Microcement works in both a Dubai apartment and a UAE villa, and the material and the price are the same in both — floors from AED 250/m², walls from AED 220/m², wet zones from AED 350/m², supplied and installed. What changes is the job around it. In an apartment the questions are the building: management approval, working hours, the service lift, noise and dust next to neighbours, door heights and living in the flat while the work goes on. In a villa the questions are scale and the house itself: whole ground floors laid as one surface, movement in larger slabs, stairs, terraces (only in the outdoor-rated colours) and the rooms where microcement is the wrong answer, such as the garage and the driveway. In both, microcement belongs to homes and normal-use rooms only — it is not a heavy-use floor.
This guide walks through what is different, what it costs on our published rates, and where we would tell you to choose something else. For the service itself, see our microcement flooring in Dubai page.
Microcement in an apartment vs a villa: the short comparison
| Apartment (tower or low-rise) | Villa or townhouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Same rates: floors from AED 250/m², walls from AED 220/m², wet zones from AED 350/m² | Same rates — larger areas, so the total is larger, never a different rate |
| Typical scope | One or two rooms, a bathroom, a kitchen floor, a feature wall | Whole ground floor, stairs, several bathrooms, majlis walls, terraces |
| First hurdle | Building management approval and the building’s working-hours rules | The substrate: slab moisture, large areas, movement points |
| Going over tiles | The usual route — about 3 mm, so doors and thresholds still work | Also common; on large floors the movement points matter more |
| Noise and dust | Matters most: neighbours share walls and corridors | Easier — but the family often lives in the house during the job |
| Outdoors | Balconies, in the outdoor-rated colours only | Terraces and outside walls, outdoor-rated colours only — never driveways |
| Where it is the wrong choice | Shared heavy-use areas, a lobby, anything a trolley crosses | Garage, driveway, carport, any floor that takes cars or heavy use |
Microcement in a Dubai apartment: what changes
The short answer: an apartment job is mostly about the building, not the floor. The microcement build-up is the same; what takes planning is getting in, working quietly and leaving the flat liveable.
Building approval comes first. Most Dubai towers and communities ask for a renovation or work permit from building management before any contractor starts, and many restrict working hours, noisy work and lift use. The rules differ from building to building, so the honest step is to ask your management office what they need before the start date is fixed — and if you rent, to get the landlord’s written agreement, because microcement is a permanent change to the floor or walls.
Over the tiles, not through them. This is where microcement wins apartments. Breaking out tiles in a tower means jackhammering through the slab’s finish layer, rubble down the service lift and complaints from the floors above and below. Laying microcement over sound existing tiles removes almost all of that — the full checks are in can microcement go over tiles. The build-up adds about 3 mm, so apartment doors usually still swing and the threshold to the corridor still lines up; new tiles over a fresh screed would add several centimetres.
Noise and dust are lower, not zero. There is no demolition, but each base coat is sanded once it cures, and sanding makes fine dust. We protect the room before we start; you should still plan for the work zone being closed while it runs. A microcement floor is a hard mineral floor, like the tiles it covers — it does not change how footsteps sound to the neighbour below, so if your building has rules about hard floor finishes, ask before you choose.
You can usually stay in the apartment. Work goes room by room. On the 40 m² living-room floor in our worked example on the microcement Dubai page, the family used the rest of the apartment throughout and moved back into the room on day six. A one-bathroom flat is harder: while its only bathroom is being done, you need another one.
Wet zones are where apartments gain the most. A microcement bathroom has no grout lines to blacken in a humid, enclosed shower, and the walls and floor become one surface. It must be built as a full wet-zone system — waterproofing membrane, finish, immersion-grade sealer — from AED 350/m²; see microcement bathrooms. If you are weighing a lime finish for that bathroom instead, our tadelakt vs microcement comparison sets out which one suits a busy family shower.
Microcement in a villa: what changes
The short answer: a villa job is about scale and the house itself. The rates do not change, but the area, the substrate and the number of different rooms do.
One surface through the whole ground floor. Villas are where microcement’s seamless look pays off most: it can run from the entrance through the living and dining areas and into the kitchen with no grout lines and no thresholds between rooms. That needs planning — where the existing movement joints in the slab sit, where mesh is embedded over points that can move, and which areas are done on which days so the family can still get through the house.
The substrate matters more. Larger floors mean more places where an old screed has cracked, a slab has moved or moisture is coming up through a ground floor. We take a moisture reading and check the substrate at the site visit; existing cracks are opened, filled and bridged, never coated over — the reasons are in does microcement crack.
Stairs, majlis walls and kitchens. A villa usually adds stairs (treads and risers that continue the floor’s colour — see microcement stairs), feature and majlis walls from AED 220/m² (see microcement walls for where a wall finish works and where it does not, and Venetian plaster vs microcement if a majlis wall could take either), and a family kitchen where the floor can run straight up the splashback (microcement kitchens).
Terraces — only in the outdoor-rated colours. Part of the microcement range is rated for outdoor as well as indoor use; the rest is indoor-only. On a villa terrace, balcony or outside wall with normal foot traffic, we use only the outdoor-rated colours and tell you which ones they are when you choose on the sample. The protective sealer works harder in UAE sun, so outdoor surfaces need their care more often.
The garage and the driveway are not microcement. Hot tyres, oil and the weight of a car are heavy use, and microcement is not a heavy-use floor. For a driveway or any area that takes vehicles we recommend stone carpet in Dubai, from AED 170/m² plus a one-off AED 3,500 mobilization fee per project — a starting price, confirmed after a site visit.
Can microcement go over the existing tiles in my apartment or villa?
Yes, if the tiles are sound, firmly bonded and reasonably flat — in both homes it is the most common route. Hollow-sounding, loose or cracked tiles are fixed or removed first; a badly uneven floor may need levelling first.
