Guide
The stages of finishing an apartment in Damascus, in the right order
The order of work in finishing is not a detail. An item done too early means breaking new work and paying for it twice. These are the stages as we carry them out, and why each one sits where it does.
Before the first worker walks in
The apartment starts on paper: a site visit, then a plan that lays out the electrical, the plumbing and the furniture, then a written scope and a schedule. Decisions that look small are settled here. Where the bed goes decides where the switches go, and where the washing machine goes decides the water and drain lines.
The finishing stages in order
1. Demolition and alterations
For old apartments only: removing tiles and fixtures, and taking down partitions or building new ones. A bare-shell apartment skips this stage.
2. Chasing the routes and running electrical and plumbing lines
The walls are chased and the electrical conduits and boxes, the water pipes and the sloped drain lines go in. This is also when the routes for solar power, air conditioners and internet are laid.
3. Testing and photographing the pipework
The water network is pressurized and watched before the walls are closed, and every route is photographed. The photos stay with you, so you know where the pipes run if you want to drill a wall years later.
4. Plastering
Plaster covers the routes and levels the walls. It is left to dry well before any paint. Rushing here is what causes cracks and damp under the paint.
5. Waterproofing
Bathrooms, the kitchen and balconies are waterproofed before tiling, then filled with water and left for a day or two to make sure nothing leaks through to the neighbor.
6. Tiles and ceramics
Floors slope toward the drains in bathrooms, with even joints in the rest of the home.
7. Gypsum board and false ceilings
They go up after the wet work is finished, along with the wiring for hidden lighting and the AC openings.
8. Putty and paint
Putty and sanding, then the primer coat. The final coat is held back until the doors and cabinets are in, so it doesn't get damaged.
9. Carpentry and the kitchen
Doors, wardrobes and the kitchen are made after measurements are taken on the finished walls, not from the plan.
10. Fixtures, switches and lighting
Sinks, mixers, switches and lights are installed, and every point is switched on to check it.
11. Handover
You walk through the apartment with the supervisor and the remarks are written down item by item. The last payment is made after you have checked that the work matches the agreed specifications.
Three mistakes that keep happening
- Tiling the bathroom before testing the waterproofing. The leak shows up months later, and fixing it means taking up all the tiles.
- Closing the walls before testing the pipes. One weak joint is enough to break open a painted wall.
- Deciding where the switches go after plastering. Every switch added later means new chasing and a visible patch.
How long these stages take
A 100 m² apartment usually takes 45 to 75 days depending on the scope, with a written schedule before the start. During the work you get a daily report with photos and video in a WhatsApp group for your project.
The items are detailed on the Full Finishing page, and the pipes on the Plumbing and Drainage page.
Questions about the finishing stages
When do I choose the materials and colors?
Material types are set in the written scope before you sign. You choose paint colors from a catalog before the painting stage.
How do I follow the stages from outside Syria?
Through a dedicated supervisor and a daily WhatsApp group with photos and video, and payments tied to documented stages. You only need to travel for the final handover, if you want to.
Start with a free site visit
Message us on WhatsApp with photos of the apartment or its floor plan and its location in Damascus, and we reply with a first estimate and a site visit date. The visit and the written scope are free, with no commitment.