A kitchen renovation in Australia can be a modest refresh or a substantial building project. For early planning, test about $8,000–$18,000 for a selective update that retains sound cabinets, $20,000–$40,000 for a straightforward replacement with restrained finishes, and $40,000–$70,000 or more for extensive custom cabinetry and upgraded appliances. These are illustrative budgeting envelopes in Australian dollars, not measured national averages or supplier quotations. Structural alterations, difficult access and concealed defects can take a project beyond them.
The useful question is what your total includes. A cabinet package does not necessarily include assembly, removal of the old kitchen, electrical work, appliances or even every panel. This guide separates those costs and shows a worked replacement budget. If you already know your scope and need to control the money, use the companion guide to budgeting for a kitchen renovation.
Choose the scope before choosing a price bracket
A refresh might replace handles, repair or repaint suitable doors, improve lighting through an electrician and replace one tired appliance. It assumes the cabinet boxes, benchtop and arrangement remain useful. Spending heavily on finishes while leaving swollen cabinets or an awkward dishwasher position rarely solves the underlying problem.
A replacement kitchen removes existing cabinetry and installs new cabinets, a benchtop and splashback, with appliances and services broadly in their existing locations. It still needs trade coordination: an unchanged sink position does not make disconnection and reconnection disappear. Wall repairs and flooring gaps also become visible once cabinets are removed.
A redesigned kitchen changes how the room works. Additional drawers, tall storage, integrated appliances, a different sink position or an island can all increase the scope. Removing a wall introduces a separate building package. Treat that as an open-plan kitchen renovation, rather than expecting a standard cabinet allowance to cover it.
| Illustrative scope | Planning envelope | Assumptions |
|---|---|---|
| Selective refresh | $8,000–$18,000 | Sound cabinets retained; limited surface and appliance changes |
| Straightforward replacement | $20,000–$40,000 | Compact or medium kitchen; same service locations; standard specifications |
| Custom replacement | $40,000–$70,000+ | More joinery, detailed finishes and higher appliance allowances |
These envelopes are starting tests for scope, not promises that every item described will fit. They exclude major structural work and assume ordinary access. Set a separate contingency after identifying the unresolved conditions, then replace the allowances with current written prices.
Cabinets: count components rather than cupboard doors
Cabinetry is often a large purchasing decision because it combines materials, manufacturing and installation. A simple cupboard with a shelf is different from a drawer unit with several runners and fronts. Tall pantries, corner mechanisms, appliance housings, exposed end panels and integrated dishwasher fronts add cost without necessarily increasing the apparent size of the kitchen.
Retail prices help demonstrate why inclusions matter. On 7 September 2026, IKEA Australia listed a 600 mm METOD base cabinet frame at $100, with doors, drawers, worktop, shelves, hinges, plinths and cover panels sold separately. That is a dated component price, not a fitted cabinet or an installed kitchen rate.
For a hypothetical medium replacement, an $11,000 supply allowance could cover a defined schedule of modular or moderately specified cabinets, doors, hardware and panels. Whether it is enough depends on the actual schedule. Compare quantities and specifications using the separate guide to kitchen cabinet replacement costs, particularly when one quotation contains many more drawers than another.
Benchtops: fabrication can matter as much as area
Benchtop cost is not simply length multiplied by a material rate. Depth, edge profiles, joints, sink and cooktop openings, splashback pieces, delivery and installation all matter. A waterfall end requires material and fabrication even though it does not create more preparation space. Access can also affect how large pieces are handled.
A hypothetical allowance of $3,500 might suit one modest, fully specified benchtop package, but it is not a universal rate for any named material. Ask for a drawing showing piece sizes and cut-outs, the exact product and finish, and whether the quote includes templating and installation. If the sink is undermounted, have its fixing and finishing requirements included explicitly.
Do not use old engineered-stone price guides as a shopping list. Safe Work Australia confirms the national ban on manufacturing, supplying, processing and installing engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs. Obtain written product identification for the proposed replacement and have the contractor address applicable silica controls.
