How much does a home renovation cost in South Africa?
Published 2026 guides put most home renovations between R5,000 and R25,000 per square metre of renovated space. Where you land depends on whether the work is cosmetic, mid-range or structural.
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A light renovation of new finishes and minor repairs typically costs R5,000 to R10,000 per m², a mid-range job with new kitchens, bathrooms and flooring R8,000 to R15,000, and high-end or structural work R15,000 to R25,000 or more. Taking out a load-bearing wall for an open-plan space usually costs R30,000 to R60,000 for an opening of up to 3 m. These figures are a guide from limited published data.
| What | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Light renovation (paint, tiling, minor repairs, new fittings) | R5,000–R10,000/m² | |
| Mid-range renovation (kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, minor structural work) | R8,000–R15,000/m² | |
| High-end or structural renovation | R15,000–R25,000/m² | Major structural changes, custom finishes and imported materials. Some jobs go higher. |
| Removing a load-bearing wall, opening up to 3 m | R30,000–R60,000 per project | Includes the steel beam and propping. A 4 to 6 m opening runs about R55,000 to R120,000. |
| Removing a non-load-bearing partition wall | R8,000–R20,000 per wall | A Gauteng guide prices this at R3,500 to R8,000 per linear metre. |
| Structural engineer's assessment and beam design | R5,000–R25,000 per project | |
| Plans and municipal submission for structural alterations | R8,000–R25,000 per project | From a Cape Town guide. Municipal fees alone can be lower. |
| Cosmetic refresh only (no layout or structural changes) | R1,000–R2,500/m² | From a single cost aggregator. Far below the other guides, so treat it as a floor for very light work. |
Estimates only. These ranges come from published South African prices, listed under sources below, and were last checked on 28 October 2026. Your price depends on your site and the specification. Get quotes for an accurate price for your job.
Renovation prices vary widely, because no two houses start from the same place. The per-m² rates that South African builders publish are for the area being renovated, not the whole house. A Kandua cost guide sorts jobs into three bands: light at R5,000 to R8,000 per m², medium at R8,000 to R15,000 and high-end at R15,000 to R25,000 or more. A Gauteng builder's guide gives similar bands that start a little higher, at R7,000 per m².
Not every source agrees. One cost aggregator lists home renovation at just R1,000 to R2,500 per m², which only makes sense for a light refresh such as painting and minor repairs. That's why the first rows below are wide. Before you use a rate, decide honestly which band your project falls into.
This guide is about altering and upgrading an existing home. For new floor area, such as an extension or a granny flat, see our building cost guide. For a bathroom on its own, see the bathroom renovation cost guide. None of the renovation sources say whether VAT is included, so ask every contractor.
What moves the price
Pushes the price up
- Structural changes. Moving load-bearing walls needs an engineer, a steel beam, propping and plans, which can add R30,000 to over R100,000 per opening.
- What's hidden in the walls. Old wiring, failing plumbing, damp and asbestos turn up once demolition starts. Guides recommend a 10 to 20% contingency for this reason.
- Kitchens and bathrooms. They hold the most plumbing, electrics and fittings, so they cost far more per m² than bedrooms or living rooms.
- Imported or custom finishes. High-end materials are a big part of what moves a job into the R15,000+ per m² band.
- Living in the house during the work. Phasing around a family slows the job and adds to labour time.
- Location. A Gauteng guide gives Johannesburg slightly higher rates than Pretoria and Ekurhuleni.
Brings the price down
- Keeping the layout. Refitting a kitchen or bathroom in the same position avoids moving drains, water and electrical points.
- Light rather than structural work. New finishes in an existing layout sit in the cheapest band.
- A clear scope before pricing. Contractors price uncertainty into vague briefs. Drawings and a finishes list get tighter quotes.
- Unknowns as provisional sums. Hidden work priced as tracked allowances is easier to control than surprise extras.
- Phasing the work yourself. Renovating one area at a time spreads the cost, though it can cost more overall than one continuous job.
