HDB kitchen renovation cost: hacking, tiling & what drives the price

The short answer: a realistic HDB kitchen renovation cost in 2026 sits around S$8,000–20,000+ all-in. On a recent RK E&C whole-flat job in Bukit Panjang, kitchen hacking came to about S$1,500 and plastering with floor levelling about S$1,800 — before a single cabinet or tile went in. The rest of the budget goes to tiling, carpentry, plumbing and electrical, and that's where quotes swing wildly. This guide walks through the correct work sequence, real numbers from that project, what actually drives the price, and the permit rule if you're eyeing an open kitchen.

The kitchen renovation sequence (why order matters)

A kitchen isn't a single job — it's five or six trades stacked in a strict order. Get the order wrong and you pay twice: cabinets installed before tiling have to come off, tiles laid before pipes are moved get hacked up again. A proper contractor runs it like this:

1. Hack the old kitchen. Existing cabinets, countertop, wall and floor tiles come out, and the debris is hauled and disposed. This needs an HDB renovation permit before work starts — see our guide on HDB hacking and demolition rules.
2. Plaster and level. Hacked walls are re-plastered flat and the floor is screeded level. Skip this and every tile and cabinet afterwards sits crooked.
3. Waterproofing (if wet works). If the floor was hacked or re-screeded, a waterproofing membrane goes down before tiling — especially around the sink zone. Cheap now, painful to retrofit later.
4. Tiling. Floor tiles, then wall tiles or backsplash. Tile choice is a big cost lever — more on that below.
5. Cabinets and countertop. Carpentry is fabricated off-site (usually 2–4 weeks lead time) and installed once tiling is done and cured.
6. Plumbing and electrical reconnection. Sink, tap, hob gas or induction point, hood, sockets and lighting are connected last, once the cabinets fix their final positions.

On site that's typically 3–5 weeks end to end, with carpentry lead time running in parallel.

Real numbers from a recent RK E&C project

Package prices online are hard to compare because everyone bundles differently. So here are actual figures from a recent RK E&C whole-flat renovation in Bukit Panjang, alongside indicative ranges for the items that vary most:

Work item	Cost (SGD)	Notes
Kitchen hacking & debris disposal	≈ $1,500	Actual — cabinets, wall & floor tiles out
Kitchen plastering & floor levelling	≈ $1,800	Actual — walls and screed made good
Plumbing: hot & cold lines + accessories install	Part of $3,600	Actual whole-home plumbing figure; accessories supplied by client
Waterproofing + floor & wall tiling	$2,500 – $6,000	Depends on tile size, material & area
Kitchen cabinets & countertop	$3,000 – $9,000+	Biggest swing — laminate vs quartz, footage
Indicative all-in kitchen range	$8,000 – $20,000+	Depends on cabinetry, tiles & appliances

Two things to note. First, the hacking and plastering figures are the "boring" half of the budget — they don't show in photos, but they decide whether everything on top of them lasts. Second, that plumbing line covered the whole flat, not just the kitchen; running new hot and cold lines to the kitchen alone is a fraction of it. For the full flat picture, see our full HDB renovation cost breakdown.

What actually drives the price

Cabinetry footage and material

Carpentry is priced per foot run, so a galley kitchen with top and bottom cabinets on both walls costs nearly double one row on a single wall. Laminate finishes keep costs sane; spray-paint doors, soft-close everything and a quartz or sintered-stone countertop push a mid-size kitchen up by thousands on their own.

Tile choice and format

Standard ceramic or homogeneous tiles are economical to buy and lay. Large-format porcelain slabs look sharp but cost more per piece and more in labour, because handling and levelling big tiles is slower. Laying tiles over existing tiles (overlay) saves hacking cost but only works if the original layer is sound.

How much you move things around

Keeping the sink, hob and drainage where they are is the single cheapest layout decision. The moment pipes or the gas point relocate, you add plumbing runs, possible floor hacking and reinstatement. A kitchen that keeps its layout but refreshes every surface can land near the bottom of the range; one that shifts the wet zone rarely does.

Condition of the original flat

Older resale flats often hide uneven screed, brittle plaster or corroded pipes behind the old cabinets. That's why hacking comes first — the real condition only shows once everything is stripped, and honest contractors price levelling and making good as its own line rather than burying it.

Open vs closed kitchen: the permit note

Opening the kitchen up to the living room is the most requested layout change in resale flats — and it's the one with a hard rule attached. Removing the kitchen wall requires an HDB renovation permit, applied for by an HDB-registered contractor, and approval only comes if the wall is non-structural. Structural walls and columns cannot be hacked, full stop. Check the renovation guidelines on the HDB website or ask your contractor to verify the wall type before you fall in love with the layout.

Budget-wise, going open adds: hacking the wall, making good the floor strip where the wall stood (the flooring underneath won't match), and re-routing any switches, sockets or pipes buried in that wall. If you cook heavy-wok style daily, also weigh the practical trade-off — an open kitchen needs a serious hood, or the sofa smells like dinner.

Where to save (and where not to)

• Save: keep the wet-zone layout, choose standard-format tiles, use laminate carpentry with one or two feature doors, and supply your own accessories (tap, sink, hood) — labour to install them is far cheaper than contractor-supplied markups.
• Save: renovate the kitchen together with a toilet renovation — hacking, tiling and plumbing crews mobilise once instead of twice.
• Don't save: on levelling, waterproofing or licensed plumbing and gas works. These are the items that flood a neighbour or void your defect claims when done cheap.
• Don't save: by skipping the permit. Unauthorised hacking can mean reinstatement at your own cost.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an HDB kitchen renovation cost in Singapore?

A realistic all-in range in 2026 is about S$8,000–20,000+. Hacking runs around S$1,500 and plastering with floor levelling around S$1,800; the balance goes to tiling, carpentry, plumbing, electrical and appliances, with cabinetry and tile choice as the biggest swing factors.

How much does kitchen hacking cost?

Around S$1,500 for a standard HDB kitchen — removing old cabinets, wall and floor tiles, and disposing of the debris. Multiple tile layers or difficult debris access push it up. A permit is required before hacking starts.

Do I need an HDB permit to renovate my kitchen?

For most kitchen works, yes. Hacking tiles or walls, removing the kitchen wall and relocating plumbing all need an HDB renovation permit through an HDB-registered contractor. Swapping cabinet doors or a tap generally doesn't.

How long does an HDB kitchen renovation take?

Typically 3–5 weeks on site: hacking, plastering and levelling in the first week, waterproofing and tiling next, then carpentry installation and final plumbing and electrical reconnection. Carpentry fabrication (2–4 weeks) usually sets the overall timeline.

Can I open up my kitchen into the living room?

Often yes — with an HDB permit, and only if the wall is non-structural. Add cost for hacking, patching the floor where the wall stood, and re-routing anything buried in that wall.

Does a kitchen need waterproofing like a bathroom?

If floor tiles are hacked or the floor is re-screeded, yes — lay a waterproofing membrane before the new tiles go down, particularly around the sink area. It's cheap during renovation and very expensive to add after.

Getting it done by RK E&C

RK E&C is a Singapore-registered renovation and handyman company (UEN 202442767D) handling HDB kitchen renovations island-wide — hacking, plastering, waterproofing, tiling, carpentry coordination and licensed plumbing and electrical works, as a standalone kitchen job or part of a whole-flat renovation. We quote line by line, so you see exactly what the hacking, wet works and finishes each cost before we start.

Send us your floor plan and a few photos of the current kitchen and we'll give you a fixed itemised quote — usually the same day.