Appliances: include the cost of making them fit
A household replacing an oven, cooktop, rangehood and dishwasher might set an illustrative $4,500 purchasing allowance. Another household could spend that on a single appliance. Select an allowance from actual models that meet your needs, rather than applying a percentage and hoping everything fits.
Dimensions on the appliance front are not the entire installation requirement. Your cabinetmaker and licensed trades need the model specifications, clearances, ventilation provisions and connection requirements. An induction conversion may require electrical assessment; a larger rangehood may need a different duct route. These are installation questions to resolve before ordering.
Retaining a refrigerator can save its purchase price, but design the recess around its required ventilation and door movement. A tightly fitted fridge that cannot open far enough to remove drawers creates a daily inconvenience. Include delivery, removal of old appliances and any extra handling in the comparison, especially where stairs or narrow entrances apply.
Plumbing, electrical work and extraction
Keeping services near existing positions often reduces the work compared with relocating them. However, the saving depends on accessibility and condition. A sink in a new island can require a more involved drainage route than a sink on the same wall. Moving an outlet a short distance is not necessarily trivial if the available route is obstructed.
Separate disconnection, rough-in and final connection in your scope. Ask whether the electrical allowance covers new circuits, switchboard work if required, power points, lighting, appliance connection and testing. For plumbing, list the sink, tap, dishwasher and any refrigerator water connection. Have licensed trades confirm the necessary work and documentation under your state or territory rules.
Extraction deserves its own line when the route is uncertain. The Australian Government’s Your Home ventilation guidance recommends venting mechanical extractor fans outside rather than into roof spaces or cavities. Allow for the physical duct route and associated making good, not just the price of the rangehood.
Splashbacks, flooring and the edges of the room
A splashback quote should define the measured area, material, preparation, adhesive or fixing system, edging and penetrations. A small splashback with numerous cuts can involve more work than a larger simple rectangle. Ask your installer and appliance supplier to confirm the suitable materials and installation requirements near cooking equipment.
Flooring is easy to miss when a replacement layout is slightly different. Existing flooring may stop at old cabinet edges, leave holes beneath a removed peninsula or be unavailable for matching. Decide whether the project includes a local patch, the whole kitchen floor or a continuous floor into adjoining rooms.
Also price the modest jobs that finish the room: repairing wall linings, repainting the ceiling, replacing damaged skirtings and fitting trims. The individual amounts may be small beside cabinetry, but omitting them produces a visibly incomplete renovation. An estimate should finish at a usable, completed room, not at delivery of the main products.
A worked $37,400 replacement budget
The following example is hypothetical arithmetic for a medium kitchen with retained service locations, ordinary access, no structural changes and no known hazardous-material removal. Every line is assumed to include GST where applicable. It demonstrates a budget structure; the amounts are not quotations or reported Australian averages.
| Item | Illustrative allowance |
|---|---|
| Cabinet supply, fronts, hardware and panels | $11,000 |
| Cabinet assembly and installation | $3,500 |
| Benchtop, fabrication and installation | $3,500 |
| Appliances | $4,500 |
| Plumbing and electrical package | $4,000 |
| Splashback supplied and installed | $1,500 |
| Removal and waste | $1,500 |
| Flooring repairs and painting | $2,000 |
| Design, delivery and miscellaneous fittings | $1,500 |
| Subtotal | $33,000 |
| Contingency held separately | $3,300 |
| Temporary kitchen and meal allowance | $1,100 |
| Total funds required | $37,400 |
The contingency here is 10% of the construction and purchasing subtotal. That percentage is simply an assumption for this example. An older kitchen with uncertain wall linings, concealed leaks or proposed service relocation needs an assessed reserve, not automatic acceptance of the same percentage.
A related guide to consider while planning this work is How Long Does a Kitchen Renovation Take?.
Notice that the cabinet supply price represents less than one-third of the total funds required. A sale on cabinet doors could be useful, but it cannot compensate for leaving out installation or building repairs. Equally, if a supplier already includes installation in its cabinet price, remove the separate allowance rather than paying for it twice in your spreadsheet.