Opening up a kitchen and lounge: a worked example
Say you want to take out a 3.6 m load-bearing wall between a kitchen and lounge. Using the ranges on this page and a Cape Town builder's 2026 breakdown:
- Structural engineer: R5,000 to R15,000
- Plans and municipal submission: R8,000 to R25,000
- Steel beam with padstones: R20,000 to R30,000
- Propping, demolition and rubble removal: about R12,000
- Making good the floor, ceiling, plaster and paint: R12,000 to R20,000
- Moving plugs and switches: about R4,000
- Estimated total: roughly R61,000 to R106,000, before any new kitchen or flooring
Add a contingency
The Cape Town guide's own example comes to about R71,000 to R89,000, which sits inside this range. Older homes are more likely to hide surprises. Holding back 10 to 20% of the budget, as Kandua suggests, would add roughly R6,000 to R21,000 here.
Room-by-room budgets
If you're budgeting room by room rather than per m², two 2026 guides give these ranges:
- Kitchen: about R60,000 to R300,000 from a Gauteng builder, and R63,000 to R190,000 from a cost aggregator
- Bathroom: about R15,000 to R55,000 from the builder, and R19,000 to R69,000 from the aggregator
- Living room: about R20,000 to R100,000 or more
- Bedroom: about R15,000 to R80,000 or more
- Home office: about R10,000 to R50,000 or more
What a renovation quote should show
Renovation quotes are hard to compare unless they're broken down. Ask each contractor to set out:
- Demolition, rubble removal and site protection
- Structural work, with the engineer's design and beam sizes
- Building, plastering and making good, room by room
- Electrical and plumbing work, and the certificates you'll receive
- Finishes: flooring, tiling, ceilings, joinery and paint, with the products specified
- Provisional sums for anything that can't be seen yet
- Who prepares and submits plans, if they're needed
- Whether VAT is included
Do prices differ by region?
A Gauteng builder's 2026 guide gives slightly different rates by city for a full renovation: about R7,500 to R18,000 per m² in Johannesburg, R7,000 to R17,000 in Pretoria and R6,800 to R16,500 in Ekurhuleni.
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How much does it cost to renovate a whole house?
Multiply the area you're renovating by the band that fits the work: about R5,000 to R10,000 per m² for a light renovation, R8,000 to R15,000 for mid-range and R15,000 to R25,000 or more for high-end. A Gauteng builder's guide gives a full makeover of a 146 m² home at about R1.95 million, or R13,330 per m². Add a 10 to 20% contingency.
How much does it cost to remove a wall?
A non-load-bearing partition costs about R8,000 to R20,000 to remove in Cape Town, or R3,500 to R8,000 per metre from a Gauteng guide. A load-bearing wall needs an engineer and a steel beam. Expect about R30,000 to R60,000 for an opening up to 3 m and R55,000 to R120,000 for 4 to 6 m, plus plans.
How much contingency should I budget for a renovation?
Kandua suggests setting aside at least 10 to 20% of the budget, and one cost aggregator recommends 20%. Older houses with original wiring, plumbing or roofs need the higher figure. Asking your contractor to price the unknowns as provisional sums makes it easier to see how much of that contingency you're actually using.
Is renovating cheaper than building new?
Per square metre, a light or mid-range renovation usually costs less than building new, which AECOM puts at R9,850 per m² for a standard house before VAT. Heavy structural renovations can cost as much or more, because of demolition, propping and making good. See our [building cost guide](/cost-guides/new-building-work) for new-build rates.
Do I need to pay for plans for a renovation?
Only if the work changes the structure or use of the building, such as removing load-bearing walls, enlarging openings or converting a garage. A Cape Town guide puts plans and municipal submission at about R8,000 to R25,000 for this kind of job, with an engineer's design at R5,000 to R15,000 on top. Cosmetic work usually needs no plans.
Sources
- The Real Cost Of Home Renovation In South Africa (And How To Plan For It), Kandua, undated
- Home Renovation Cost 2026: JHB, PTA, Centurion & Gauteng, Builders in Gauteng, 2026
- Building contractors prices 2026, Procompare, 2026
- Removing a Load-Bearing Wall in Cape Town: 2026 Cost, Around the House, 2026
- Wall Removal and Structural Change Costs in Gauteng, Builders in Gauteng, undated
- Africa Property & Construction Cost Guide 2025/26, AECOM, rates current to 1 July 2025
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