Kitchen Renovation Singapore 2026: Costs From S$5,490

A kitchen renovation Singapore homeowners commission in 2026 costs between S$5,490 and S$14,990 for a contractor package, depending on whether you replace cabinets only or rebuild the whole kitchen, and whether your tiles are overlaid or hacked. Cabinet-only work starts at S$5,490. Full kitchen packages start at S$10,990.

That single sentence answers the question most price guides take 2,000 words to avoid. The rest of this guide shows you which of those numbers is yours, and what makes the gap between them S$9,500 wide.

Key Takeaways

• Cabinet-only kitchen packages start at S$5,490 (BTO) and S$5,590 (resale); the Premium tier adds S$600.
• Full kitchen packages run S$10,990 to S$14,990, covering cabinetry, tiling, plumbing and electrical provisions.
• Choosing hacking over overlay costs exactly S$1,000 more across every resale package tier.
• HDB allows noisy work only 9am-5pm on weekdays, never on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays.
• Wall demolition needs HDB's prior written approval and cannot run more than 3 consecutive days.
• Budget 10-15% beyond the package for appliances, hood and hob, and any carpentry outside standard runs.

What Does a Kitchen Renovation Singapore Package Actually Cost?

A kitchen renovation Singapore contractor package covers a defined scope at a fixed price. Two tiers exist. Cabinet-only packages replace carcasses, doors and countertop, starting at S$5,490. Full kitchen packages add floor and wall tiling, plumbing, and electrical provisions, starting at S$10,990.

The difference between them is roughly S$5,500. That is not a markup. It is the cost of touching the walls, floor and services rather than only the carpentry.

Every Kitchen Package Price in 2026

These are the 16 kitchen packages RCS lists, with 2026 prices. Every figure below is the listed package price, not an estimate.

Read the table in three bands. Cabinet-only work sits between S$5,490 and S$6,190. BTO full kitchens sit between S$10,990 and S$12,890. Older resale full kitchens sit between S$13,390 and S$14,990.

The Hacking Premium Is Exactly S$1,000

Four package pairs are identical except for method. In all four, hacking costs S$1,000 more than overlay.

A consistent S$1,000 across all four tiers tells you the premium is the removal and disposal work, not a percentage margin on a bigger job.

Cabinet-Only vs Full Kitchen: The S$5,500 Fork

This is the first and largest decision in your budget, and it is decided by the condition of your tiles, not your taste in doors.

If your tiles are sound and your layout works, cabinet-only does the job for under S$6,200. If tiles are hollow, cracked or the layout is wrong, you are in full-package territory and the honest starting number is S$10,990. Between S$6,190 and S$10,990 there is nothing - the jump is a step, not a slope.

HDB BTO Kitchen Renovation Cost

A new BTO kitchen is the cheapest case in Singapore because nothing has to come out first. Floors and walls are already tiled to a usable standard, so overlay is unnecessary and hacking is rarely justified.

BTO cabinet packages run S$5,490 to S$6,090. Full BTO kitchen packages run S$10,990 to S$11,590, both overlay method. There is no hacking tier priced for a standard BTO kitchen, because there is almost never a reason to hack a kitchen that is 3 months old.

For the full flat-level picture rather than the kitchen alone, see BTO Kitchen Renovation Packages & Prices 2026.

HDB Resale Kitchen Renovation Cost

Resale is where the numbers climb, and the reason is age. A kitchen from 1998 carries tile beds, pipework and wiring that a 2025 kitchen does not.

Resale full kitchen packages run S$13,390 to S$14,990. Cabinet-only resale work stays at S$5,590 to S$6,190 - the same as BTO resale, because carpentry does not care how old the flat is.

The S$2,100 gap between a BTO resale kitchen (S$11,290) and a plain resale kitchen (S$13,390) is the price of an older substrate. Detailed comparison in HDB Kitchen Renovation Cost 2026: BTO vs Resale.

BTO Resale Kitchen: The In-Between Case

A BTO resale flat - a BTO sold on the resale market, typically 5 to 10 years old - sits between the two. Full kitchen packages run S$11,290 (overlay) to S$12,890 (Premium, hacking).

These kitchens usually have serviceable tiles and modern pipe layouts, so overlay works more often than owners expect. Many homeowners budget for hacking, get assessed, and save S$1,000.

Overlay or Hacking? The S$1,000 Question

Overlay lays new tiles directly onto existing ones. Hacking removes the old tiles down to the screed first.

Tap your existing tiles with a coin. A hollow sound means the tile has lost its bond, and overlay on a hollow tile fails. That is the test that decides the S$1,000, not preference.

Hacking also adds debris disposal and days of noisy work under HDB's restricted hours. Overlay is faster and cheaper but requires tiles that are firmly bonded.

Full method comparison: Kitchen Overlay vs Hacking Singapore 2026. The bathroom equivalent is covered in Overlay vs Hacking HDB Bathroom Singapore 2026.

Who Is Legally Allowed to Renovate Your HDB Kitchen?

Not every contractor may work in your flat. The Housing & Development (Renovation Control) Rules 2006 require that you engage only contractors listed in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors, known as the DRC (HDB).

