How this estimator works
The ranges come from real renovation quotes and completed jobs across the Cape Winelands and Cape Town's northern suburbs, the same data behind our 2026 renovation cost guide. The estimator adjusts them in three ways:
- Scope — a kitchen facelift and a full remodel are different projects with different price bands, so you pick the scope that matches your plan.
- Finish level — your choice of standard, mid-range or premium finishes positions your estimate within the band. Finishes (cabinetry, tiles, countertops, sanitaryware) are the single biggest lever on a renovation budget.
- Contingency — 12% is added on top unless you switch it off. Renovations open up walls and floors, and surprises behind them are the rule, not the exception.
What the estimate deliberately excludes: municipal plan approval costs (R15,000–R35,000 where required — the estimator tells you when your project needs it), furniture and appliances, and structural repairs discovered mid-project beyond the contingency.
2026 renovation cost ranges
Kitchens
| Scope | What's included | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Facelift | New cupboard doors, countertops, handles, paint — same layout | R30,000 – R70,000 |
| Full refit, same layout | New cabinetry, tops, sink, splashback, services refreshed | R80,000 – R180,000 |
| Full remodel, new layout | Layout changes, possible wall removal, services rerouted | R200,000 – R400,000+ |
Bathrooms
| Scope | What's included | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic update | Re-tiling, new basin, toilet and taps — same layout | R25,000 – R50,000 |
| Bath-to-shower conversion | Bath out, walk-in shower in — waterproofing, tiling, screen | R20,000 – R45,000 |
| Full remodel | Strip to brick, waterproofing, re-tiling, new sanitaryware | R60,000 – R120,000 |
| New en-suite / high-end | New bathroom where none existed — plumbing runs, premium finishes | R130,000 – R250,000 |
Walls, conversions and flatlets
| Project | What's included | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Non-load-bearing wall removal | Demolition, rubble, making good floor, ceiling and plaster | R8,000 – R20,000 |
| Load-bearing wall removal | Engineer's beam spec and sign-off, propping, demolition, making good | R29,000 – R68,000 |
| Garage to habitable room | Floor screed, damp-proofing, closing the door opening, windows, electrics | R60,000 – R150,000 |
| Garage to flatlet | As above plus bathroom, kitchenette, separate entrance, prepaid meter | R150,000 – R300,000 |
| New-build garden flatlet | Foundations to finishes | R8,000 – R13,000 per m² |
When you need approved plans
Cosmetic renovations — new cupboards, re-tiling, painting, replacing sanitaryware in the same positions — need no approval. Three situations do:
- Structural changes and extensions — removing load-bearing walls, adding rooms, converting a garage into habitable space. Budget R15,000–R35,000 for a draughtsman or architect plus council fees, and allow 2–4 months for approval before the build starts.
- New buildings — a garden flatlet is a new structure and always needs approved plans.
- Heritage properties — any structure older than 60 years needs a Heritage Western Cape permit before alteration, however minor. This covers a large share of homes in central Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek and Wellington.
Renovating without required approvals surfaces at the worst possible time — when you sell — as a bank or buyer demanding as-built plans. Regularising work after the fact costs more than approving it upfront.
Example budgets
Mid-range full bathroom remodel
Strip to brick, waterproofing, re-tiling, new sanitaryware at mid-range finishes: the R60,000–R120,000 band narrows to roughly R75,000–R105,000. With 12% contingency, budget R84,000–R120,000. Timeline: 2–3 weeks on site.
Kitchen refit plus wall removal (open-plan conversion)
A full kitchen refit (mid-range) plus removing the load-bearing wall to the dining room: roughly R105,000–R155,000 for the kitchen and R39,000–R58,000 for the wall including engineering — a combined budget of about R163,000–R240,000 once 12% contingency is added. This project needs municipal plan approval, so add R15,000–R35,000 and start the paperwork 2–4 months before you want to build.
35 m² new garden flatlet, standard finishes
At R8,000–R10,250 per m² for standard finishes, a 35 m² flatlet lands around R280,000–R360,000, or R315,000–R400,000 with contingency — plus plans and approval. Rental income in the Winelands typically pays that back in 5–8 years.