Renovations in Cape Town
Kitchen and bathroom renovations across Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula. Plumbing, gas and cabinetry handled in-house, electrical via our registered installation electrician. One quote, one project manager, one accountability for the whole job from quote to handover.
Renovations is where the five trades come together. A kitchen rebuild involves cabinetry, plumbing, gas, electrical and finishing: five separate trades that have to sequence right or the job stalls. We handle this under one accountability: one quote, one project manager, one written programme, one sign-off at the end. Plumbing, gas and cabinetry are in-house; electrical runs through our registered installation electrician on the same schedule.
Below is the scope of renovation work we cover, grouped into two acts. To brief us on a project, call 083 700 8260 or drop us a line and we’ll come back inside 48 hours with an on-site quote.
Whole-room rebuilds
Kitchen renovations
Full-scope kitchen rebuilds. The work covers tear-out of the existing kitchen, plumbing reroutes for sinks and dishwashers, gas line rerouting or extending for the hob and oven, electrical first-fix for new lighting and appliance circuits, cabinetry manufacture and install (from our Kuphela workshop), stone or solid surface countertops, splashback tile, tap and basin fitting, appliance install, second-fix electrical, paint and snagging.
Typical four to six weeks from tear-out to handover. Longer for complex layouts (large islands, walk-in pantries, structural opening between kitchen and dining), imported finishes (specific stone, bespoke ironmongery) or projects with structural work (knock-throughs, ceiling height changes).
Bathroom renovations
Tear-out, plumbing reroutes for the bath, basin, toilet and shower, electrical for new lighting and extractors, tiling (floor, walls, niche), waterproofing membrane, glass shower screen, vanity install, mixer and showerhead fitting, mirror and accessory fitting, paint and snagging.
Typical three to five weeks. Longer for full bathroom suites with feature finishes (freestanding baths, large-format tile, underfloor heating, frameless glass enclosures).
Targeted work
Geyser room rebuilds
Often kicks off with a geyser failure or water damage. The make-good usually expands beyond the geyser swap itself: new drip tray, vacuum breaker, isolating valves, electrical isolator, sometimes a full ceiling-cavity rebuild where the leak has come through. We do the geyser install, the make-good, and the recertification (PIRB plumbing COC plus electrical COC for the geyser circuit) as one piece of work.
If the geyser room itself needs rebuilding (cabinet, door, ventilation, lighting) we scope that as part of the same job rather than handing it back to you to find a separate carpenter or electrician.
Multi-trade coordination
Bigger projects: full-house renovations, kitchen plus bathroom together, garden flat conversions, scullery additions, extensions. The brand promise here is the headline: five trades, one accountability. One quote, one project manager, one written programme that sequences the trades, one sign-off at handover, one warranty.
We’re not the right firm for every project (heavy structural, specialised heritage finishes, multi-storey builds in concrete) but where the work covers the trades we cover, one accountability is the cleanest commercial route for a homeowner.
How we work
Every renovation runs the same way. You call, WhatsApp or email, whichever’s easiest. Clive comes to site for a measure and a brief; we discuss layout, finish, fixtures, the budget shape that fits, the lead time you can live with. We come back with a quote inside 48 hours, broken out by trade so you can see where the cost is. On approval we book the start date, order materials and cabinetry to arrive ahead of demo, and run the project against a written week-by-week programme.
You get the COCs on completion: PIRB plumbing, electrical, gas where applicable, and the schedule 4 or City of Cape Town WACC water-compliance certificate where the work touches the meter or water-fixture compliance. Workmanship guarantee paperwork follows, and a snagging list signed off before final invoice. Twelve-month workmanship warranty on every renovation we hand over.
- How long does a kitchen renovation take?
- Four to six weeks for a standard kitchen, longer for complex layouts, imported finishes or jobs that involve structural change. Roughly the first week is tear-out and rough-in (plumbing, gas, electrical first-fix). The middle weeks are cabinetry manufacture and tiling. The final week is second-fix, appliance installs and snagging. We work to a written programme so you know which trade is on site each day.
- Can we live in the house during the renovation?
- Usually yes, with caveats. A bathroom renovation works around an existing second bathroom; if there's only one we sequence so you have at least one functional bathroom every night. Kitchen renovations leave you without a kitchen for two to three weeks. We set up a temporary kitchen (microwave, kettle, prep counter) in another room and seal off the work area. Heavier rebuilds (full-house, structural) usually mean moving out for a stretch.
- Do you work with architects and project managers?
- Yes. We work directly with homeowners, with architects' practices, with small-build project managers and with main contractors as a multi-trade subcontractor. The Trend brand promise (five trades, one accountability) applies whether we're the lead or working under another lead. Where we're the lead, you have one quote and one number to call.
- Do you do heritage homes?
- Some. Cape Town's older homes (Victorian, Cape Dutch, Edwardian and the older Southern Suburbs stock) need careful work: original plumbing in lead or galvanized steel, knob-and-tube wiring, gas installs that pre-date current SANS, plaster and lath ceilings. We have plumbing and gas on the in-house side that handles these well; for heavy structural or specialised heritage work (specific finishes, fenestration, roof timber) we'll be honest about whether the project suits us or wants a heritage specialist.
- Who handles the make-good after demolition?
- We do. Plaster repair, paint, tile, skirting, cornices, all in scope unless explicitly excluded in the quote. The renovation isn't done until the make-good is done. We'd rather price a job honestly with the make-good in than hand you a finished bathroom with a hole in the wall outside it.
- Which suburbs do you cover?
- Cape Town Metro, the Cape Peninsula and the Southern Peninsula are our standard footprint. The Atlantic Seaboard, Helderberg, West Coast (to Saldanha) and Overberg (to Hermanus) are covered by appointment. See /areas for the full coverage spread.