspect, and will my property fit?
Here is the full answer.
The Short Answer: Property Types We Inspect
We inspect:
- Apartments, including studios, penthouses and duplexes
- Villas and townhouses
- Commercial units such as offices and shops
- Whole buildings and common areas
- Swimming pools
Inspections cover new handovers, resale purchases, renovations, leaks and move in or move out, across all seven emirates.
Send us the property type, size, community and stage on WhatsApp at +971 50 602 1830 and we will confirm the right inspection and fee.
Every Property Type, Service and Starting Price in One Table
Here is everything in one place. Find your property type, and the table shows the usual stage, the service and the starting price.
| Property type | Typical stage | Prime service | From price (AED, excl VAT) |
| Studio or 1BR apartment | New handover | New Handover Snagging | 999 |
| 2BR apartment | New handover | New Handover Snagging | 1,499 |
| 3BR apartment | New handover | New Handover Snagging | 1,999 |
| Townhouse | New handover | New Handover Snagging | 2,799 |
| Villa | New handover | New Handover Snagging | 3,999 |
| Studio or 1BR to villa, resale | Before Form F | Resale Property Inspection | 1,199 to 4,299 |
| Penthouse, duplex, larger units | Handover or resale | Snagging or resale, priced on built up area | Quote on size, roughly AED 1 per sq ft benchmark |
| Renovated apartment or villa | After renovation or fit out | Contractor Work Inspection | 1,699 full apartment, 4,299 full villa |
| Single bathroom or kitchen | After renovation | Contractor Work Inspection | 799 |
| Any home with a suspected leak | Any time | Water Leakage Inspection | 799 apartment survey, 1,999 villa or townhouse |
| Commercial unit (office, retail) | Handover, fit out, leak | Snagging, contractor work, water leak | Quote on size and scope |
| Whole building | Owners association, investor, developer | Complete Building Inspection | 4,999, scope in writing |
| Pool | Handover, before buying, leak | Pool Inspection | Quote with the property |
All prices are from prices, excluding VAT. The final fee is confirmed once you share the size.
Don’t see your exact property? Ask us. If it is outside our scope, we will tell you.
Homes: Apartments, Villas and Townhouses
Most of our work is property inspection in Dubai for apartments and villas. As our engineering manager, Eng. Mohammed Nadeem Maldar, says: “Buying a home in the UAE is one of the biggest investments a family or an investor will ever make.”
Studios and Apartments
This is our most common booking. In apartments we focus on waterproofing in wet areas, the AC and fan coil units, the distribution board and earthing, balcony doors and seals, joinery and hollow tiles.
New handover snagging is a 250+ point inspection. A resale inspection covers 200+ checkpoints. We inspect apartments across communities such as JVC, District One and Al Furjan.
Penthouses, Duplexes and Branded Residences
These are apartments, but bigger and more complex. That means terraces and roof decks with falls, drainage and waterproofing, internal staircases and balustrades, double height glazing, private pools or jacuzzis where present, and more AC zones.
Penthouse snagging in Dubai is priced on built up area, so share the size with us. Branded residences get the same engineering checks, but the finish level is higher, so joinery, stone and fittings take more time. We often work on Palm Jumeirah homes like these; see our Palm Jumeirah penthouses and villas page.
Villas and Townhouses
Villa and townhouse snagging covers more than the inside of the house. We also check roof and parapet waterproofing, external walls and facade, boundary walls, landscaping drainage, the garage, the maid’s room, external AC units, and water tanks and pumps.
Large villas can take longer than four hours on site. We work in communities including Emirates Hills, Tilal Al Ghaf and Arabian Ranches 3, and in Abu Dhabi at Yas Acres.
Pools
Do you inspect pools? Yes. Whether it is a villa pool, a rooftop pool or a garden pool, we check the structure and finishes, waterproofing and leak signs, the filtration and pump room, electrical safety, tiling and safety items.
A pool can be added to a villa inspection or booked on its own. See our pool inspection service. The price is quoted with the property.
Commercial Property: Offices, Retail and Other Units
Offices, Retail and Other Commercial Units
Back in Business Bay, the inspection looked quite different from a flat.
An office is not a big apartment. The ceiling hides more, and the fire alarm devices matter as much as the paint.
Our engineer checked the false ceiling access panels, the AC diffusers and their balancing, the distribution board and its labelling, the emergency lighting and fire alarm devices visible inside the unit, the glass partition seals, floor boxes and the pantry plumbing.
The thermal camera showed one AC zone running warm. There was also a loose termination at the distribution board. The report reached the owner within 24 hours. The contractor came back, rebalanced the AC zone and fixed the termination before the final invoice was settled.
For retail units, commercial property snagging in Dubai also covers shop front glazing and doors, floor finishes and levels, back of house plumbing and signage power points.
