Skip to content
penang renovations

Cost guide · 7 min read

How much does hacking and demolition cost in Penang?

Hacking in Penang costs about RM 1,500 to RM 4,000 per area, like one bathroom, a kitchen's tiles or one partition wall. Disposal and making good are extra.

Published
2 Nov 2026
Updated
2 Nov 2026
Trade
renovation-contractor

Estimate your cost

RM 4,400 to RM 12,900 total

Assumes 100 sq ft, mid-tier finish, George Town pricing.

This is an indicative estimate, not a quote. Your actual price depends on scope, materials, and site conditions.

Rates reviewed 2026-11-02. Source: cost guide.

Get exact quotes from a local contractor

Hacking and demolition in Penang costs about RM 1,500 to RM 4,000 per area, such as one bathroom, the tiles of one kitchen, or one non-load-bearing partition wall. Debris disposal and making good the surfaces after hacking are usually priced on top. A load-bearing wall is a different job that needs an engineer, and it costs far more.

"Hacking" is the Malaysian word for breaking out tiles, screed, walls and old fittings before new work starts. It appears in almost every renovation quote, and it is one of the lines where costs most often run over. The figures below come from published Malaysian price guides, listed at the end. Most of them are Klang Valley rates, so treat them as planning ranges for Penang, not quotes.

The cost bands

Floor and wall tiles, RM 1.50 to RM 8 per sq ft

Breaking out old tiles is priced per square foot. Published rates vary with what comes out with the tiles:

  • Breaking out floor tiles, with disposal: RM 1.50 to RM 3 per sq ft in one guide
  • Hacking old tiles before retiling, with disposal: RM 4 to RM 8 per sq ft in another

The lower figure is closer to a bare floor tile removal. The higher figure allows for the mortar bed and more careful removal before new tiles go down. Older Penang homes often have two or three layers of tiles from earlier renovations. Each extra layer adds labour, and contractors can only confirm the count once they start.

One bathroom or one kitchen, RM 800 to RM 3,000

Wet areas are usually priced as a lump sum per room, not per square foot.

  • Full bathroom hack to the substrate, with debris: about RM 1,500 to RM 2,000 across three guides
  • Kitchen floor and wall tiles: RM 800 to RM 2,500 in one guide
  • One area of wall or floor tiles: RM 1,500 to RM 3,000 in another

Removing old kitchen cabinets is a separate line. One guide puts cabinet demolition and removal at RM 500 to RM 1,500.

Non-load-bearing partition wall, RM 1,500 to RM 4,000 per opening

Removing a brick partition to open up a kitchen or join two rooms is the most common layout change. One guide prices hacking a non-load-bearing wall for a layout change at RM 1,500 to RM 4,000. Another prices the work per square foot, at RM 10 to RM 25 per sq ft for a brick partition with disposal and RM 5 to RM 12 per sq ft for drywall. A third lists bare wall hacking from RM 3 to RM 6 per sq ft, which excludes disposal and patching.

Making good afterwards (patching the floor, plastering the wall ends, painting) costs RM 800 to RM 2,500 per opening in the guide that itemises it.

Load-bearing walls, engineer first

Some walls carry the floor or roof above. Many modern terrace and semi-detached houses use a reinforced concrete frame, where the brick walls between columns are infill. Older houses and some low-rise buildings use load-bearing masonry. You cannot tell which you have by tapping the wall. You confirm it from the structural drawings or an engineer's inspection.

If a wall carries load, removing it needs a beam designed by a professional engineer, temporary propping during the work, and approval from the local council (MBPP on the island, MBSP on the mainland). In a condo, structural elements are usually common property and you cannot touch them. This work is priced after the engineer's design, not per square foot. Never accept a per-square-foot price for a wall nobody has checked.

