Kitchen Renovations Cape Town

Kitchen renovation prices in Cape Town vary more than almost any other home improvement, because two contractors can quote the same room and mean genuinely different things. One includes the strip-out, the stone and the appliance installation. Another quotes cabinetry alone.

This page sets out what the work involves, what it costs, and links to every related service so you can go straight to the one that matches your job.

What a Kitchen Renovation Covers

A full renovation is a sequence of trades rather than one job: strip-out, first-fix plumbing and electrical, cabinetry, countertop templating and installation, splashback, flooring, then second fix. Each hand-off is a point where a schedule slips, which is why one contractor coordinating the lot usually finishes faster than five booked separately.

Renovation, Remodelling or Refacing

These are used interchangeably and cost very different amounts:

Term	What it actually covers
Refacing	New doors, drawer fronts and handles on existing carcasses, or a respray of the doors you have. Cheapest by a wide margin.
Renovation	New cupboards and countertops in the same footprint. Services stay where they are. This page.
Remodelling	The layout changes. Sink, hob or fridge move, or a wall comes out, which brings plumbing, electrical and sometimes an engineer into the quote.

Kitchen Services Across Cape Town

The Cabinetry

Cupboards are the largest line in the budget. Kitchen cupboards are quoted per linear metre, and custom kitchens are built to your measurements rather than to stock module widths. Built-in cupboards for bedrooms and pantries are priced the same way but run cheaper.

Keeping What You Have

Where the carcasses are sound, new cupboard doors or a cupboard respray changes the whole kitchen for roughly a third of a full replacement.

Surfaces

Countertops are the second-biggest line and the widest price spread. Granite handles heat best; Caesarstone and engineered quartz need no sealing. Splashbacks are the cheapest visible change.

Layout and Space

Kitchen design settles the layout before anything is cut. Islands need real clearance to work. Open plan conversions involve structural work, and sculleries are what make an open kitchen liveable.

Styles and Scale

Modern kitchens cover handleless, gloss and integrated appliances. Small kitchen renovations have their own economics, because the fixed costs do not shrink with the room.

The Rest of the Trades

Installation covers strip-out through to second fix. Plumbing decides how much a layout change costs, and flooring is usually replaced at the same time.

What Moves the Price

• Cabinetry finish - the single biggest variable. Melamine to sprayed duco is roughly a threefold difference on the same carcass.
• Countertop material - laminate to engineered stone is a similar multiple.
• Whether services move - a sink that stays put costs nothing; one that moves brings a waste line with it.
• Kitchen size in linear metres - measured along the runs, not the floor area.
• Appliance integration - each integrated housing is built around a specific model.
• Access - apartment blocks, stairs, restricted working hours and lift bookings all add time.
• What is behind the walls - galvanised pipe and old wiring are the usual unwelcome discoveries.
• Who coordinates the trades - one contractor costs more per line and usually less overall.

Kitchen Renovations Cape Town Price Guide

Published market ranges for residential kitchen work in Cape Town, to give you a sense of where a job is likely to land before anyone visits:

Job	Indicative range	What moves it
Small kitchen, up to 8 m²	R45,000 – R90,000	Cupboards, countertop and splashback replaced.
Medium kitchen, 8 – 14 m²	R85,000 – R150,000	Where most Cape Town renovations land.
12 m² kitchen, premium finishes	R144,000 – R180,000	Stone, integrated appliances, custom cabinetry.
Large kitchen, 15 m² and over	R150,000 – R300,000+	Layout changes and bespoke joinery.
Cupboards only, replaced	R4,000 – R12,000 per linear metre	Melamine at the low end, sprayed duco at the top.
Countertop replacement	R900 – R4,500 per linear metre	Laminate through to engineered stone.
Cupboard respray, doors only	R14,000 – R45,000	The cheapest meaningful change.
Kitchen island, built and topped	R18,000 – R60,000	Island tops are priced by area, not length.
Design and 3D layout	R2,500 – R9,000	Often credited back against the build.
Labour share of a full renovation	25% – 35% of the total	Roughly 80 – 120 hours on a full strip-out.
Contingency	10% – 20%	Old plumbing and rot behind cupboards is common.

What to Check Before Appointing Anyone

The number at the bottom is the least useful part of a renovation quote. What matters is what sits above it:

• Is the cabinetry finish named specifically, or just described as "quality"?
• What countertop material and thickness, and are cut-outs included?
• Who does the strip-out, and is rubble removal in the price?
• Is plumbing and electrical work included, or quoted by others?
• What is the payment schedule, and what does the deposit cover?
• What is the lead time from deposit to installation, and what happens if it slips?
• What guarantee covers the cabinetry, and what covers the installation?

Related Services

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Cape Town?

Published market ranges put a small kitchen at roughly R45,000 to R90,000 and a medium one at R85,000 to R150,000, with large and premium kitchens running from R150,000 upward.

A 12 m² Cape Town kitchen with standard finishes typically lands between R84,000 and R120,000, and between R144,000 and R180,000 with premium finishes.

How long does a kitchen renovation take?

A cosmetic update is under a week. A standard renovation in the same footprint runs two to three weeks, and layout changes push it to four to six.

Stone countertops add a fixed wait: they are templated only after the cupboards are installed, then cut off-site, which adds one to two weeks.

What is the biggest cost in a kitchen renovation?

Cabinetry, at typically 40% to 60% of the total. Countertops are usually second, and the gap between laminate and stone is the widest single variable in the budget.

Labour generally accounts for 25% to 35% of the overall figure.

Do I need approval to renovate my kitchen?

Not for replacing cupboards, countertops or finishes. You do for structural changes such as removing a wall, which requires approved plans and a structural engineer.

Sectional title schemes usually need trustee approval regardless of scale, and often restrict working hours.

Can I renovate a kitchen without replacing the cupboards?

Often, yes. If the carcasses are square, dry and firmly fixed, replacing the doors and countertop changes the whole kitchen for around a third of the cost.

Swollen board under the sink is the usual sign the carcasses have reached the end of their life.

Should I buy the appliances before or after the design?

Choose them before the cabinetry is cut. Housings are built to the specific appliance dimensions, so changing an oven or fridge afterwards usually means a new housing and a new door.

What should a kitchen renovation quote include?

The cabinetry specification with the finish named, the countertop material and thickness, who does the strip-out and rubble removal, plumbing and electrical scope, and the appliance schedule.

A quote that gives one figure with no breakdown cannot be compared against another one.

Is it cheaper to renovate or replace a kitchen?

Partial work is far cheaper. A respray runs R14,000 to R45,000 and new doors R18,000 to R48,000, against R85,000 to R150,000 for a full replacement in a medium kitchen.

Full replacement makes sense where the layout is wrong or the carcasses have failed, not simply because the kitchen looks dated.