What can push the total above the initial estimate?
Concealed water damage is a common type of uncertainty to investigate, rather than assume. A plumber or builder may need to assess staining, swollen material or an unexplained smell. Repairing the source matters more than covering damaged cabinet bottoms with new finishes. Obtain an investigation allowance when the condition cannot be established before removal.
Older kitchens also require hazardous-material planning. Australian asbestos guidance explains that appearance alone cannot confirm whether material contains asbestos. Arrange professional assessment before disturbance; do not treat an unknown lining or flooring layer as ordinary demolition waste.
Access, location and scheduling affect the practical quote. An apartment may require booked lifts and protected common areas. A regional property may incur additional travel or freight. A kitchen forming part of a larger renovation may share some site costs but also depend on the wider programme. Ask which conditions the quote assumes instead of applying a generic location multiplier.
Compare finished outcomes on the same basis
Send each supplier the same layout, appliance schedule and finish list. Mark which products you will supply yourself. Request a clear inclusions and exclusions schedule, the treatment of provisional amounts and the method for pricing changes. The process in comparing renovation quotes helps prevent a low headline figure from hiding missing scope.
A useful comparison records cabinet count, drawer count, door finish, benchtop product, handles, installation, service work and making good. It also records who coordinates trades. If you choose separate suppliers, the coordination task has not vanished; someone must manage measurements, delivery, site readiness and defects at the boundaries between packages.
Check whether each figure includes GST, delivery and waste. Compare payment timing as well as the total. Large product purchases before installation affect cash flow even when the overall budget is affordable. Avoid committing the full available amount before the scope and outstanding allowances are understood.
Reduce cost where it preserves everyday usefulness
Start with the layout. Keeping the sink, cooktop and main cabinet runs can remove several linked changes. Then simplify the cabinet schedule: standard widths, fewer decorative panels and selective use of drawers may achieve a workable balance. Keep high-use storage convenient, rather than replacing every drawer with a cheaper cupboard indiscriminately.
Choose one or two visual priorities. A consistent door finish and well-planned lighting may matter more to your household than a waterfall benchtop or concealed appliance panels. Test alternatives as complete packages because changing a material can alter fabrication, installation and maintenance, not just the shop price.
Delay accessories that can be added without dismantling completed work. Conversely, decide appliance sizes, extraction and service positions early. The most economical kitchen is one whose important decisions are made before manufacture, with enough money reserved to complete the room and address the conditions that quotations cannot yet confirm.
Turn an early allowance into a reliable project figure
Write one scope sheet before requesting prices
A useful first estimate becomes more reliable only when every bidder prices the same finished outcome. Prepare a room plan and a one-page scope that names the cabinet system, approximate cabinet schedule, benchtop product, appliance models, splashback extent and the service changes already identified. State whether GST, delivery, demolition, tip fees, protection, final cleaning and making good must be included. If an item remains undecided, give every bidder the same monetary allowance and product assumption so the difference between totals is meaningful.
- Confirm whether the cabinet figure is supply only, flat-pack assembly or fully installed joinery.
- Separate appliance purchase prices from licensed connection and any circuit, drainage or duct alterations.
- List surfaces by measured extent, including cut-outs, edges, joins and installation.
- Identify work outside the cabinet footprint, such as flooring patches, painting and wall repairs.
- Record exclusions and unresolved conditions beside the amount allowed for them.
Check cash flow as well as total cost
A $35,000 project is not necessarily paid evenly. Cabinet deposits, appliance purchases and a benchtop payment may fall before practical completion, while the contingency must remain available for genuine surprises. Map each proposed payment against a completed milestone and keep evidence of purchases you make directly. Contract and deposit rules vary with jurisdiction and contract type, so check the current regulator guidance where the property is located before signing or paying.
Finally, date your estimate. Product prices, freight, labour availability and regional travel can change, and a quote with a limited validity period should not be treated as permanent. Update the model when the design changes or a quote expires. That discipline is more useful than searching for a single Australian average: it leaves you with a kitchen cost built from your room, your specification and current written inclusions.