For the work involved in a kitchen renovation in a Zurich flat — removing the old kitchen, fitting the new one, the splashback, painting and connections — our guide prices for a kitchen run of about four metres come to roughly CHF 3'000 to CHF 5'800. Kitchen units, appliances and materials are not included: they depend almost entirely on your choice and are listed separately in our quote. All figures come from our 2026 price list and are excluding VAT.
The worked example
A kitchen run of about four metres that stays in the same place, with new sockets and a tiled splashback:
- Removing the old kitchen: CHF 500–1'500
- Complete kitchen installation (units, worktop, connecting appliances): CHF 900–1'800
- Tiling the splashback, about 4 m² at CHF 62–85: CHF 250–340
- Painting the room (up to approx. 20 m², walls and ceiling): CHF 950–1'700
- Four new sockets or switches at CHF 95–120, by the licensed electrical firm we coordinate: CHF 380–480
Together that is roughly CHF 3'000 to 5'800 for labour. If the floor is renewed as well, 10 m² of floor tiles, for example, add CHF 680–950. The lower figure applies with good access and a sound substrate, the higher one in difficult conditions.
What drives the price up
The most work comes when the kitchen does not stay where it is. If the sink moves to another wall, new water and waste pipes are needed (water pipe from CHF 55 per running metre, with a pressure test), often channels in the wall or floor, followed by plastering and painting. The same goes for a kitchen island: water, waste and power then have to run through the floor. New appliances may need different connections from the old ones — the electrical firm checks at the survey whether the existing supply lines are suitable. And for the extractor, the location decides: ducting to the outside needs an opening in the exterior wall, which in rented flats and condominiums is only possible with consent; a recirculating hood does without.
What our figure does not include
You choose the kitchen units, worktop, appliances and fittings yourself from a kitchen maker or retailer — or we source them on request. Either way, they are listed separately from our labour in the quote, so you can see what you are paying for. Disposal of the old kitchen comes on top as well and, outside Zurich and its agglomeration, travel as a fixed item.
Refit instead of replace
Not every kitchen has to go. If the carcasses and connections are in good condition, fronts, worktop, splashback or individual appliances can be swapped — which saves strip-out, painting and time without a kitchen. At the survey we tell you openly whether that is worth it or whether a replacement is the better choice.
Rented flat, condominium, building permit
In a rented flat, a kitchen renovation needs the landlord's written consent (Art. 260a OR). In a condominium (Stockwerkeigentum), pipes in walls and ceilings can affect common parts of the building — clarify this with the property management beforehand. If the kitchen stays in the same place and no load-bearing walls are changed, a building application is usually not needed; the municipality makes the binding decision. More on this in the article Building permits in Zurich.
And taxes?
If you replace an existing kitchen in your property with an equivalent one, this generally counts as value-preserving maintenance. The part that goes beyond replacing what was there is value-enhancing. What can be deducted in the canton of Zurich, and what changes with the abolition of the imputed rental value (Eigenmietwert), is set out in our guide Property maintenance and taxes.
How to get a reliable figure
At the survey we measure the room, niches and connections and agree the kitchen plan, appliances and finish with you. Within 48 hours you receive the fixed-price quote — our labour item by item, kitchen and materials separate, with a proposed date for the contract. The calculator on the kitchen renovation Zurich page gives you a first guide price.