How much does a kitchen renovation cost in George Town?

A kitchen renovation in George Town typically costs between RM 18,000 and RM 92,000, depending on whether you're refreshing surfaces or stripping the room down to bare walls. This guide breaks the cost into the four bands we see in real quotes from contractors listed on this directory, and explains what specifically pushes a project into the next tier.

The four cost bands

Band 1: Cabinet refresh — RM 18,000 to RM 28,000

This is the lightest possible renovation: keep the existing cabinet carcasses and counter layout, replace doors and drawer fronts, swap the countertop, retile the splashback. Plumbing and electrical stay where they are.

Typical inclusions in this band:

• New cabinet doors and drawer fronts (laminate or basic 2-pack)
• New countertop (quartz starting at RM 280 per linear foot)
• Splashback retile (RM 35-50 per square foot installed)
• Repainting the rest of the kitchen
• Same sink, same tap, same appliances

Best fit for: condos under 5 years old where the kitchen layout works fine, but the finishes look tired.

Band 2: Mid-tier renovation — RM 30,000 to RM 55,000

Replace the cabinet carcasses entirely, upgrade the countertop, and usually one of the appliances (cooktop or oven). Plumbing remains in place but the sink and tap get replaced. Lighting often gets reworked.

What pushes a project from Band 1 into Band 2 is replacing the carcasses, not the doors. Once you do that, you're paying for both demolition disposal and new built-ins, which roughly doubles the cabinet line item.

Typical inclusions:

• New built-in cabinetry (RM 850-1,400 per linear foot in this band)
• Upgraded countertop (engineered quartz at RM 350-450 per linear foot, or solid surface)
• New sink, tap, soap dispenser
• Splashback redo with mid-range tile (RM 60-90 per square foot installed)
• One appliance upgrade (induction cooktop or built-in oven)
• LED ceiling lights with dimmer

Best fit for: 5-15-year-old condos and terrace houses where the layout still works but the cabinetry is showing wear.

Band 3: Full strip and rebuild — RM 55,000 to RM 90,000

Walls hacked, floors lifted, plumbing relocated, electrical rewired, ventilation reworked. A new kitchen in the same footprint or with one wall removed.

Typical inclusions:

• Full demolition and disposal (RM 3,000-6,000)
• Wall hacking for layout change (RM 4,000-8,000 per opening, more for load-bearing walls)
• Plumbing relocation (RM 1,500-4,000)
• Full electrical rewire to current MS standards
• Premium cabinetry (RM 1,400-2,200 per linear foot — solid plywood carcasses, soft-close, premium hardware)
• Quartz or porcelain slab countertop (RM 450-700 per linear foot)
• New flooring (porcelain tile RM 80-150 per square foot installed, or vinyl plank RM 35-60)
• 2-3 appliances integrated
• New ventilation (hood, exhaust ducting to balcony or external wall)
• Plaster ceiling with cove lighting

Best fit for: owners settling into a long-term home, or older properties (15+ years) where the existing kitchen genuinely needs to be replaced.

Band 4: Heritage shophouse kitchen — RM 75,000 to RM 92,000+

The George Town UNESCO-zone overlay applies. A heritage shophouse kitchen renovation costs 25-40% more than the equivalent condo project because of permit requirements, conservation-grade materials, and skilled tradesmen who understand the building stock.

Specific cost adders for heritage:

• JKR/MBPP heritage permit handling (RM 3,000-6,000 in admin)
• Lime-based plaster instead of gypsum (3-5x material cost)
• Reclaimed or new-old timber for joinery (RM 1,800+ per linear foot for cabinetry)
• Air-well integration (drainage and waterproofing for traditional internal courtyards)
• Specialised contractors who command 15-25% premium over mid-tier crews

Best fit for: owners renovating a shophouse and committed to keeping the project consistent with the heritage character. Always start by checking the lot's gazette status and applicable conservation guidelines.

What drives the variance within a band

Two kitchens in the same band can vary by 30% based on three factors:

1. Cabinet material and hardware grade. Plywood beats particleboard for humid Penang interiors but costs more. Soft-close hinges add RM 25-45 per unit and there are typically 18-30 hinges in a kitchen. Domestic-brand drawer slides versus Blum or Hettich is a 4x cost difference.
2. Countertop choice. Engineered quartz at RM 350 per linear foot vs porcelain slab at RM 700 per linear foot is the single biggest swing for a typical 14-foot run.
3. Appliance integration. A countertop induction is RM 1,500-3,000; a built-in induction with hood and oven integration is RM 6,000-12,000 plus the cabinetry rework to fit them.

How long does it take

Band	Typical duration
Cabinet refresh	1-2 weeks
Mid-tier renovation	4-6 weeks
Full strip and rebuild	8-12 weeks
Heritage shophouse	12-20 weeks

Add 2-4 weeks for permit handling on heritage projects, and 1-2 weeks of buffer if you're sourcing imported tile or made-to-order joinery.

How to get accurate quotes

The cost ranges above are starting points. Real quotes vary based on the contractor's overhead, your project specifics, and current material prices. To get accurate numbers:

1. Get three quotes for the same scope. The range tells you what your project actually costs; the cheapest is usually a lowball that recovers later through change orders.
2. Specify the cabinet brand or grade, not just "kitchen cabinets". Ask for the carcass material (plywood, particleboard, MDF), the door material, and the hinge/slide brand.
3. Itemise demolition and disposal separately. This is where overruns hide.
4. Ask about CIDB grade for projects above RM 30,000. CIDB G3+ contractors are sized for kitchen-scale projects; below G3 may not have the licensure for structural work like wall hacking.

Verified contractors handling kitchen work in George Town

Browse renovation contractors in George Town to compare verified profiles. Most offer a free site visit and quote before commitment.

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This guide was AI-drafted using cost data from listings on this directory and reviewed against PRD §10 cost-guide guidelines. Prices reflect Penang market rates as of May 2026 and will be updated quarterly. If you spot an inaccuracy or have a recent quote to share, contact us at hello@penangrenovations.com.