We inspect and report. Fire and life safety approvals stay with the relevant authority and the fit out contractor. Commercial units are quoted on size and scope.
Fit out just finished? Get it checked before the final invoice.
Types to Ask Us About
Some firms list warehouses, labour accommodation, hotels, schools or clinics. If your property is one of these, ask us about scope before booking. We will tell you plainly whether it fits our inspection, and confirm it in writing.
Whole Buildings for Owners Associations, Investors and Developers
Our complete building inspection covers what sits outside individual units: common areas, corridors, lobbies, roofs, the facade (with a drone where needed), plant rooms, parking structures, MEP rooms, and shared pools and gyms.
Who books building inspection in the UAE?
- Owners associations and property management companies
- Investors buying a whole building
- Developers before handing over common areas
It starts from AED 4,999, with the scope and fee confirmed in writing before the visit.
One note. Under Dubai Law No. (3) of 2026, the building quality and safety certificate is issued only by a Dubai Municipality licensed engineering office. Our building inspection is a condition inspection, not that certificate.
Managing a building? Get a written scope and fee before the visit.
Inspections by Stage, Not Just by Type
The same property can need a different inspection depending on where you are:
- Off plan handover snagging: before you take the keys
- Resale inspection: before you sign Form F
- Renovation and fit out: before the final payment to the contractor
- Move in and move out: for landlords between tenancies, or tenants documenting condition; ask when booking
- Water leakage: any time, such as a leak from the apartment above or a high DEWA bill
- DLP inspection: before the defects liability period ends
- De-snagging reinspection: after repairs, booked as a separate visit; ask for the fee when you book
- Thermal inspection: to find hidden moisture and electrical faults
If DLP comes up for your home, the 10 year structural period runs from the building completion certificate; commentary differs on when the 1 year period starts, so assume the earlier date.
Where We Inspect: All Seven Emirates
We inspect in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain. Same engineers, same equipment, same report.
In Abu Dhabi, we work in communities such as Yas Acres, Al Shamkha and Al Reeman. The northern emirates need a little more notice to schedule. See more on how we cover Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates.
How to Get the Right Inspection for Your Property
Send us one WhatsApp message with four things:
- Property type
- Size, in sq ft or bedrooms
- Community or building
- Stage: handover, resale, renovation, leak or building
That is exactly what the Business Bay client did. He sent type, size, building and stage in one message. We confirmed the scope and fee before the visit, and our engineer came in before office hours so the team could work as normal.
From there, the process is simple. We confirm the appointment and collect access documents such as the NOC, SPA or access pass. The visit takes 2 to 4 hours, longer for large villas and buildings. The report arrives within 24 hours, with an optional reinspection after repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What property types do you inspect?
We inspect apartments, including studios, penthouses and duplexes, villas, townhouses, commercial units such as offices and shops, whole buildings and common areas, and swimming pools, across all seven emirates.
Do you inspect commercial properties like offices and shops?
Yes. For offices we check ceilings, AC zones, the distribution board, visible fire alarm devices and partitions. For shops we add shop fronts, floors and back of house plumbing. Commercial units are quoted on size and scope.
Do you inspect penthouses and duplex apartments?
Yes. We add terraces, roof decks, internal staircases, double height glazing and extra AC zones to the standard apartment checks. Pricing is based on built up area, so share the size when you ask for a quote.
Can you inspect an entire building?
Yes. Our complete building inspection covers common areas, roofs, facade, plant rooms, parking and shared amenities. It starts from AED 4,999, excluding VAT, with the scope and fee confirmed in writing before the visit.
Do you inspect swimming pools?
Yes. We check the pool structure, finishes, waterproofing, filtration and pump room, electrical safety and tiling. A pool can be added to a villa inspection or booked on its own, and it is quoted with the property.
Do you inspect warehouses or labour accommodation?
These are outside our standard scope. Ask us before booking, and we will tell you plainly whether your property fits our inspection and confirm it in writing.
Do you inspect outside Dubai?
Yes. We cover all seven emirates with the same engineers and the same report. The northern emirates need a little more notice to schedule.
Can you inspect a property after renovation?
Yes. Our contractor work inspection checks renovation and fit out work before you pay the final invoice. It starts from AED 799 for a single bathroom or kitchen, AED 1,699 for a full apartment and AED 4,299 for a full villa, excluding VAT.
Not Sure Your Property Fits? Ask an Engineer
Tell us what you own and what stage it is at. If it is in our scope, you get a fixed quote. If it is not, we will say so.
Call or WhatsApp +971 50 602 1830, or email connect@primeinspections.ae. We have completed more than 73,000 inspections, hold a 4.9 star Google rating, and take no commissions from developers.
