Glasgow tenement kitchens are some of the most rewarding spaces to redesign — generous ceiling heights, original features and natural light — but the costs sit slightly above what a similar cabinet count costs in a new-build semi. This guide explains why, and what a realistic 2026 budget looks like.
Realistic price bands
These bands cover a full Stonefield tenement project: design, cabinetry, worktops, sink and tap, appliances, plumbing, electrics, decoration and the install itself, delivered through a vetted local fitter.
- Compact like-for-like refit, £12,000 – £16,000. 8–12 units, laminate worktop, mid-range appliances, no structural change.
- Mid-range tenement kitchen, £16,000 – £22,000. Painted Shaker or handleless slab, quartz worktop on the principal run, integrated appliances, modest layout tweaks.
- Open-plan tenement conversion, £22,000 – £35,000+. Knock-through to the living room, full quartz, induction extraction, plus structural work coordinated alongside.
Tenement-specific cost drivers
- Stair carry and access. Top-floor flats add time at strip-out and delivery — usually £200–£600 across a project depending on floor.
- Parking and skip permits. Most central streets require a paid permit for the skip and trades vans; we include these in the quote.
- Extraction routing. Through a chimney breast or sandstone external wall, allow an extra £400–£900 vs a straight run.
- Floor levelling. Tenement floors are rarely flat. Self-levelling compound and ply overlay typically add £400–£900 across a kitchen footprint.
- Original feature retention. Working around cornicing, picture rails and tiled hearths takes longer than stripping them out — slower but worth it for resale.
Where to spend, where to save
On a tenement budget, the upgrades that pay back daily for fifteen years tend to be:
- Full-extension soft-close drawers on the base run.
- A tall larder unit — transformational in a galley.
- Quartz on the principal worktop only (keep laminate elsewhere to save).
- Decent induction hob + properly sized extraction.
- Under-cabinet LED lighting — cheap, huge daily effect.
What to do next
Read our small kitchen ideas guide for layouts that work in a tenement footprint, then have a look at our fitted-kitchen service for what's covered in a full Stonefield project. If you're in the Southside, the Shawlands and Pollokshields area pages have local detail that applies to most G41–G43 flats.