Kitchen Renovation Cost in Malaysia 2026: Cabinets per Foot Run, Worktops and Two Worked Examples
A kitchen renovation in Malaysia runs from about RM8,000 for a refresh to RM60,000 or more for a premium wet + dry kitchen. In our two worked examples below, a 10 ft L-shape condo kitchen with new melamine cabinets, a solid-surface worktop, new floor tiles and new appliances comes to about RM17,500–RM18,000. A terrace house split into a dry and a wet kitchen comes to about RM37,600–RM38,700.
This guide shows where that money goes: cabinets per foot run, worktop choices, hacking, plumbing and gas, electrical points for the hob, oven and hood, tiling and ceiling. Builder's work is priced from Wakkiro's material, labour and productivity rates (Selangor). Cabinets, worktops and appliances are not in our rate sheet, so those figures are labelled market ranges.
Kitchen renovation cost by tier
These tiers match the ranges in our Malay-language guide to kitchen renovation costs, so you can compare the two.
| Tier | Typical scope | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh | New wall and floor tiles, paint, new sink and tap, existing cabinets kept or re-faced | RM8,000 – RM15,000 |
| Standard rebuild | Full base and wall cabinets, new worktop, extra wiring, new hood and hob | RM18,000 – RM35,000 |
| Wet + dry kitchen | Kitchen split into a display dry kitchen and a working wet kitchen, sometimes with a small rear extension | RM30,000 – RM50,000 |
| Premium | Island, quartz or granite tops, spray-painted cabinets, concealed lighting | RM40,000 – RM60,000+ |
The worked examples below show that cabinets, worktops and appliances make up most of a kitchen budget. In the condo example they are 78% of the total. Builder's work such as hacking, tiles, plumbing and wiring is the smaller part, but it is the part that is hardest to redo later.
Cabinet cost per foot run
Cabinet makers in Malaysia quote per foot run, meaning per foot of cabinet length along the wall. Base cabinets and wall cabinets are usually counted separately. These are market ranges per foot run for supply and installation, the same as in our Malay guide:
| Cabinet material | Per foot run | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Melamine on particleboard or plywood carcass | RM250 – RM400 | Dry kitchens and condo kitchens. Ask for a plywood carcass near the sink |
| Aluminium | RM350 – RM550 | Wet kitchens. Unaffected by water and termites |
| Solid wood (e.g. nyatoh) with spray finish | RM500 – RM800 | Durable and can be refinished, but heavy |
| Spray-painted MDF | RM600 – RM900 | Smoothest modern finish. Keep away from wet zones |
Two things change the price within each range: the carcass board (plywood is more moisture-resistant than particleboard) and the hardware (soft-close hinges and drawer runners). Ask for both in writing.
Worktops: quartz vs granite vs solid surface
Our rate sheet has no worktop prices, so the figures below are market assumptions per foot run used in our examples, not quotes:
- Solid surface, about RM120 per foot run. Seamless joins and easy to repair, but less resistant to heat and scratches. A good choice for a dry kitchen.
- Granite, about RM220 per foot run. The most heat-resistant option, suited to heavy wok cooking. It needs periodic sealing, and the colour choice is limited.
- Quartz, about RM300 per foot run. Non-porous, scratch-resistant and premium-looking, but avoid putting very hot pans directly on it.
Worktop thickness (12 mm vs 20 mm) and the number of cut-outs for the sink and hob also affect the price. The worktop is templated only after the base cabinets are installed, so allow 3–7 extra days.
Builder's work: hacking, plumbing, gas, wiring, tiles, ceiling
Hacking and disposal. Removing old cabinets and floor tiles is labour at RM120 a day in our sheet. A 10-wheel lorry with tipping fees is RM350 a trip for a landed house. In a condo, debris has to be bagged and taken down the service lift, so we use a RM400 market assumption, plus RM180 for four sheets of 9 mm plywood to protect the lift.
Plumbing. A plumber and helper cost RM260 a day. Keeping the sink where it is costs the least. Moving it two metres means hacking the floor and laying a new waste pipe with enough fall, which our Malay guide estimates adds RM1,500–RM3,000.
Gas. Most landed homes use an LPG cylinder with a regulator and hose. Where a condo has piped gas, any change to the gas pipework must be done by a registered gas contractor, not the general contractor. Check this before you move the hob.
