House renovation cost in the UK (2026): whole house, room by room and per square metre
4 min
6
September 2026
Key figures in this guide
One-minute decision
What are you trying to work out?
Use the calculator with your own quantities and rates, then keep a contingency visible from day one.
Open calculatorA full house renovation in the UK costs roughly £900 - £2,200 per square metre in 2026, so a typical 90 square metre three-bedroom house lands between £80,000 and £200,000 depending on how much you strip back and how good the finishes are.
Most of the range is decided by three things: whether the house needs new services (wiring, plumbing, heating), whether you move walls, and the standard of kitchens, bathrooms and joinery.
What a full house renovation costs in 2026
| Level of work | 2026 cost per square metre | Typical 90 square metre house | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | £400 - £700 | £36,000 - £63,000 | Decoration, flooring, new kitchen and bathroom, minor repairs |
| Standard renovation | £900 - £1,400 | £81,000 - £126,000 | Rewire, replaster, new heating, kitchen, two bathrooms, joinery |
| Full refurbishment | £1,500 - £2,200 | £135,000 - £198,000 | Strip to brick, new layout, structural openings, insulation, high-spec finishes |
| Listed or period restoration | £2,200 - £3,200 | £198,000 - £288,000 | Specialist windows, lime plaster, conservation detailing |
Add 10 - 20 per cent for London and the South East, and deduct 5 - 10 per cent for the North East, Wales and Scotland outside Edinburgh.
Room by room costs in 2026
| Element | 2026 cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen supply and fit | £9,000 - £30,000 | Units, worktops, appliances, fitting; bespoke joinery goes well beyond |
| Family bathroom | £6,500 - £14,000 | Full refit including tiling and new soil connections |
| Shower room or en suite | £5,000 - £9,500 | Smaller, but pumps and drainage can add cost |
| Full rewire | £4,500 - £9,000 | Depends on house size and whether floors come up |
| Replaster throughout | £4,500 - £11,000 | Skim over sound plaster is far cheaper than hack off and render |
| New boiler and radiators | £4,500 - £9,000 | Heat pump instead: £9,000 - £16,000 before grant |
| Windows (whole house) | £8,000 - £22,000 | Timber sash restoration is priced per window |
| Structural opening or steel beam | £2,500 - £6,500 each | Includes engineer calculations and building control |
| Decoration throughout | £4,000 - £9,000 | Per room roughly £450 - £900 |
| Flooring | £45 - £140 per square metre | Engineered oak at the top, good laminate at the bottom |
What pushes the price up
- Moving kitchens and bathrooms, because drainage and services follow them
- Removing walls, which brings in a structural engineer and building control
- Damp, rot or dated wiring found once you open up
- Living in the house while the work runs, which slows the programme
- Steel, glazing and bespoke joinery lead times, which cost money in standing time
What to allow on top of the builder price
- Design and drawings: 5 - 12 per cent of the build cost
- Structural engineer: £750 - £2,500
- Building control: £600 - £1,500
- Party wall surveyor, if applicable: £1,200 - £2,500 per neighbour
- Contingency: 10 per cent for a modern house, 15 - 20 per cent for anything pre-1930
- Skips, scaffolding, temporary accommodation and storage
How to set your budget
- 01Work out the finished floor area of everything being touched, in square metres.
- 02Pick the level of work from the table above and take the middle of the range.
- 03Add professional fees, building control and a contingency.
- 04Sanity check the total against the ceiling value of your street, so you are not over-investing.
- 05Decide what you would drop first if quotes come in high, and write it down before you tender.
How to keep quotes comparable
Renovation quotes vary wildly mostly because each builder is pricing a different job. Write one scope of works, state the specification for kitchens, bathrooms and flooring, and give every builder the same document. Renovome does this for you: answer questions about your house and plans, and you get a structured brief every professional prices against, so the numbers you get back can actually be compared line by line.
Last reviewed: September 2026