Being listed is not a quality guarantee, and HDB is explicit about this: it does not endorse or guarantee the quality of listed contractors' work, and your agreement remains a private contract between you and the contractor.

What listing does guarantee is accountability. Contractors accumulate demerit points for infringements, and a contractor who reaches 24 demerit points within 24 months is delisted from the DRC. That record is the reason to check the directory before signing anything.

RCS holds HDB Renovation Contractor Licence HB-11-5877Z, is BCA-registered, and is BizSafe Level 3 certified.

What's Inside a Kitchen Package - and What Isn't

A full kitchen package covers cabinetry, countertop, floor and wall tiling, plumbing points and electrical provisions. It does not cover the things you shop for yourself.

Typically excluded: hob, hood, oven, fridge, sink mixer upgrades, and any carpentry beyond the standard cabinet run. These are homeowner-supplied in most Singapore packages, which is why two quotes at the same price can mean very different final bills.

Where Your Money Actually Goes

In a full kitchen package, cabinetry is the single largest line, typically 40-50% of the kitchen cost. Tiling and the labour to lay it follow. Plumbing and electrical are smaller but non-negotiable.

This matters when you compare quotes. A contractor who is S$1,500 cheaper has usually taken it out of carcass material or countertop grade, not out of profit.

Kitchen Cabinet Materials: Where Quality Actually Lives

The visible door tells you almost nothing. The carcass behind it tells you everything, because that is the part that meets humidity, steam and spilled water for the next 15 years.

Ask what the carcass is made of and how thick it is. Ask whether the internal edges are sealed. Ask whether hinges and runners are soft-close as standard or an upgrade. Between a S$5,490 cabinet package and a S$6,090 one, these 3 answers are usually the entire difference.

Door finishes matter for appearance and cleaning, not structure. A cheaper door on a better carcass outlives the reverse every time.

Countertops: What Each Choice Adds

Countertop material is the second-largest swing in a cabinet package. Laminate is the entry point. Quartz is the Singapore default for its resistance to staining and heat. Sintered stone sits above it.

Thickness matters as much as material. Confirm the slab thickness in writing, along with how the sink is mounted and whether the backsplash is included. Two quotes both saying "quartz" can differ by hundreds of dollars on those details alone.

Kitchen Layout: What You Can and Cannot Move

Cabinetry is flexible. Services are not. Moving a sink means moving drainage, and moving a hob means moving a gas or electrical point - both are possible, both add cost, and both are constrained by where the existing risers sit.

Structural walls cannot be removed at all. Non-structural walls may be demolished only with HDB's written approval. Plan your layout around the services first, then fit the cabinets to it, not the other way around.

Design direction and layout options are covered in Kitchen Renovation Singapore 2026: Homeowners Guide.

How Much Should You Budget Beyond the Package?

Add 10-15% on top of the package price. On a S$11,290 kitchen that is roughly S$1,100 to S$1,700.

That covers appliances, the hood and hob you choose yourself, upgraded handles or soft-close hardware if not in your tier, and the small mid-project decisions every renovation produces. Homeowners who budget only the package price are the ones who feel ambushed at week 4.

Broader cost planning across the whole flat: HDB Renovation Budget 2026: Real Costs & Hidden Fees and Renovation Cost Singapore 2026: HDB Packages Guide.

Which Package Fits Your Flat?

What HDB Rules Cost You in Time and Money

HDB permits general renovation work from 8am to 6pm daily. Noisy work - cutting tiles, drilling, demolishing walls, removing wall or floor finishes - is restricted to 9am to 5pm on weekdays only, and is not allowed on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays (HDB).

Two more limits shape your schedule directly. A registered contractor may not take more than 3 consecutive days to demolish walls or remove wall and floor finishes. And only 2 handheld power tools approved by HDB may run at a given time.

For your own DIY work, HDB also advises against drilling and hammering between 10.30pm and 7am. These rules are why a kitchen cannot be compressed into a long weekend, no matter what you are quoted.

Do You Need an HDB Permit for Your Kitchen?

Yes, if you are hacking. All demolition and hacking of walls, partial or complete, requires HDB's prior written approval. The approval exists to confirm the work will not affect the building's structural integrity.

Your contractor applies for the permit, and they must be listed in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors. You are also expected to notify your neighbours at least 3 days before work starts.

Cabinet-only work and pure overlay generally do not require hacking approval, which is another reason the cheaper path is also the faster one.

How Long Will Your Kitchen Be Out of Action?

Plan on 3 to 6 weeks for a full kitchen, and 2 to 3 weeks for cabinet-only work. The variable is not the carpentry - it is the wet trades and HDB's noise window.

Because noisy work is confined to weekday daytime hours, a 5-day work week is genuinely 5 days, not 7. A schedule that assumes weekend hacking is a schedule that will slip.

Week-by-week breakdown: Kitchen Renovation Timeline Singapore 2026. Noise rules in full: HDB Renovation Noise Rules 2026.

Contractor or Interior Designer: What Changes the Price

A renovation contractor executes a defined scope at a package price. An interior designer adds design development, sourcing and project curation, and charges a design fee or margin on top.