Electrical points. An induction hob or built-in oven needs its own 20–30A circuit. The hood usually runs from a 13A socket above the cabinet. Market prices per point, from our guide to wiring point prices, are RM220–RM350 for a 30A point, RM90–RM140 for a 13A socket and RM80–RM120 for a lighting point. Put every point in before tiling starts.
Tiles. A tiler and assistant cost RM250 a day: 12 m² of floor a day (RM20.83 per m²) and 8 m² of wall a day (RM31.25 per m²). Homogeneous 600x600 floor tiles are RM41.67 per m² and ceramic 300x600 wall tiles RM22.22 per m² in our sheet. A 50 mm screed, where needed, is about RM33 per m² installed.
Ceiling. A 6 mm cement-board ceiling on a metal frame is about RM48 per m² installed. A wet kitchen ceiling takes a lot of steam and oil, so a washable finish is worth having.
Worked example 1: 10 ft L-shape condo kitchen
Assumptions: an L-shaped kitchen with legs of 10 ft and 6 ft (16 ft of base cabinets), 12 ft of wall cabinets, and a 10 x 7 ft floor (6.50 m²). The sink stays in place. Old floor tiles are replaced with homogeneous 600x600, and a 600 mm-high ceramic backsplash runs along 16 ft (2.93 m²). The existing ceiling is kept.
| Item | Working | Cost (RM) |
|---|---|---|
| Strip-out and hacking | 3 labour-days × RM120 | 360 |
| Debris removal and lift protection | RM400 (market) + 4 plywood sheets × RM45 | 580 |
| Floor screed | 6.50 m² × RM33.41 | 217 |
| Floor tiles 600x600 | Materials RM315 + labour 6.50 m² × RM20.83 | 450 |
| Backsplash tiles 300x600 | Materials RM79 + labour 2.93 m² × RM31.25 | 170 |
| Plumbing | 1 day × RM260 + RM200 fittings (market) | 460 |
| Electrical points | 30A hob RM285 + hood socket RM115 + 3 sockets × RM115 + 1 light RM100 | 845 |
| Painting | 15 m² × RM5.92 | 89 |
| Builder's work, direct | 3,172 | |
| Builder's overhead and profit 15%–30% | 3,172 × 1.15 to × 1.30 | 3,647 – 4,123 |
| Base cabinets, melamine | 16 ft × RM325 (market midpoint) | 5,200 |
| Wall cabinets, melamine | 12 ft × RM325 | 3,900 |
| Solid-surface worktop | 16 ft × RM120 (market assumption) | 1,920 |
| Hood, hob, sink and tap | Market assumption, mid-range | 2,800 |
| Total | 17,467 – 17,943 |
We add margin only to the builder's work. Cabinet and appliance prices from suppliers already include their margin. At about RM17,500–RM18,000 this kitchen sits just under the standard tier, because a condo kitchen is small and the ceiling and walls are kept.
Worked example 2: terrace house wet + dry kitchen
Assumptions: the existing rear kitchen of a terrace house is split into a 10 x 10 ft dry kitchen and an 8 x 10 ft wet kitchen, with a glass sliding partition between them. No extension. The wet kitchen gets full-height wall tiles (18.59 m² after the back door) and a new ceiling. The dry kitchen gets a 12 ft backsplash. Both floors (16.72 m²) are re-tiled.
| Item | Working | Cost (RM) |
|---|---|---|
| Hacking and disposal | 2 labourers × 3 days × RM120 + 1 lorry trip RM350 | 1,070 |
| Floor screed | 16.72 m² × RM33.41 | 559 |
| Floor tiles 600x600 | Materials RM810 + labour RM348 | 1,158 |
| Wall tiles (wet kitchen full height + dry backsplash) | 20.78 m²: materials RM559 + labour RM650 | 1,209 |
| Plumbing (two sinks, floor trap) | 2 days × RM260 + RM400 fittings (market) | 920 |
| Electrical points | 2 × 30A RM570 + 8 sockets × RM115 + 3 lights × RM100 | 1,790 |
| Wet kitchen ceiling | 7.43 m² × RM48.46 | 360 |
| Painting dry kitchen | 25 m² × RM5.92 | 148 |
| Builder's work, direct | 7,214 | |
| Builder's overhead and profit 15%–30% | 7,214 × 1.15 to × 1.30 | 8,296 – 9,378 |
| Dry kitchen cabinets, melamine | 12 ft base + 12 ft wall × RM325 | 7,800 |
| Dry kitchen quartz worktop | 12 ft × RM300 (market assumption) | 3,600 |
| Wet kitchen cabinets, aluminium | 10 ft base + 8 ft wall × RM450 | 8,100 |
| Wet kitchen granite worktop | 10 ft × RM220 (market assumption) | 2,200 |
| Two hoods, two hobs, two sinks | 2 × RM2,800 (market) | 5,600 |
| Glass sliding partition | Market assumption | 2,000 |
| Total | 37,596 – 38,678 |
This lands in the middle of the wet + dry tier. If your wet kitchen needs to be built as a new rear extension rather than carved out of the existing kitchen, the structure, roof and permit come on top. See our guides to extension costs in Malaysia and the Malay kos tambah bilik extension.
