Cost · Published 2026-07-14 · 4 min read
The short answer, and why it is not the useful one
Across the Malaysian renovation guides published for 2026, the numbers cluster around this:
| Property | Light refresh | Mid-range renovation | Premium finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condo, 1,000 sq ft | RM40,000 to RM70,000 | RM60,000 to RM150,000 | RM200,000 and up |
| Double-storey terrace | RM50,000 to RM100,000 | RM100,000 to RM320,000 | RM350,000 and up |
| Per square foot | RM70 to RM120 | RM120 to RM250 | RM280 to RM450 |
These are indicative market ranges, not a quote. They are compiled from Malaysian renovation cost guides published in 2026 and listed at the bottom of this page. A real number needs a site visit, because it depends on what is already inside your walls. Book a free consultation and we will give you a scoped figure instead of a range.
A range that wide is nearly useless on its own, and that is the honest problem. RM60,000 and RM150,000 are both "a mid-range condo renovation." What separates them is not luck or negotiation. It is scope, and scope is knowable.
Where the money actually goes
A renovation quote is four buckets wearing a trenchcoat. In rough proportion, on a typical whole-home job:
Carpentry is usually the biggest line. It is priced per foot run, not per room, which is why a kitchen that looks 20 percent bigger costs 20 percent more. Published 2026 ranges land around RM180 to RM300 per foot run for entry-level melamine, RM320 to RM550 for mid-range plywood, and past RM600 for premium boards and hardware. Countertops are quoted separately.
Wet works are where the surprises live. Hacking a bathroom is cheap. Discovering that the waterproofing membrane failed a decade ago, and the slab under it is wet, is not.
Mechanical and electrical is invisible and non-negotiable. New points, new conduit, a board that can carry an induction hob and two air-conditioners. Nobody photographs it, everybody needs it, and a quote that omits it is not cheaper. It is incomplete.
Why two quotes for the same house differ by triple
Because they are not quoting the same house.
- One assumes you keep the floor. The other assumes it comes out, and the difference is a five-figure line before a single tile is laid.
- One counts your existing wiring as fine. The other rewires. Only one of them has been inside the wall.
- Carpentry is measured differently. Feet run, materials, hardware brand, whether the internals are included. Three quotes can use the same word and mean three products.
- Disposal and hoarding are left out. Debris removal, lift protection and management deposits are real ringgit, and the cheapest quote is often the one that quietly forgot them.
- Variation orders are the business model. A low headline price plus expensive changes later is a strategy, not an accident.
A quote is not a price. It is a description of the work, with a number attached. Compare the description first.
The costs nobody puts in the headline number
- Management or council approval. Under the Strata Management Act 2013, a strata unit cannot be renovated without written approval from the management corporation or JMB, and a refundable deposit, commonly RM1,000 to RM5,000, usually comes with it. Landed structural work needs local council approval, and that can take two to six weeks.
- Hacking and disposal. Skip lorries, staged removal, and in a condo, a booked service lift with padded walls.
- Contingency. Ten to fifteen percent of the contract sum, ring-fenced. Old buildings lie.
- Living costs while displaced. Rent, storage, or a longer stay with family if the timeline moves.
- The last ten percent. Lighting, curtains, the second coat nobody quoted. It is the cheapest part of the project and the part that decides whether the whole thing looks finished.
How to read a quote so it cannot ambush you
- Ask for the scope, not the price. A quote without a line-by-line scope is a number pretending to be an agreement.
- Get carpentry in feet run, with the board and hardware named. "Kitchen cabinet: RM18,000" is not a specification.
- Confirm what is excluded. The exclusions list is more informative than the inclusions list.
- Fix the payment schedule to milestones, not to dates. You pay for completed work, not for elapsed time.
- Put variations in writing before they happen. Every variation should have its own price, signed, before anyone lifts a hammer.
How we price it, since you asked
We quote after a site visit, itemised by trade, with the exclusions written down where you can read them. If a wall has to come out, the price for taking it out is in the document before you sign, not in a message three weeks later. That is not generosity. It is the only way a fixed price means anything.
The number you get from us will not be the lowest number you get. It will be the one that still matches the invoice at the end.
Sources
The market ranges on this page are drawn from Malaysian renovation cost guides published in 2026, including PropertyGuru Malaysia, iHome.my and ClickBina. The approval requirement for strata properties is set by the Strata Management Act 2013, summarised for homeowners by PropertyGuru. Ranges vary between sources and none of them is a substitute for a scoped quote on your own property.
Read next: kitchen renovation · condo renovation · design and build