Bathroom vanity replacement Dubai: what to measure first
You can replace a vanity in a bathroom that is already tiled without re-tiling the room. The old unit comes out, the tile damaged at the fixings is hidden by the new carcass or a matching skirting, and the new unit is built to the opening you actually have rather than the nearest standard width. We build these in our own factory in Jebel Ali and install across the UAE, AED 6,000 to 8,000 all-in, about 14 days from the drawing you approve.
What actually forces a replacement
Doors and drawer fronts are rarely the first thing to fail. Water gets in where the top meets the wall and around the basin cut-out. The board swells, the screws lose their bite, and the unit shifts when someone leans on it. Under a stone top this happens out of sight. Run a hand along the underside of the carcass near the front edge and it usually feels soft and dark where the top has been hiding the damage.
Age of stock is the second reason. Apartments built 10 to 15 years ago often have a single basin on a long run, a tiled upstand instead of a proper splashback, and a unit fitted before the mirror and light positions were settled. Owners replace an old vanity unit because the layout stopped working, not because a hinge broke.
What to measure before you order anything
Each number below decides something in the build. Guessing any of them costs a second visit.
- Finished opening width, measured at the floor, at mid height and directly under the top. Tiled walls are rarely plumb, so the narrowest figure is the one we build to.
- Waste centre, taken from the finished back wall and from each side of the opening.
- Water feed height, plus the distance between hot and cold centres.
- Tile edge or skirting height at the back wall, so the carcass can be scribed to it.
- Mirror and light position, and any shaver socket, so the top height and upstand do not cut across them.
- Clearance to the shower screen. A hinged door needs about 5mm to swing past the vanity edge.
Photograph the tape measure in frame: two or three shots at standing height and one close to the waste. That is enough for us to price the job properly.
Bathroom vanity replacement Dubai: black vanity cabinet with a light beige top, matte black fixtures and a large round mirror against light grey wall tiles" loading="lazy" decoding="async" />
A black carcass with a light beige top and matte black brassware, fitted against grey tile with the top cut to the waste already in the floor.
Does replacing a vanity mean breaking tiles?
Usually not, and it is worth answering straight. The old unit is fixed through the back into the wall and sometimes down into the floor. Pulling it free takes tile with it at those fixing points, and sometimes a strip along the back edge where silicone bonded to the glaze. That damage sits behind the new carcass. Where the new unit is shallower than the old one, a matching skirting or a cut tile strip covers the line. We do not re-tile the room to fit a vanity.
The plumbing stays where it is, which is the other half of the answer. Because the waste and feeds do not move, the top is cut to the existing waste position and the carcass is built around the feed heights. That is the whole point of a custom vanity to fit an existing bathroom.
Our new bathroom vanity looks beautiful. The custom top fits perfectly. We hired Just Right for the job. The workers were careful and clean. Syed Amaan, 5/5
Our Google rating is 5 from 4 reviews. You can see vanity units we replaced in Dubai apartments for how the fit lands at the tile line.
Off the shelf versus made to measure
| Standard box vanity | Made to measure | |
|---|---|---|
| Widths available | 60, 80, 100 or 120cm | the opening you have, to the millimetre |
| Fit in an 87cm opening | 80cm unit, 7cm gap | carcass built at 87cm |
| Fit in a 133cm opening | nothing standard comes close | carcass built at 133cm |
| Waste position | fixed by the unit's own cut-out | top cut to your existing waste |
| Basin against the mirror | often off-centre | centred where you want it |
An 80cm unit in an 87cm opening leaves a 7cm gap. Filled with silicone it reads as a repair; filled with a panel in a different board it reads as a patch. The basin also drifts off the centre of the mirror, which you notice every morning. On a long run nothing standard fits at all, so the gap or the overhang decides the look before the doors do.
How the 14-day replacement runs at our Jebel Ali factory
Survey first, then a drawing of your opening and the top at 1:1, full scale. Nothing is cut until you approve that sheet, and what leaves the factory matches it. Carcass cut and edged in Jebel Ali, top cut to the waste position already in your floor, then one visit to remove the old unit, fit the new one, reconnect the trap and feeds, silicone the edges and take the old unit away. About 14 days from approval, installed across all seven Emirates. The 14-day build stages are set out here if you want the sequence in detail.
Bathroom vanity replacement Dubai: double wood vanity with a white top, two vessel basins and matte black hardware over hexagonal floor tiles" loading="lazy" decoding="async" />
A double wood vanity on a white top with twin vessel basins, built to the opening and the two waste positions already in the floor.
What a fair replacement quote itemises
A written quote for this job should name the carcass board and thickness, the top and its edge profile, cut-outs for the existing waste and feeds, removal and disposal of the old unit, silicone and making good at the tile line, delivery and installation. Then one all-in figure. Quotes that price the unit and add cutting, removal or making good later are the ones that go wrong on install day.
Our all-in figure is AED 6,000 to 8,000, with installation included across all seven Emirates. If you are still weighing layouts, there are more bathroom vanity guides on this site before you commit to a size.
To get a price on your replacement, send photos of the opening with a tape measure held across the width at floor level and under the top, one of the waste, one of the water feeds and one showing the mirror and light. Say which emirate the property is in and whether the old unit leaves with us. WhatsApp is the fastest way to get a figure back, and you can send us your bathroom measurements for a replacement quote here.
Frequently asked questions
Can I replace just the vanity top and keep the old cabinet?
Sometimes, if the carcass is dry and solid, and we will say so honestly at survey. Soft board under the top has nothing to hold a fixing, so a new top on a swollen carcass usually cracks at the cut-out within a year. On most replacements we quote, the carcass and top go together.
How long will the bathroom be out of use?
The install is one visit, usually a few hours, with the water off for that time. The 14 days is factory time before the visit, covering the approved drawing, the carcass build and the top cut to your waste position.
Do you install outside Dubai?
Yes. The factory is in Jebel Ali and we install across all seven Emirates, with installation inside the all-in figure rather than added as a line.
Can the new vanity keep my existing waste and water feeds where they are?
Yes, that is the normal way we work in a tiled bathroom. The top is cut to the waste position already in the floor and the carcass is built around the feed heights, so no plumbing is moved and no floor tile is touched.
How much does a bathroom vanity replacement cost in Dubai?
Ours runs AED 6,000 to 8,000 all-in including installation. Where a job sits in that range depends on the length of the run, the carcass board, the top, and whether the mirror and light positions force the top height to change.
