How to Plan a Kitchen Renovation in Australia — Step by Step

1. Set a Realistic Budget

Before you choose a benchtop colour or browse cabinet door styles, you need a number to work with. Australian kitchen renovations break down roughly like this: joinery and cabinetry takes the biggest share at 40–50% of your total budget, appliances sit at 20–25%, benchtops account for 10–15%, and labour makes up the remaining 15–20%. Understanding this split stops you from over-spending on one area and leaving nothing for the rest.

To put real numbers on it: a standard 3-metre galley kitchen with flat-pack cabinets professionally installed starts at around $8,000–$12,000 all up. Step up to semi-custom or fully custom joinery in a larger L-shape or U-shape kitchen and you're looking at $25,000–$45,000. High-end appliance packages (think induction cooktops, integrated dishwashers, and a quality rangehood) can add $8,000–$15,000 on top of that.

Always build in a 15% contingency on top of your total quote. Once walls open up, it's common to find plumbing that needs relocating, electrical wiring that's not up to code, or unexpected structural issues. These aren't rare exceptions — they're routine. Also worth confirming from day one: Australian tradespeople may quote inclusive or exclusive of GST. Always ask, because 10% is not a small difference on a $30,000 job.

2. Choose Your Kitchen Layout

The layout you choose will shape everything — how much joinery you need, how the workflow feels, and how much natural light the space gets. There are four main configurations to consider:

• Galley (two parallel runs): The most efficient layout for a smaller or narrow kitchen. Everything is within arm's reach, and the work triangle between the sink, cooktop, and fridge is tight and practical. Great for apartments or secondary kitchens.
• L-shape: The most popular layout in open-plan Australian homes. It creates a natural separation between prep and cooking zones, and leaves the remaining floor space open for dining or living. Works well in medium-sized rooms.
• U-shape: Maximum bench and storage space. Suits larger kitchens where you want everything enclosed on three walls — often includes room for a breakfast bar on one run. Needs adequate floor space (ideally 2.4m+ between opposing runs).
• Island: Adds extra bench space and casual seating, and is a common request in new builds and renovations. The non-negotiable here is clearance — you need at least 1.2 metres on every accessible side of the island for safe movement and appliance doors to open freely.

3. Joinery and Cabinetry — Get This Right First

Joinery is typically the single biggest cost in a kitchen renovation, and it's also the component with the longest lead time. Most cabinet makers book out 4–8 weeks in advance for fabrication alone. That's why it pays to nail down your cabinetry decisions early, before you've finalised anything else.

The key decisions to make are: door style (shaker profiles are a perennial favourite; flat-panel doors suit modern kitchens; handle-less push-to-open works well in contemporary open-plan spaces), material (HMR — moisture-resistant board — is the standard for kitchens; plywood carcasses are more durable but cost more; solid timber adds warmth but requires more maintenance), and benchtop (laminate is affordable and low-maintenance; engineered stone is the popular mid-range choice; natural timber suits coastal and heritage homes but needs sealing).

Before any cutting happens, ask your cabinet maker for a full set of drawings and a fabrication-ready cut list. A reputable maker will provide dimensioned drawings as part of the quoting process — if someone won't show you the plan before they start cutting, that's a red flag. Mistakes in joinery are expensive to rectify because the materials are already gone. For homeowners who want to get ahead of this, tools like Carcasso let you design your own kitchen layout and generate a cost estimate before you even pick up the phone to a tradie.

4. Finding the Right Tradie

Getting the right cabinet maker — and the right supporting trades — makes more difference than almost any other decision in your renovation. Start by looking for a licensed joiner in your state. In most Australian states, cabinet making falls under a joiner's or carpenter's licence, and you can verify this through your state's building authority (e.g. NSW Fair Trading, VIC Building Authority).

Get at least three quotes before committing. Joinery prices vary significantly between makers — sometimes by 40–50% for the same specification — so shopping around is not optional. When you meet with each tradie, ask to see photos or visit a previous job of similar scope, and ask for at least two client references you can actually call. Then verify their ABN at abr.business.gov.au — it takes 30 seconds and confirms the business is legitimate and registered for GST.

5. Timeline — What to Expect

One of the most common frustrations in kitchen renovations is an unrealistic timeline. Here's a realistic breakdown of each stage so you can plan around it:

1. Planning and quotes (2–4 weeks): Getting three quotes, finalising your layout, confirming materials, and signing a contract takes longer than most people expect. Don't rush this stage.
2. Council approval if required (4–8 weeks): Structural changes — moving walls, relocating windows, or changes that affect waterproofing — may require a Development Application or at minimum a Building Approval. Check with your local council early. Not every reno needs one, but finding out late is costly.
3. Demolition (1–2 days): Removing existing cabinetry, benchtops, and appliances is fast. Budget for a skip bin or council hard-rubbish collection.
4. Plumbing and electrical rough-in (1–3 days): Any plumbing relocation and new electrical circuits need to be done before joinery goes in. This is where most of that contingency budget gets used.
5. Joinery installation (2–5 days): The main cabinet carcasses go in first, then doors and drawers are hung and adjusted. A well-run joinery installation is methodical — expect the kitchen to be unusable during this stage.
6. Benchtops (1–2 days, plus 1 week lead time): Stone and engineered benchtop fabricators template after the cabinets are installed, then return 5–7 days later to install. Plan to be without a functional sink during this window.
7. Appliances (1 day): Cooktop, oven, rangehood, and dishwasher installation happens once benchtops are in place. Allow for a licensed gas fitter if you have a gas cooktop.
8. Finishing — tiling, painting, hardware (1–3 days): Splashback tiling, painting reveals and walls, and installing handles and fixtures. Often done by separate trades to the joiner.

Total: allow 6–12 weeks from first quote to a completed kitchen. The wide range comes down to whether council approval is needed, how quickly your cabinet maker can schedule fabrication, and how smooth the rough-in stage goes. Budget for more time, not less.