Condo Renovation Cost in Singapore: 2026 Budget Guide
Most Singapore condo renovations land between roughly S$15,000 for a small studio refresh and well over S$100,000 for a full overhaul of a large or resale unit. Where you fall depends on unit size, whether the home is new or resale, how much custom carpentry you want, and how much hacking and rewiring the layout needs. Published ranges differ from one source to the next, so treat every figure below as a planning range and not a quotation.
This guide is written for Singapore homeowners, especially new owners collecting keys and trying to work out a realistic budget. We cover the ranges, what drives them, the condo-specific rules that add cost, and how to compare quotations fairly.
TL;DR
One published 2026 guide puts condo renovation at S$15,400 to S$181,100, depending on unit type and scope. Resale units usually cost more than new ones.
Carpentry is often the largest single line item, so it is also where good design saves the most money.
Condos add costs that HDB flats rarely have: MCST approval, a refundable deposit, restricted working hours and floor protection.
Lock in materials early, keep a contingency, and choose a contractor with a clear itemised quotation and a consumer-protection track record.
Table of Contents
What a condo renovation costs in Singapore
Condo budgets are best read in bands. These are indicative figures drawn from the published guides readers in this market commonly consult, and we have rounded our language, not the numbers, so you can check them yourself.
Unit type | Typical planning range (S$) | What usually drives the spend |
Studio or 1-bedroom | 15,000 to 37,000 | Carpentry, lighting, feature walls |
2-bedroom | 25,000 to 50,000 | Carpentry, flooring, electrical |
3-bedroom | 40,000 to 70,000 | Full carpentry, wet-area works |
Large or resale units | 90,000 to 180,000 | Hacking, rewiring, waterproofing, custom joinery |
The lower three rows reflect ranges that several Singapore cost guides publish for standard scopes. The higher band comes from guides that describe a 90 to 110 square metre condo at S$45,000 to S$120,000 and from others that quote more for premium finishes. The gap between them is not an error. It is the difference between painting, flooring and built-in cabinets, and tearing out a kitchen, relaying every bathroom and rewiring the unit.
New launch versus resale
A new-launch condo usually arrives with finished floors, sanitary ware and a functioning kitchen shell. Most owners spend on carpentry, lighting, curtains and a few layout tweaks. A resale unit is a different project. Older pipes, tired waterproofing, dated electrical and a layout from another decade often mean hacking, re-tiling and rewiring before any design work shows. That is why resale condos generally cost more to renovate than new ones.
If you bought resale, the timeline stretches along with the budget. Our resale renovation timeline for Singapore walks through the stages from three to nine months.
What about a 1,000 square foot condo?
A 1,000 sq ft unit is a typical three-bedroom or a generous two-bedroom. Using the bands above, a light-to-mid scope on a new unit tends to sit in the S$40,000 to S$70,000 range, while a resale unit with hacking and wet-area work can climb well beyond that. The honest answer is that square footage sets the baseline and scope sets the final figure. Two owners with identical floor plans can be S$50,000 apart because one wants a full-height wardrobe wall and a custom kitchen, and the other wants paint and a shoe cabinet.
Where the money goes
Budgets become easier to manage when you stop thinking about one number and start thinking about trades.
Carpentry and built-ins. Wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, TV feature walls, shoe cabinets and vanities. For Singapore homes, carpentry commonly accounts for around a third of the total. We break that down in Carpentry Is 35% of Singapore Renovation Costs.
Hacking, masonry and tiling. The most variable line. Minimal for a new unit, substantial for a resale kitchen or bathroom.
Electrical and lighting. Extra points, new circuits, cove lighting and a rebalanced distribution board.
Flooring. Vinyl, laminate, engineered timber or tile, each with a different price and a different suitability for Singapore humidity. See our room-by-room flooring guide.
Painting and finishing. Usually a modest share, but it is the last item and the first to get squeezed when other lines overrun.
Wet areas. Waterproofing and plumbing. Do not economise here, because a leak affects the unit below and your relationship with the neighbour.
Furniture, curtains and appliances. Often left out of renovation quotes entirely. Budget for them separately.
Two rooms deserve their own plans because they absorb the most carpentry and plumbing. Our kitchen renovation checklist and kitchen cabinet customisation guide show what to decide before you sign. If you are opening up a living area, the open-concept living room guide explains what is realistic in a condo.
Condo rules that add cost and time
Condominium renovation is not simply HDB renovation with nicer finishes. The management corporation (MCST) controls what you can do, when, and how you protect shared spaces. Each of these rules has a cost attached.
MCST approval and permit time
You need MCST approval before work begins. One renovation guide reports that permit processing takes one to four weeks. Build that into your schedule as dead time before the contractor can start, separate from design and construction.
The refundable deposit
Management typically holds a deposit against damage to lift lobbies, corridors and other common areas. Guides in this market quote S$1,000 to S$5,000, and sometimes S$2,000 to S$5,000 for hacking works, depending on the development. It is refundable, but only if the common areas come back undamaged. The practical protection is cheap: ask your contractor to lay heavy-duty floor protection from the loading bay to your door, and photograph the route before work starts.
