How Much Does a Kitchen Renovation Cost in Australia?
2026 price ranges, the line items that decide the total, and the questions that separate a real quote from an optimistic one.
Prices checked 21 October 2026. Ranges are for Sydney metro, mid-range finishes, supply and install, including GST.
Kitchen renovation costs at a glance
Most kitchens land between $25,000 and $45,000. The joinery decides the price more than the appliances, and the layout decides the joinery.
| Job | Typical range | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh only | $8,000 to $18,000 | New doors and panels, new benchtop, new sink and tapware, appliances reused |
| Standard full renovation | $25,000 to $45,000 | Strip out, new cabinets, stone or laminate benchtop, new appliances, tiling, plumbing and electrical in the same positions |
| Renovation with layout change | $40,000 to $65,000 | Walls moved, plumbing and gas relocated, new circuits, often a new floor |
| Premium kitchen | $55,000 to $90,000 | Custom joinery, natural stone with waterfall edges, integrated appliances, butler's pantry |
Per linear metre of cabinetry, budget $1,500 to $4,000. A typical 3 metre run sits near the bottom, an L shaped kitchen with an island sits near the top.
The biggest line items
- Cabinetry, 25 to 40%. Flat pack and custom are not the same product. Ask what the carcass is made of, what the drawer runners are rated to, and what the warranty actually covers.
- Benchtop, 8 to 15%. Laminate is a fraction of the price of engineered stone and lasts well if the edges are sealed. Natural stone needs sealing and care.
- Appliances, 10 to 20%. This is the easiest place to save and the easiest place to overspend. Buy for how you actually cook.
- Trades, 15 to 25%. Plumbing, electrical, gas, tiling and plastering. Moving a sink two metres across a kitchen can cost more than the sink.
- Flooring, 5 to 10%. Often forgotten in the quote and discovered at the end.
What actually moves the number
Layout changes cost the most. A kitchen in the same footprint with the same services is a joinery and finishes job. A kitchen with the sink moved, the cooktop relocated and a wall removed is a building job with a kitchen attached.
Custom joinery is where budgets die quietly. Every drawer insert, every curved end panel and every two pack finish adds up. Get the cabinet list in writing with a price per item.
Lead times change the plan. Stone, imported tapware and integrated appliances can run eight to twelve weeks. If the kitchen is unusable during that time, the real cost includes the takeaway.
Old houses hide things. Behind the old cabinets there can be no insulation, dodgy wiring, water damage, or asbestos sheeting. A builder who has not allowed for any of it is quoting a kitchen that may not exist.
Before you sign
- Get three quotes on an identical scope, written down, item by item.
- Confirm the licence covers kitchen and joinery work, not just a trade licence.
- Over $20,000, ask for home building compensation cover before any work starts.
- Keep the deposit at 10% or less, which is the NSW maximum for residential work.
- Put a completion date and a defects period in the contract.
The short version
Get three written quotes on the same scope. The gap between the cheapest and the dearest is usually not profit, it is what each one left out. Use the ranges above to spot a quote that is too low to be finished properly.
Common questions
How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Australia in 2026?
A standard full kitchen renovation is typically 25,000 to 45,000 dollars, a refresh with new doors and benchtop is 8,000 to 18,000 dollars, and a premium custom kitchen runs 55,000 to 90,000 dollars.
Is a kitchen renovation worth it?
A kitchen is the room buyers react to most, and a tired kitchen holds a sale price down. As a rule of thumb, a well executed kitchen returns a good share of its cost at resale, but the comfort value while you live there is the part you actually bank.
How long does a kitchen renovation take?
Four to eight weeks once cabinets are on site, and lead times before that are often longer than the build itself. Ask for the cabinet and stone lead times in writing before you sign.
Flat pack or custom cabinetry?
Flat pack is fine when the walls are straight and the layout is simple. Custom wins when the room is out of square, the ceiling is uneven, or you want a specific finish. Neither is automatically better, but the price difference is real.