Costs & Budgeting
How Much Does a Home Renovation Cost in Singapore? A Straight Answer by Property Type
Renovation costs in Singapore are quoted everywhere and explained almost nowhere. Here is where the money actually goes — and how to budget so the numbers hold.
Hearth & Form · 25 August 2026 · 8 min read
The short answer
Market surveys put typical full-home renovations in Singapore at roughly S$50k–60k for a 4-room BTO, S$60k–75k for a 5-room, and S$70k–100k for resale flats of similar size — with resale costing more due to hacking and re-wiring. Carpentry is the largest single line, typically 30–40% of the total. (Ranges cited from Qanvast's 2026 survey of Singapore renovations; your scope decides where you land within it.)
Market ranges, honestly cited
Third-party survey data gives useful medians — but your scope, not the median, sets your number. Treat ranges as orientation, not quotation.
*Ranges from Qanvast's 2026 survey of Singapore renovation projects (BTO: 341 projects; resale: 449 projects), rounded for readability. They describe the market, not any single project — a scope-led quotation is the only number worth planning around.
| Property type | Typical market range* | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 3-room BTO | S$40k – 52k | Less carpentry volume, one bath |
| 4-room BTO | S$50k – 60k | Standard full scope: kitchen, wardrobes, both baths |
| 5-room BTO / EC | S$60k – 76k | More carpentry area, larger living zones |
| 4-room resale | S$70k – 82k | Adds hacking, re-wiring, re-plumbing |
| 5-room resale | S$80k – 99k | Older pipes and floors, bigger areas |
| Condo (3-bed) | S$70k – 100k+ | Finishes level, MCST constraints |
Where the money actually goes
Carpentry dominates — typically the largest single line at 30–40% of a full renovation — followed by wet-area works (bathrooms and kitchen), then hacking and flooring, then electrical and lighting, then painting and finishing.
| Line item | Share of budget | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carpentry | 30–40% | Kitchen, wardrobes, storage — internals matter more than fronts |
| Bathrooms | 10–15% each | Waterproofing and re-laying drive cost, not fittings |
| Kitchen (non-carpentry) | 8–12% | Countertop, appliances, sink and taps |
| Hacking & flooring | 10–18% | Resale flats: expect the higher end |
| Electrical & lighting | 8–12% | Wiring, DB upgrade, fittings |
| Painting & finishing | 5–8% | Quality shows here more than anywhere |
What moves a budget up or down
Three levers decide most budgets: how much carpentry you build, whether floors get hacked or overlaid, and the finish level of kitchens and bathrooms.
- Carpentry scope — each additional full-height wall of built-ins is real money; prioritise by daily use
- Overlay vs hack — overlay saves significantly and shortens the schedule; hacking resets everything (sometimes necessarily)
- Stone choices — natural stone and imported sintered stone sit well above quartz and granite
- Bathroom count — a second re-laid bathroom is one of the biggest single additions to resale budgets
- Lighting — modest cost, outsized result; never the place to save first
The buffer every budget needs
Plan a 10–20% contingency. In resale flats, hidden conditions — floor levels, ageing pipes, waterproofing failure — are discovered during works, not before them.
A contingency is not a slush fund; it is the honest price of not knowing what's under the tiles. Well-documented projects spend it deliberately; undocumented ones spend it chaotically. Ask any contractor you're interviewing how variations are priced and documented — the answer tells you a lot.
How we quote (and how to compare quotations)
Insist on a line-item quotation mapped to drawings. Comparing three quotations line by line is the only way to compare like with like — package quotes hide exactly the details that decide your budget.
When you receive our quotation after design development, every line maps to a drawing or specification: carpentry by unit with internals listed, works by area, fittings by model. When comparing with other quotations, match line to line — differences you find are either scope, quality or margin. All three are worth knowing.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to renovate a BTO or a resale flat?
BTOs are almost always cheaper for the same scope: no hacking of old floors, newer wiring and pipes, and no surprises behind 30-year-old tiles. Resale budgets should assume a premium for the unglamorous works.
Can I renovate for under S$30k?
For a light-refresh scope — painting, lighting, one or two carpentry pieces, furniture — yes. A full-home renovation with kitchen and bathrooms at that budget means significant compromises; we'll tell you honestly what S$30k realistically covers.
When do I pay?
Payment schedules vary by company; ours is stated plainly in the quotation and tied to milestones, not calendar dates. Confirm any company's schedule — and what protects your deposits — before signing.
References
Relevant services
Keep reading
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