UK Renovation Cost Index 2026 · Build-ups

Internal Renovation: Materials & Labour Build-Up

A whole-house internal renovation is really a dozen trades in the right order — structure first, then first-fix services, then plaster, then everything you can see. This build-up prices a typical 3-bed “back to brick” refurb; the biggest levers are kitchen and bathroom spec and how much replastering the walls actually need.

BasisMid-spec refurbishment of a 3-bed, 90 m² house — rewire, replumb, new kitchen & bathroom, replaster & redecorate throughout

Typical all-in £62,000–£122,000

Per m²≈£690–£1,360 per m² (mid-spec; a high-spec gut-out runs £1,800–£2,800/m²)

Duration12–20 weeks

Average split42% materials · 49% labour · 9% fees & prelimsLabour is ≈54% of materials + labour — the ratio trades quote on. City uplift lands mostly on labour (materials get ~30% of it, fees ~80%), so the split shifts toward labour in bigger cities.

Where is the project? Prices scale with the city — London carries the full +25%.

Line-by-line build-up

Materials = supply cost; labour = what the trade charges for that element; fees & prelims = design, Building Control, party wall, scaffold, skips and site costs. Ranges are typical 2026 UK figures outside London. Every line links to the guide that explains it; labour figures assume the day rates in the Cost Index.

Element	Materials	Labour	Fees & prelims	Notes
Design, Building Control & project management index ↗	—	—	£3,000–£7,000	Drawings where walls move; Building Notice for services
Strip-out, skips & making safe index ↗	—	—	£2,500–£4,500	4–8 skips; asbestos survey on pre-2000 homes
Structural alterations (knock-through + steel)index ↗	£800–£1,900	£2,000–£4,800	—	One load-bearing wall removed
Full rewire (3-bed)index ↗	£1,500–£2,500	£3,500–£5,500	—	New consumer unit, all circuits, Part P certificate
Replumb & new boiler/heating index ↗	£2,100–£3,700	£4,400–£7,800	—	Combi boiler supply & fit £1,800–£3,500 within this
Replastering throughout index ↗	£1,450–£2,550	£5,050–£8,950	—	Skim £15–£25/m²; full re-board where walls are shot
New kitchen (mid-range)index ↗	£7,800–£16,750	£4,000–£7,000	—	Full fit incl. plumbing, electrics, tiling, worktop template
New bathroom (mid-range)index ↗	£3,150–£5,400	£3,850–£6,600	—
Windows (replace 8–10)index ↗	£3,950–£8,650	£1,550–£3,350	—	uPVC–timber range, FENSA
Internal doors, skirting, architrave index ↗	£1,200–£2,600	£1,800–£3,900	—
Flooring throughout index ↗	£2,500–£5,500	£2,000–£4,500	—
Decoration throughout index ↗	£750–£1,400	£2,550–£4,900	—	£150–£400 per room standard repaint
Insulation upgrades (loft top-up, draught-proofing)index ↗	£350–£950	£550–£1,450	—
Sub-totals (42% / 49% / 9%)	£25,550–£51,900	£31,250–£58,750	£5,500–£11,500
Build-up total	£62,300–£122,150			vs published guide range £62,000–£122,000

Common additions & variations

Light cosmetic refresh instead — £650–£900 per m²
Sequence of works (what order to do it in) — guide
London / period property uplift — see guide

How to use this

Treat the build-up as a sanity check on quotes, not a price list: a builder's quote that lands inside the total range with a similar materials/labour split is priced normally; one far below it is usually missing scope. Get three itemised quotes, compare them line by line against this table, and ask about anything that's absent. Figures exclude VAT where the trade is VAT-registered (most are above ~£90k turnover), and exclude fees you pay directly such as planning application fees.

Other build-ups

Loft conversion — £45,000–£65,000
Ground floor extension — £36,000–£56,000
Double storey extension — £80,000–£120,000