Condo Renovation in Singapore: Cost, MCST Rules and Timeline

Renovating a condo in Singapore is a different job from renovating an HDB flat or a landed home. You own the unit, but not the walls around it, the lifts that carry your materials or the corridor outside your door, and your management corporation (MCST) has rules about all of them. Get those rules, the budget and the timeline straight before you sign a quotation, and the renovation itself becomes the easy part.

This guide covers what a condo renovation typically costs in 2026, what your MCST will ask for, how long the work takes and where the budget does the most good, based on how we plan condo projects at IS Design Studio.

What a Condo Renovation Costs in Singapore

As a broad market indication, condo renovations in Singapore commonly fall between S$50,000 and S$120,000, depending on scope and finish level. That range comes from our renovation cost guide, and it is orientation, not a quote: where your project lands depends on what is being changed, not on the size of the unit alone.

The biggest swings in a condo budget usually come from four decisions:

• Keeping or replacing the developer finishes. Many newer condos come with flooring, kitchens or bathrooms worth keeping. Keeping them frees budget for the things that change daily life most.
• Carpentry. Built-in wardrobes, kitchen cabinets and concealed storage are usually the largest single share of a Singapore renovation, and the place where quality differences show fastest.
• Wet works. Reconfiguring a kitchen or bathroom, re-tiling or moving plumbing points costs far more than refreshing them in place.
• The age of the unit. Older resale condos can need rewiring, re-piping or floor levelling before any visible work begins.

If a quote sits well below the market range, check what has been left out. Haulage, protection works, electrical points and plumbing relocation are the usual missing lines that come back later as variations.

What Your MCST Will Ask For

Every development sets its own renovation rules, so the first step is to get the current guidelines from your management office. In most Singapore condominiums you can expect the MCST to:

• ask for renovation plans before works begin;
• collect a refundable renovation deposit;
• restrict works to set hours;
• require lifts and common areas to be protected while materials and debris move through them;
• restrict changes to windows, balconies and anything visible from outside.

None of this is unusual, but it shapes the design. A balcony change or a new window detail that the MCST will not approve is wasted design time. We plan around your development’s rules from the first site assessment, so the design you approve is one your MCST will accept, and we help prepare what the management office needs before work starts.

New Launch or Resale: Two Different Starting Points

A new launch condo arrives with developer-standard finishes. The real question is what to keep and what to change, and the answer is often to keep more than you expect, then spend on carpentry, lighting and the few surfaces you touch every day.

An older resale condo usually has a more generous layout that deserves rethinking, but also older wiring, plumbing and floors. Budget for what hacking may reveal: our cost guide suggests keeping a 10–15% contingency, particularly in older properties.

How Long a Condo Renovation Takes

Most condo renovations with IS Design Studio take between 8 and 14 weeks from confirmed design to handover, depending on scope and material lead times. The sequence usually runs like this:

1. A site assessment, so the proposal fits your actual unit.
2. Design and an itemised quotation matched to your scope, materials and timeline.
3. MCST submission and deposit, completed before any work on site.
4. Site works: hacking, wet works, electrical and plumbing, then ceilings, flooring and painting.
5. Carpentry installation, followed by final fittings, cleaning and handover.

Because our carpentry is fabricated at our own factory rather than built on site, more of the noisy, dusty work happens away from your neighbours, and the precision of your kitchen cabinets and wardrobes is controlled by the same team that designed them.

Where the Budget Does the Most Good

The condos that feel most luxurious are rarely the ones where everything was upgraded. They are the ones where the budget was directed with intent. At Dunearn Road, the design rests on a single rose marble feature wall in the dining zone rather than stone on every surface. At Prinsep Link, full-height oak cabinetry with softly curved edges does more for the home’s character than any amount of decoration.

Put the money where you will feel it daily: joinery, worktops, flooring and lighting. Spend less on ornament you will stop noticing within a month.

Condo Renovation Checklist

• Get your development’s renovation guidelines from the management office.
• Decide what stays (flooring, kitchen, bathrooms) before you compare quotes.
• Fix the scope before the number, then compare itemised quotes, not totals.
• Check that the quote includes haulage, protection works, electrical points and plumbing.
• Keep a 10–15% contingency, more for older resale units.
• Ask who builds the carpentry, and where.
• Agree the timeline in writing, including the MCST’s working hours.

For the design side, see our condo interior design service, or explore condo loft design if your unit has a high ceiling. Our renovation cost guide covers every property type, how to choose an interior design firm in Singapore will help you shortlist, and our custom carpentry page explains how our factory-made joinery works.

Planning a condo renovation? Book a design consultation. We start with a site assessment, then give you a design and an itemised quotation matched to your unit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a condo renovation cost in Singapore?

As a broad market indication, commonly S$50,000 to S$120,000 depending on scope and finish level. Your actual figure depends on what is kept, what is reconfigured and the condition of the unit; a site visit and an itemised quote settle it.

Do I need MCST approval to renovate my condo?

In most developments, yes. The management corporation usually asks for renovation plans before works begin, a refundable deposit and adherence to set working hours, and may restrict changes to windows, balconies and anything visible from outside.

How long does a condo renovation take?

Most condo renovations with IS Design Studio take 8 to 14 weeks from confirmed design to handover, depending on scope and material lead times.

Can I keep the developer finishes in a new condo?

Often, yes. Many new condos come with flooring, kitchens or bathrooms worth keeping. We assess what is in good condition at the site visit and put the budget where it changes the home most.

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IS Design Studio — Own in-house fabrication factory · HDB Licence HB-12-6290F · UEN 202308000K. MCST renovation rules differ between developments and change over time. Always confirm current requirements with your management office before starting work.