Building, renovating or doing up a home in Delhi

Design IRL Editorial · Figures checked 9 November 2026 · For anyone building a house, renovating a flat or doing up a new flat in Delhi · How we make our guides

In Delhi, small plots in approved layouts don't need a sanction, DDA flats got new rules for alterations in 2026, and every winter the air-pollution plan can stop work for weeks. Know which applies to you before you book a contractor.

Renovation cost calculator →Home interiors cost calculator →House construction cost calculator →Stamp duty and registration calculator →

Start here

Renovating a flat you own: read "Renovating a flat in Delhi" for what your society and the city need from you, then the costs below.
Doing up a new flat: check the building's occupancy certificate (OC) before you take possession or start interiors.
Building a house: your plans need approval before any work on site, filed by a registered architect.

Work out your own numbers

Describe your project in a sentence on Design IRL's "Where do I start?" page (for example "renovating a 1,200 sq ft flat in Delhi, ₹15 lakh") to see what it should cost at Delhi rates, the order to do things in, products within budget and firms to hire.

Building or rebuilding a house

MCD sanctions most residential plots through its online system, filed by an empanelled architect; NDMC handles its own area.
Under the Unified Building Bye-Laws 2016, residential plots up to 105 sq m in approved layouts need no sanction: the owner files an undertaking with fees and documents. Larger plots need a full sanction and must meet green-building norms.
Since May 2025, projects must register on the DPCC dust portal before MCD approves a building plan.
Much of Delhi's new housing is builder floors on redeveloped plots; GRAP bans can stretch their timelines by months.

Altering a DDA flat

DDA revised its additions and alterations policy in July 2026, the first big change since 2007. It applies to DDA housing up to ground plus four floors; in multi-storey DDA complexes only minor changes are allowed.

Work	Permission
Minor internal works, sunshades up to 2.5 ft, balcony or terrace parapets raised up to 5 ft with grills or glazing	None, if the structure isn't affected
Structural changes, changes to service lines, moving a kitchen or toilet	Prior permission, certified by a registered architect; DDA aims to decide within 30 days, and work must finish within 3 years

From DDA's revised policy (1 July 2026) as reported by Business Today. In cooperative and private societies, the society's own rules apply.

Debris

Construction debris may only go to MCD's designated sites (106 across its 12 zones), and MCD launched a portal for pickups in March 2026. In December 2025 alone it issued over 7,000 challans for illegal dumping and related violations.

Air pollution rules (GRAP) in Delhi

Delhi is under the Graded Response Action Plan for air pollution, which is switched on in stages, mostly from November to January. Plan dusty work (demolition, masonry, sanding, painting) outside those months where you can.

Stage	What it means for a home project
Stage I	Dust control on every site; sites of 500 sq m or more register on the dust portal. Diesel-generator curbs moved to Stage I in the September 2026 revision
Stage III (severe air)	Non-essential construction and demolition stop. Plumbing, electrical, carpentry and interior work may continue; painting, polishing and varnishing may not
Stage IV (AQI above 450)	The ban widens further. Stages III and IV were invoked together on 13 December 2025

From news reports of CAQM's orders; each stage applies only once it's invoked, so check the current stage before starting work.

What else is different about Delhi

Groundwater: in CGWB's December 2024 assessment, 14 of Delhi's 34 units were over-exploited and 13 critical. Don't plan around a borewell.
Heat and power: peak demand hit a record 8,748 MW on 29 June 2026. Size the wiring and backup for air-conditioning.
Monsoon downpours flood streets (228 mm fell in 24 hours in June 2024): check drainage and waterproofing before July.
Seismic zone IV, under the 2016 code.

Costs and charges in Delhi

Charge	Rate	Note
Stamp duty, men	6%	On the higher of the sale price and the circle rate
Stamp duty, women	4%	About 5% for joint owners; NDMC areas differ
Registration	1%
Circle rates	Under revision	A committee was set up in October 2025; check whether new rates are notified
Developer construction cost, Delhi NCR (Anarock, 2025)	₹2,000–4,500+ per sq ft	Apartment projects by developers, not a renovation quote

Who to hire in Delhi NCR

Firms listed on Design IRL in Delhi NCR, from their own websites. Verified pages and those showing their work come first; it isn't a ranking, and nobody pays to appear.