For a kitchen alone, most Singapore homeowners use a contractor, because a kitchen is a well-defined scope with standard dimensions. Designers earn their fee on whole-home projects with unusual layouts. The comparison is unpacked in Kitchen Remodeler Singapore: Contractor vs ID 2026.

How to Tell a Real Quote From a Lowball One

Compare scope lines, not totals. A quote that is S$2,000 below every other quote has removed something, and the removal is usually invisible until installation day.

Ask 3 questions. What carcass material and thickness? Is the countertop quartz, sintered stone or laminate, and what thickness? Is tiling overlay or hacking, and is disposal included? A contractor who answers all 3 in writing is quoting the same job as everyone else. One who deflects is not.

What contractors actually charge across job types: HDB Renovation Prices 2026: What Contractors Really Charge.

Payment Schedule: What Normal Looks Like

Singapore renovation payments are staged against progress, not paid upfront. A deposit on confirmation, progress payments tied to completed stages such as hacking, tiling and carpentry installation, and a final balance on handover.

Two things should make you pause. A demand for more than a modest deposit before any work starts, and a schedule with no final payment held back until handover. The final payment is your only leverage on defects, so it should exist.

Whole-home package structures are set out in Home Renovation Packages Singapore 2026: Complete Guide.

What to Check Before You Release Final Payment

Open and close every door and drawer. Soft-close hardware should catch every time, not most times.

Run water into the sink and check underneath for drips at the trap and connections. Check that the countertop meets the wall with a clean sealed joint. Look along the tile lines from a low angle, where lippage and uneven grout show up.

Confirm every electrical point works, including the ones behind appliances. Defects found before final payment get fixed. Defects found after become a negotiation.

Kitchen Renovation Cost by Flat Type: Quick Reference

3-room and 4-room HDB kitchens are the standard case that package pricing is built around. 5-room and executive kitchens have longer cabinet runs, so cabinetry cost scales while tiling and services stay close to standard.

For neighbourhood-level guidance, RCS publishes kitchen guides for Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Bedok, Sengkang, Queenstown, Woodlands and Yishun.

Condo Kitchens: Why the Rules Are Different

Condominium kitchens do not fall under HDB's permit regime. Approval comes from your MCST instead, and the constraints are different: management office sign-off, a renovation deposit, restricted working hours set by by-laws, and lift and common-area protection.

The construction cost of the kitchen itself is comparable. The administration around it is not. See Condo Kitchen Renovation Singapore 2026 and Condo Renovation Singapore 2026: RCS Specialist.

Five Cost Mistakes That Show Up After Handover

Choosing overlay on hollow tiles. The tiles debond within a year and the S$1,000 you saved becomes a full redo.

Ignoring the 10-15% buffer. Appliances are not in the package, and a hood and hob alone can run 4 figures.

Comparing totals instead of scope. The cheapest quote is usually the shortest scope.

Scheduling around weekend work. HDB does not permit noisy work on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays, so it cannot be built into a timeline.

Hacking without written approval. Demolition without HDB's prior written approval puts the homeowner, not only the contractor, in breach.

Kitchen Renovation Singapore, Defined

A kitchen renovation in Singapore is the replacement or rebuilding of a flat's kitchen - cabinetry, countertop, wall and floor finishes, and the plumbing and electrical points that serve them - carried out by a contractor listed in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors, within HDB's permitted hours and, where walls are involved, under written HDB approval.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of a kitchen renovation?

In Singapore, a contractor kitchen package costs S$5,490 to S$14,990 in 2026. Cabinet-only work starts at S$5,490. Full kitchen packages including tiling, plumbing and electrical provisions start at S$10,990 for a BTO and S$13,390 for an older resale flat.

What time can renovation start in Singapore?

HDB allows general renovation work from 8am to 6pm daily. Noisy works such as tile cutting, drilling and wall demolition are permitted only from 9am to 5pm on weekdays, and are not allowed on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays.

How long does renovation take in Singapore?

A full kitchen renovation takes 3 to 6 weeks. Cabinet-only work takes 2 to 3 weeks. HDB's restriction of noisy work to weekday daytime hours, and its 3-consecutive-day cap on demolition, are what set the floor on the schedule.

Which renovation contractors in Singapore are popular for BTO renovation?

Homeowners should shortlist contractors listed in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors, since the Housing & Development (Renovation Control) Rules 2006 require it. RCS holds HDB Renovation Contractor Licence HB-11-5877Z, is BCA-registered and BizSafe Level 3 certified.

How much does home renovation cost in Singapore?

Whole-flat renovation costs far more than a kitchen alone, because it adds bathrooms, flooring, painting, carpentry and electrical work across every room. For kitchen-only budgeting, the package range in this guide - S$5,490 to S$14,990 - is the relevant number.

Get a Kitchen Quote With the Scope Written Down

Compare the kitchen cabinet packages if your layout and tiles are sound, or the full kitchen renovation packages if the kitchen is coming out. Both list scope and price on the page, so you can compare them against any other quote line by line.

RCS is a licensed HDB renovation contractor (Licence HB-11-5877Z), BCA-registered and BizSafe Level 3 certified.