Kitchen renovations Cape Town homeowners commission in 2026 run from roughly R55,000 for an economy refit to R220,000 and beyond for a luxury rebuild. Most complete jobs land between R85,000 and R150,000.
This guide is purely about money: the three realistic bands, what sits inside each one, and which line items quietly eat the budget. Planning, sequencing and timelines are covered separately in our planning guide.
The three cost bands for kitchen renovations Cape Town homeowners choose
Economy: roughly R55,000 to R85,000
- Melamine cupboards, same layout, no plumbing or electrical moves
- Laminate countertop
- Standard hinges, limited drawers
- Existing floor kept, splashback retiled
Indicative cabinetry rates in this band sit near R10,300 per linear metre, which puts a seven-metre kitchen around R61,200 to R82,800 all in. It is a genuine transformation as long as the layout already works.
Mid-range: roughly R85,000 to R150,000
- Better board, 2mm edging, soft-close hinges and runners
- Engineered stone or upgraded countertop
- More drawers, a tall unit, a proper corner solution
- New splashback, new sink and mixer, some electrical additions
Cabinetry rates here run near R13,800 per linear metre, putting a seven-metre kitchen around R82,000 to R111,000 before appliances. This is where most Cape Town families end up.
Luxury: roughly R150,000 to R220,000 and up
- Veneer, sprayed or solid timber fronts
- Natural or premium engineered stone tops
- Layout changes, island, relocated plumbing and electrics
- Integrated appliances and specialist internal fittings
Rates around R20,300 per linear metre put cabinetry alone near R121,000 to R163,000 on a seven-metre run, with appliances and stone on top.
Where the money actually goes
- Cabinetry: normally the largest single item, often 40 to 50 percent
- Labour: roughly 25 to 35 percent of the total, or about R28,000 to R84,000
- Countertops: laminate is cheap, engineered stone is a step, natural stone is another
- Plumbing and electrical: modest if nothing moves, significant if it does
- Tiling and flooring: splashbacks are small, full floors are not
- Demolition and disposal: often quoted separately and easily forgotten
Cabinetry pricing per metre and specification is broken down further in our kitchen cupboards Cape Town guide, which is worth reading before you sign anything.
The four decisions that move the number most
- Moving plumbing or electrics. Keeping the sink and stove where they are can save tens of thousands.
- Countertop material. The gap between laminate and natural stone on the same kitchen is enormous.
- Drawers versus doors. Drawers are the better cabinet and the more expensive one.
- Door finish. Melamine to sprayed duco roughly doubles the cabinetry rate per metre.
Note that Cape manufacturers increased prices by around 10 to 15 percent early in 2026. Budget against current quotes, not last year’s figures.
Hidden costs to budget for
- Wall repairs once the old units come off — plaster is rarely intact behind them
- Floor patching where the old cabinet footprint differs from the new one
- Electrical compliance if the existing circuits are not up to standard
- Waste removal for the old kitchen, tiles and rubble
- Eating out while the kitchen is offline
Wall making-good after strip-out is a plastering job, and any pipe relocation falls to plumbing and electrical. Get both priced upfront rather than mid-project.
Setting a realistic budget
Work out your linear metres of cabinetry first, then multiply by the band you want. Add countertops, then services, then a contingency.
- Measure your wall runs in metres
- Pick your band honestly — economy, mid or luxury
- Add 10 to 15 percent contingency for what the strip-out reveals
- Get three itemised quotes on the same written specification
A contingency is not pessimism. Old kitchens routinely hide damp, dead circuits and unlevel floors that nobody could quote for in advance.
Comparing quotes without getting caught
The cheapest quote is often the least complete one. Line them up item by item and ask each contractor to price the same board, the same edging and the same hardware brand. Board and timber product standards are published by the South African Bureau of Standards.
Questions that expose a thin quote
- Which board grade is the carcass, and is it moisture-resistant under the sink?
- What edging thickness is on the doors and drawer fronts?
- Which hinge and runner brand, and are they soft-close throughout?
- Is the countertop priced in, or supplied by a separate fabricator?
- Who makes good the plaster, paint and floor after strip-out?
- Is rubble removal included, and how often?
Those six answers usually explain the entire gap between a cheap quote and an expensive one. Once every contractor has priced the same specification, the spread narrows to something you can judge fairly.
Where saving money is safe, and where it is not
- Safe: keeping the layout, choosing a laminate top, fewer drawers, simpler door colours
- Safe: phasing the work, doing cabinetry now and the floor next year
- Risky: thin edging, unbranded hardware, standard board in wet zones
- Risky: leaving making-good and rubble removal out to make a quote look lower
The cuts that hurt are the ones you cannot see and cannot reverse later without stripping the kitchen out again.
For the sequencing and timeline side, read our kitchen renovation Cape Town planning guide. We handle cabinetry, tiling, plastering and services in-house through our carpentry services, which removes the coordination gaps where costs usually appear.
Assessments are free and there is no call-out fee — send us your kitchen dimensions for an itemised quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Cape Town in 2026?
Economy refits run roughly R55,000 to R85,000, mid-range renovations R85,000 to R150,000, and luxury projects R150,000 to R220,000 and above. Indicative cabinetry rates are about R10,300 per linear metre for budget melamine, R13,800 for standard and R20,300 for premium specifications with stone tops and soft-close hardware.
What percentage of a kitchen renovation is labour?
Labour typically accounts for 25 to 35 percent of the total budget, which works out to roughly R28,000 to R84,000 on a full kitchen update. A complete renovation generally absorbs 80 to 120 working hours across cabinetry, tiling, plumbing and electrical trades, depending on scope and whether the layout changes.
What is the most expensive part of a kitchen renovation?
Cabinetry, almost always. It commonly takes 40 to 50 percent of the total. Countertops are the next largest line, with a large gap between laminate, engineered stone and natural stone. Moving plumbing and electrical points is the biggest optional cost and the easiest one to avoid by keeping the layout.
Can you renovate a kitchen for under R100,000 in Cape Town?
Yes, comfortably, if you keep the existing layout. Economy refits start around R55,000 and mid-range jobs begin near R85,000. Staying with melamine cupboards, a laminate or entry engineered top, and no plumbing or electrical relocation keeps you well inside R100,000 on a typical seven-metre kitchen.
What hidden costs come up in a kitchen renovation?
Wall plaster repairs after the old units come off, floor patching where the cabinet footprint changes, electrical compliance work on old circuits, and removal of rubble and the old kitchen. Budget a 10 to 15 percent contingency, because strip-out routinely reveals damp, unlevel floors and wiring nobody could quote for upfront.