How long does microcement take in an apartment or a villa?
One room typically takes about five to seven working days, most of it curing time between coats. The sequence is the same everywhere: primer and mesh, two base coats sanded once cured, two colour coats, then sealing — with a waterproofing membrane first in wet zones. A larger villa floor repeats the coats across more area and is phased so the house stays usable. Cure time is set by the product and the room’s temperature and humidity; adding people does not shorten it, and a crew promising a whole villa floor in two days is skipping a coat or a cure. The day-by-day order, and how long each coat takes to dry, is in our guide to how microcement is installed.
How much does microcement cost for an apartment or a villa?
The rates are identical: floors start from AED 250/m², walls from AED 220/m², full wet zones from AED 350/m², supplied and installed — and microcement carries no mobilization fee. The total is the area times the rate, as a starting figure; the quote after the site visit can be higher if the substrate needs work. Three worked examples on the starting rates:
| Example | Area | Starting rate | Starts from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment living/dining floor, no demolition | 40 m² | AED 250/m² | around AED 10,000 |
| Apartment bathroom, floor and walls as a full wet zone | 25 m² of surface | AED 350/m² | around AED 8,750 |
| Villa ground floor (living, dining, hallway, kitchen) | 120 m² | AED 250/m² | around AED 30,000 |
What moves a quote above the starting rate is the same in both homes: an uneven screed that needs levelling, cracks to bridge, a bespoke colour mix, or turning a dry room into a wet zone. The microcement cost guide explains each one, and the price calculator gives a quick starting figure for your own area.
Where microcement is the wrong choice — in either home
Honest answers we give on site visits (the full list is in our microcement pros and cons):
- Heavy-use floors. Shared lobbies, gym floors, anything a trolley or a car crosses. Microcement is for homes and normal-use rooms.
- Driveways and garages. Resin bound outside; a proper floor coating in a garage — see the best garage floor for a UAE villa.
- A bedroom you want soft and warm. Good timber or carpet does that better than any mineral floor; our flooring options for UAE homes compares them honestly. We do not supply or lay timber, vinyl or carpet, so that advice is disinterested.
- A household that will clean with harsh chemicals whatever the instructions say. Porcelain tile forgives it; a sealed coating does not. Microcement wants pH-neutral cleaning (care and cleaning).
- A rental where the landlord says no. Microcement is permanent; without written agreement, choose something removable.
Which one should you choose?
The question is rarely “apartment or villa” — you already live in one. It is how to do microcement well in the one you have:
- In an apartment: choose microcement when you want a seamless, grout-free floor or bathroom without demolition in an occupied building. Get the building’s approval and working hours first, plan around the room being closed for about a week, and make sure a second bathroom is available if you are doing the only one.
- In a villa: choose microcement for the living areas, wet zones, stairs, kitchen and feature walls, and terraces in the outdoor-rated colours. Choose resin bound for the driveway and something tougher for the garage. Plan the phasing so the family can live around the work.
If you are in Abu Dhabi, the same rules and rates apply — see microcement in Abu Dhabi. To book a site visit and a sample on your own floor, start from our microcement flooring in Dubai page, or send photos of the rooms on WhatsApp.
Related guides
- Microtopping, Micro Cement, Micro Concrete: Same as Microcement?
- Microcement Walls in the UAE
- Microcement Installation in Dubai: What Happens, Day by Day
- How to Clean and Care for Acid-Stained Concrete
- Bathroom Walls Without Tiles: What Are the Options?
- Is Cork Flooring Any Good in the UAE?
- The UAE Villa Flooring Guide, Room by Room
FAQ
Is microcement good for apartments in Dubai?
Yes — for floors, walls, kitchens and bathrooms in normal home use. It is especially suited to apartments because it goes over sound existing tiles at about 3 mm, so there is no demolition in an occupied building and doors usually still close. Ask building management about approval and working hours first.
Do I need building approval for microcement in my apartment?
Most Dubai towers and communities ask for a renovation or work permit before any contractor starts, and many limit working hours and lift use. The rules vary by building, so check with your management office before fixing a start date, and get the landlord’s written agreement if you rent.
Is microcement cheaper in an apartment than in a villa?
No — the rate per square metre is the same: floors from AED 250/m², walls from AED 220/m², wet zones from AED 350/m². An apartment job is usually smaller, so the total is lower; a villa total is larger because the area is larger. There is no mobilization fee on microcement.
Can I stay in my apartment while microcement is applied?
Usually yes. The work goes room by room and each room is closed for roughly five to seven working days while the coats are laid and cured. If the bathroom being done is your only one, you will need another bathroom for that week.
Can microcement go on a villa terrace or balcony?
Yes, in the outdoor-rated colours only — part of the range is rated for outdoor and indoor use, the rest is indoor-only. Terraces, balconies and outside walls with normal foot traffic are fine. Driveways, carports and anything that takes cars are not; resin bound is the outdoor answer there.
Is microcement suitable for a villa garage?
No. A garage takes hot tyres, oil and the weight of cars, which is heavy use, and microcement is not a heavy-use floor. A garage needs a dedicated floor coating; a driveway is better in resin bound stone.
Is microtopping the same as microcement for an apartment or villa?
Yes. Microtopping, micro cement and micro concrete are names for the same thin coating, so a quote for “microtopping” in an apartment or a villa is the same job, at the same rates — floors from AED 250/m², walls from AED 220/m², wet zones from AED 350/m². What to compare between contractors is the system and the preparation, not the name; our guide to what microtopping is explains the names and what genuinely differs.
Get an exact price
Tell us about your space.
Send a few photos and rough sizes on WhatsApp — we'll come back with a real number.