Kitchen renovation
A kitchen price is the cabinets, the benchtop, the appliances and the trades that connect them. Moving a sink or a cooktop changes plumbing, gas or electrical work. The figures below are council schedules for estimating the cost of development. They are not a quote for your kitchen.
Blue Mountains City Council's July 2023 calculator has a line for a new or refurbished kitchen. City of Newcastle's September 2025 guide has a minimum rate per room, and that estimate excludes GST. Ask for a drawing that matches the quote. The drawing is what you are buying, not the mood photos.
Published figures
New or refurbished kitchen, council estimating rate, not a quote
$23,625 AUD each
Council estimating rate, not a quote. Blue Mountains City Council building cost calculator, line 'Dwelling: New/Refurbish Kitchen'. The PDF is a unit-cost table for estimating building work. It does not say whether GST is included.
Source: Blue Mountains City Council, Building Cost Calculator Costings, July 2023 (opens in a new tab). Source checked Published July 2023. Checked 22 October 2026.
Kitchen renovation, minimum estimating rate, not a quote
$46,350 AUD per room
City of Newcastle guide, line 'Kitchen renovations / All'. Minimum rate for estimating development cost. The estimated development cost excludes GST and is meant to reflect market value, including labour. This is not a quote.
Source: City of Newcastle, A Guide to Estimated Development Cost, Version 6, September 2025 (opens in a new tab). Source checked Published September 2025. Checked 22 October 2026.
What changes the price
- Cabinets and benchtop. Flat-pack, workshop-built and stone tops are different products. Name the material and who makes it.
- Services. A new dishwasher point, an induction circuit or a moved gas cooktop is trade work. Check it is on the quote.
- Appliances. Say whether the price includes appliances or only the holes they sit in.
- Splashback and floor. Tiling, painting and floor patching are easy to leave off a cabinet quote.
- Measuring twice. Walls are rarely square. A measure-and-make process should be in the programme before anything is built.
Questions to ask
- Who manufactures the cabinets, and who installs them?
- Is the benchtop material named, including joins and cutouts?
- Are plumbing, gas and electrical changes included?
- Are appliances included or client-supplied?
- What happens if the walls are out of square?
- Is removal of the old kitchen in the price?
Common questions
Is a cabinet price the renovation price?
Usually not. Installation, benchtops, splashbacks and trade connections are often separate lines. Add them up before you compare.
Which trade hub should I open?
Kitchen installers fit the kitchen. Joiners and cabinet makers build it. Plumbers, gasfitters and electricians connect it. The quote should say who does which.