Kitchen layout
Single-wall kitchens, costed
A single-wall kitchen puts every appliance and the sink on one run. It is the cheapest layout to renovate because there is one benchtop, one set of services and no corner cabinets, so a replacement usually sits at the bottom of the $25,000–45,000 mid-range band (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026).
Updated
When does a single-wall kitchen work?
Tight footprints, apartments, sleep-outs and rentals, where any other layout costs more than the room justifies. With 2.4–3.6 m of bench, one set of services and no corner cabinets, it is the cheapest layout to renovate, which is why a replacement usually sits at the bottom of the mid-range band.
When does it not work?
Households of three or more who genuinely cook: there is nowhere to stand without getting in the way. With only one run, storage has to go up, and full-height pantry units cost more per linear metre than base units, so the savings shrink as you ask the layout to do more.
What drives the cost of a single-wall kitchen?
Three things, and two of them work in your favour. There is less benchtop than any other layout, which is where stone gets expensive, and there are no corner cabinets, the priciest units in a kitchen. Against that, storage has to go up, and full-height pantry units cost more per linear metre.
| Driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| One benchtop run | Fewer square metres of benchtop than any other layout, which is where stone gets expensive. |
| No corner cabinets | Corner units and their pull-out hardware are the priciest cabinets in a kitchen. This layout has none. |
| Tall storage | With only one run, storage usually goes up. Full-height pantry units cost more per linear metre than base units. |
Single-wall questions
Is a single-wall kitchen cheaper to renovate?
Usually, yes. Less benchtop, fewer cabinets and one set of services all pull the total down, which is why single-wall replacements tend to land at the lower end of the $25,000–45,000 mid-range band (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026).
Can I add an island to a single-wall kitchen?
Only if the room is wide enough for a working gap either side. Running services to a new island also brings the $3,000–8,000 plumbing relocation band into play (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026), which makes it a Remodel, not a Replace.
Sources
- CheckMyBuilder, kitchen renovation cost (updated July 2026)
- Superior Renovations, kitchen renovation cost Auckland (2026)
Checked 15 September 2026. We re-check every published figure quarterly.