Condo vs landed: what changes
- Condo: management approval, a refundable renovation deposit, limited working hours, lift protection and bagged debris removal. Piped gas changes need a registered gas contractor. Slab openings for new waste routes are usually restricted.
- Landed: more freedom to move plumbing and to add a wet kitchen at the back, but anything that extends the house needs council approval. A lorry trip for debris is simpler and cheaper.
What a kitchen quote should include
Usually included:
- Cabinet length per foot run, separately for base and wall cabinets, with carcass board and door material
- Hardware brand and type (soft-close hinges and drawer runners)
- Worktop material, thickness and cut-outs
- Hacking, debris removal, tiles (area in m² or sq ft) and screed
- Plumbing to the sink and dishwasher, and the number and type of electrical points
Usually not included unless stated:
- Appliances: hood, hob, oven, fridge, dishwasher
- Gas piping alterations
- Ceiling and lighting beyond the points listed
- Condo deposit and management charges
- Any extension structure, roof or council permit
How to check a kitchen renovation quote
- Divide cabinets by foot run. Check the base and wall cabinet lengths against your own tape measure, then divide the cabinet price by the length. Compare the result with the ranges above for the material quoted.
- Look for the electrical schedule. A list such as "1 × 30A hob, 1 × 20A oven, 1 × 13A hood, 4 × 13A sockets" means the contractor has planned the circuits. "Wiring as required" is a warning sign.
- Check the order of works. Hacking, plumbing and wiring first, then tiles, then cabinets, then the worktop template. A contractor who delivers cabinets before the tiles are done will end up doing work twice.
- Ask who does the electrical and gas work. Electrical work must be done by a wireman registered with Suruhanjaya Tenaga. Piped gas changes need a registered gas contractor.
- Stage the payments. A deposit against cabinet fabrication is normal. Pay the balance after installation and the snag list.
To compare line by line, see how to read a BOQ. If the kitchen is part of a bigger renovation, upload your plan to Wakkiro for an itemised BOQ before you collect quotes.
Upload a drawing or describe the job — Wakkiro builds an itemised BOQ at current Malaysian rates, free.
Estimate My Project →Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Malaysia in 2026?
Roughly RM8,000–RM15,000 for a refresh, RM18,000–RM35,000 for a standard rebuild with new cabinets and worktop, RM30,000–RM50,000 for a wet + dry kitchen and RM40,000–RM60,000+ for a premium kitchen. Our 10 ft L-shape condo example comes to about RM17,500–RM18,000.
What is the cost of kitchen cabinets per foot run in Malaysia?
Market ranges for supply and installation are RM250–RM400 per foot run for melamine, RM350–RM550 for aluminium, RM500–RM800 for solid wood and RM600–RM900 for spray-painted MDF. Base and wall cabinets are usually counted separately.
Quartz, granite or solid surface: which worktop is cheapest?
In our market assumptions, solid surface is about RM120 per foot run, granite about RM220 and quartz about RM300. Granite handles heat best for wok cooking, quartz resists scratches and stains, and solid surface is easiest to repair.
How much does a wet and dry kitchen cost?
Our example of a terrace kitchen split into a 10 x 10 ft dry kitchen and an 8 x 10 ft wet kitchen, with a glass partition, comes to about RM37,600–RM38,700. That includes melamine and aluminium cabinets, quartz and granite tops, two sets of appliances and full-height wet kitchen tiles. A new rear extension costs extra.
What electrical points does a kitchen need?
An induction hob or built-in oven needs its own 20–30A circuit, at about RM220–RM350 per point. The hood and small appliances use 13A sockets at RM90–RM140 each. Install all points before tiling, using a wireman registered with Suruhanjaya Tenaga.
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