Pricing table

Item Published range
Floor tile break-out, with disposal RM 1.50 to RM 3 per sq ft
Tile hacking before retiling, with disposal RM 4 to RM 8 per sq ft
Full bathroom hack, with debris about RM 1,500 to RM 2,000
Kitchen floor and wall tiles RM 800 to RM 2,500
Hacking one area of walls or tiles RM 1,500 to RM 3,000
Cabinet demolition and removal RM 500 to RM 1,500
Non-load-bearing wall, layout change RM 1,500 to RM 4,000
Brick partition, with disposal RM 10 to RM 25 per sq ft
Make good after hacking RM 800 to RM 2,500 per opening
Debris disposal, per lorry load or bin about RM 300 to RM 1,200

Debris disposal

Old tiles, bricks and cabinet panels do not disappear on their own. Disposal is often left out of a quote or written as one vague line. Published figures:

  • One lorry trip for demolition debris: RM 300 to RM 600
  • One bin or load: RM 400 to RM 1,200
  • A full kitchen renovation: one to two lorry trips, RM 600 to RM 1,200
  • A full condo hack: RM 1,000 to RM 3,000 for debris removal alone

In a high-rise, workers carry debris to the service lift by hand, and guides add a surcharge for it. Ask whether the price includes carrying debris down and taking it to a licensed disposal site.

What changes the price

Condo or landed

Condos add rules that cost money. Guides list a renovation deposit of RM 2,000 to RM 5,000, partly refundable, plus fixed hacking hours (usually weekdays, during office hours) and lift protection. Some buildings charge a daily hacking permit fee. Fixed hours also stretch the job across more days. Read your building's renovation rules before you sign, and see our condo renovation rules guide.

Landed homes need no permit for most interior work, but structural changes and extensions need a council permit with plans from a registered professional. See our renovation permit guide.

What is behind the surface

Hacking often uncovers cracked screed, failed waterproofing or corroded pipes. Repairing them is necessary but is rarely in the original quote. One guide recommends a contingency of RM 1,000 to RM 3,000 for a full bathroom renovation for this reason.

Wall material and services

Drywall comes out faster and cheaper than brick. Concrete costs more than either. A wall with water pipes or wiring inside needs those services moved first, which brings in a plumber or electrician.

Access

A ground-floor terrace with a lorry at the gate is the cheapest case. Upper floors, narrow lanes in George Town, and condos where the lorry must wait outside all add labour time.

How to compare quotes

  1. Ask for hacking, disposal and making good as three separate lines. A single "demolition" line hides which of the three is missing.
  2. Ask for the unit. Compare per square foot with per square foot, and lump sum with lump sum. Measure the area yourself if you can.
  3. Ask how many tile layers the price assumes. Agree a rate for each extra layer before work starts.
  4. Confirm the wall type in writing. For any wall you want removed, ask the contractor to state that it is non-load-bearing, and on what basis. For anything in doubt, pay for an engineer's opinion first.
  5. Ask where the debris goes. A licensed disposal site costs more than a roadside dump, and an illegal dump can bring a council fine.
  6. Check the condo rules against the schedule. A quote that assumes weekend hacking will not survive a building that bans it.

Related guides

Browse verified renovation contractors in George Town to compare profiles and ask for a site visit.

Sources

Rates checked against the public sources above on 2 November 2026. Compiled by Wei Han, founder of Penang Renovations.

This guide was drafted with AI assistance from the public sources listed above. Prices are planning ranges, not quotes, and will be revised periodically. If you spot an inaccuracy or have a recent quote to share, contact us at penangrenovations.com@gmail.com.

Want a real quote for your job?

Tell us the job in 8 short questions. We pass it to a local Renovation Contractor in Penang.

Get a free quote

Common questions

How much does hacking cost in Penang?
Hacking costs about RM 1,500 to RM 4,000 per area, such as one bathroom, the tiles of one kitchen, or one non-load-bearing partition wall. Debris disposal and making good the surfaces are usually priced on top. A load-bearing wall needs an engineer and costs far more.
How much does it cost to hack floor tiles per square foot?
Published Malaysian rates run RM 1.50 to RM 3 per sq ft to break out floor tiles with disposal, and RM 4 to RM 8 per sq ft to hack old tiles before retiling. Each extra layer of old tiles adds labour.
How much does it cost to remove a wall in a Malaysian home?
Hacking a non-load-bearing wall for a layout change runs RM 1,500 to RM 4,000, or RM 10 to RM 25 per sq ft for a brick partition with disposal. Making good afterwards costs RM 800 to RM 2,500 per opening. A load-bearing wall needs an engineer-designed beam and council approval.
How much does renovation debris disposal cost?
One lorry trip for demolition debris costs RM 300 to RM 600, and one bin or load RM 400 to RM 1,200. Debris removal for a full condo hack can reach RM 1,000 to RM 3,000. Ask whether the price includes carrying debris down in a high-rise.