Landscaping in Business Bay

A drawing or written scope, itemised price, payment schedule tied to milestones, start window and estimated duration, who handles waste and any permits, a variations process (changes priced in writing before work), warranty terms on hard landscaping, and a plant establishment/replacement policy. No contract, no project — verbal landscape deals go wrong at the first rain delay.

A planting refresh: 1-3 days. A patio or new lawn: 3-7 days. A full garden rebuild: 2-6 weeks depending on size and weather. Add lead time — good landscapers in Business Bay book out weeks or months ahead in spring. Weather delays are normal for excavation and paving; a realistic contractor builds buffer into the schedule rather than promising exact dates.

For a single element — new lawn, one patio, a border — a good landscaper designs as they quote. For a full garden rework, a designer's plan (a few hundred to a few thousand, depending on market) pays for itself: contractors quote against the same drawing so bids are comparable, and sequencing mistakes (irrigation after paving, for example) get designed out.

Sometimes — but contractors mark up materials partly to warranty them, so supplying your own paving usually voids the guarantee on the surface (though not the workmanship). Plants are the better DIY-supply candidate if you can source quality stock. Discuss it at quote stage; springing owner-supplied materials on a contractor mid-project causes friction and disclaimers.

Turf is priced per square metre installed, and ground preparation is most of the cost — stripping old grass, levelling, importing topsoil, then laying. Seed costs a fraction of turf but takes a season to establish. Beware quotes that skip soil prep: turf on unprepared ground looks fine for weeks, then fails patchily.

Per-sqm guide rates: lawns/softscape AED 25-50, paving AED 60-120, premium finishes AED 150+. Small villa gardens start around AED 3,000-10,000 for basic scope; typical full villa landscaping runs AED 15,000-80,000, and high-end projects with pools and outdoor kitchens go well beyond AED 100,000.

Yes, in master communities: an NOC from the developer/community management is required for modifications beyond planting — hardscape, pergolas, pools, and anything touching walls or drainage. The process involves drawings, a fee, and often a refundable deposit. Landscapers who work your community regularly handle the NOC as part of the project; unapproved work risks enforced removal.