Working hours
Noisy work such as hacking and drilling is commonly limited to weekday daytime, often with a midday quiet break, and many developments prohibit work on weekends and public holidays. Fewer working hours mean slower progress, which means more labour days. This is one reason condo projects cost more per square foot than comparable flats.
Structural limits and professional endorsement
Solid black elements on your floor plan are structural. They cannot be hacked. For demolition of non-structural elements other than floor tiles in strata-titled buildings, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has issued an advisory on control of renovation works that expects renovation plans to be endorsed by a Professional Engineer or other qualified professional. Ask your designer early whether your layout needs that endorsement, and budget for it. If you are unsure whether a wall is structural, confirm with your management office and a qualified professional before anyone picks up a hammer.
Hidden costs owners underestimate
The quotation you sign rarely equals what you spend. These are the lines we see missed most often:
Variation orders. Mid-project changes are common. Agree in writing how each is priced and approved.
Material lead times. Imported stone, tiles and specialty fixtures can take six to ten weeks to arrive. Late decisions cause late delivery, which stalls other trades. Planners suggest holding a two-week buffer in the schedule.
Temporary accommodation. If you cannot live in the unit during works, rent and storage are real costs.
Defects from the developer. In a new unit, check for defects before you renovate. The developer’s defect liability period generally runs 12 months from key collection, but reporting defects can be complicated once you start work, so inspect first.
Contingency. Set aside a cushion on top of the quote, particularly for resale units where walls and pipes hide surprises.
How to compare quotations fairly
Two quotations for the same unit can look S$20,000 apart for good reasons. Compare them line by line, not by the bottom figure.
Scope. Does each quote include the same cabinets, same materials, same electrical points, and same wet-area works?
Materials named. A line that says only “laminate” is not comparable with one that names a brand and grade.
Payment schedule. Check how much is due before work starts. Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) guidance for CaseTrust-accredited renovation contractors caps upfront deposits, with staged payments after that. Never agree to pay most of the contract up front.
Defect liability. How long, and what is covered?
Who does the work. In-house teams answer for their own quality. Layers of subcontractors dilute accountability.
Permits and insurance. The contractor should handle MCST submissions and carry proper insurance, so that the cost of an accident does not fall back on you.
If you want a neutral checklist of what a well-built renovation quotation should include, this general overview of renovation options, costs and permits is a useful reference, though it is written in Dutch and for another market, so apply the principles and not the local rules.
How to save without cutting quality
Money saved in the wrong place returns as repairs. Money saved in the right place stays saved.
Design the carpentry, do not simply add it. Fewer, better-planned cabinets that use wall depth and ceiling height cost less than many small pieces, and look calmer. Our piece on Singapore interior design costs goes into how to save on carpentry.
Keep the layout. Moving walls, kitchens and bathrooms is where condo budgets break. Work with the plan you have wherever you can.
Phase the optional work. Furniture, feature lighting and decorative panelling can come after you move in.
Decide early. Final material choices before work starts prevent paying twice.
Match the finish to the room. Spend on the kitchen and wardrobes you use daily, and keep guest-room finishes simple.
If you are comparing a condo to a government flat, our BTO renovation cost guide shows what S$15,000 to S$100,000 and more buys there.
Our perspective: cost and craftsmanship belong together
We are a design and carpentry studio, and we think the most useful budget conversation starts with carpentry. It is where condo owners spend the most, where drawings turn into something you touch every day, and where a good design saves money by avoiding waste. Because our designers and carpenters work as one in-house team, the person drawing your wardrobe understands how it will be built, installed and carried through a condo lift lobby under MCST rules.
We also believe a quote should be understood, not merely accepted. Ask us what each line covers, what could change it, and what we would cut first if the budget tightened. Monarch Carpentry Design Studio receives great reviews and feedback for great design at modest cost, and we want to keep earning that by being clear about trade-offs before work starts, not after. Our aim is interiors that are beautiful, practical and built to last.
— Seth Wayne
Planning a condo renovation with Monarch
If you own a new or resale condo in Singapore and want a budget based on your own floor plan instead of a range, talk to us. We handle interior design, design and build, addition and alteration, and reinstatement works for residential, commercial and hospitality spaces. Start with a consultation through our services page, or see our work and approach at monarchcarpenters.com.
FAQ
How much does it cost to renovate a condo in Singapore?
Published 2026 guides range from about S$15,000 for a small studio to over S$100,000 for large or resale units. A two-bedroom with a standard scope commonly sits in the S$25,000 to S$50,000 band. Your own figure depends on carpentry, hacking and finishes.
How much does it cost to renovate a 1,000 sq ft condo in Singapore?
For a new unit with a light-to-mid scope, plan on roughly S$40,000 to S$70,000. A resale unit needing hacking, rewiring and wet-area work can cost considerably more. A quotation based on your floor plan is the only reliable number.
What are the rules for condo renovation in Singapore?
You need MCST approval before starting, usually pay a refundable deposit, and must follow set working hours. Structural walls, beams and columns cannot be hacked, and some works need professional endorsement under BCA guidance. Check your own development’s house rules, because they differ.
Is a resale condo more expensive to renovate than a new one?
Usually, yes. Resale units more often need hacking, repairs and rewiring, while new units mainly need carpentry and finishing. Inspecting the unit before you set a budget helps you avoid surprises.
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