Which total do you actually need?
“How much does renovating 60 m² cost?” can mean at least three things: the crew’s labour, renovation with materials, or a home ready to occupy with a kitchen, appliances and furniture. Define your endpoint first. If you need to move straight in, a plastering and tiling estimate will not answer the question.
A full budget is the cost of the agreed result, necessary items you have not ordered yet and a separate contingency. Deposits already paid are part of that amount, not an extra cost to add again. Below we build a budget for a 60 m² apartment. The main table deliberately uses invented teaching figures to explain the method without promising a universal price.
Why published prices vary so much
The Kyiv price lists reviewed cover different packages. KyivReno specifically warns that certain packages priced per m² exclude finishes and equipment selected by the customer. Profirem publishes individual labour rates excluding materials. These figures cannot be compared as prices for the same renovation.
| Quotation wording | What to clarify |
|---|---|
| UAH per m² of apartment | Which rooms, surfaces, systems and materials are included? |
| UAH per m² of wall | What is the measured wall area, and which preparation layers are included? |
| UAH per electrical point | Does this include cable, chasing, box, fitting and testing? |
| “Turnkey” | Where does the scope end: finishes, furniture or a completely ready home? |
Floor area is not wall area. Even with the same 60 m² floor area, ceiling height, partitions, bathrooms and door openings change the quantities. Area is a starting reference; ordering work requires measurements.
Write a renovation brief before calculating
- Record the city, address, floor, lift availability and unloading arrangements.
- Describe the starting condition: what the developer or previous owner has already done, and what you will keep.
- List the rooms and expected result: tiling, paint, furniture, lighting and appliances.
- Identify changes to services and layout; list any necessary inspections and approvals separately.
- Write down your preferred move-in date and spending limit, including temporary accommodation.
The useful output is one brief you can give to every contractor. “A normal mid-range renovation” is not a specification. For an unselected material, enter a provisional allowance and a decision date rather than zero.
A worked budget, from preparation to moving in
| Category | UAH | Scope boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Measurements, decisions and documentation | 30 000 | Before ordering work |
| Demolition and waste removal | 45 000 | Dismantling, carrying out and disposal |
| Crew and specialist labour | 280 000 | For a defined schedule of work |
| Rough construction materials | 170 000 | Separate from labour |
| Finishing materials | 180 000 | Flooring, tiles, paint and associated items |
| Plumbing fixtures and lighting | 95 000 | Specific models to be agreed |
| Kitchen and basic appliances | 180 000 | Excludes furniture in other rooms |
| Delivery, carrying upstairs, protection and cleaning | 35 000 | Does not count demolition waste twice |
| Subtotal before contingency | 1 015 000 | Sum of the eight categories |
| Illustrative contingency: 10% | 101 500 | A percentage chosen for this example |
| Example total including contingency | 1 116 500 | For the listed scope; exclusions are stated below |
This total excludes temporary rent, wardrobes and beds. If these are needed before you move in, add them before making a decision. Dividing the total by 60 gives approximately UAH 18,608/m², but that figure describes only the scope shown here. It cannot be transferred to another apartment.
What changes the total most?
- Existing surfaces and services. Inspection may reveal that something you intended to keep needs replacement. Identify that uncertainty before signing.
- The number of separate operations. A small bathroom still needs visits from several trades. Bespoke details do not shrink in proportion to floor area.
- Specific products. Tile format, door type and furniture complexity also affect installation.
- Access and sequencing. A goods lift, building rules, repeat deliveries and the ability to work in sequence affect organisational costs.
A contingency does not guarantee enough money to cover problems that surveys have not yet revealed. Give a substantial unknown its own estimate and explanation. Keep the contingency for remaining risks instead of hiding known work inside it.
Replace assumptions with actual amounts
Give every line a status: initial estimate, quotation received, price agreed or actual amount. For purchases, record the model, quantity, quotation validity and delivery. For work, record the scope, measurement unit, contractor-supplied materials and completion criterion.
If you expected UAH 80,000 but agreed UAH 92,000, the forecast should contain 92,000, not 172,000. If you have already paid a UAH 20,000 deposit against that 92,000, the agreed cost stays the same and the balance under that agreement is UAH 72,000. Money paid and the cost of the result answer different questions.
Update the total after an agreed change, an expensive product selection or stage completion. If the forecast exceeds your limit, review decisions you have not ordered yet first. Cutting the budget after purchasing often creates return costs and rework.
What should be ready before work starts?
- An included-work schedule and a separate list of exclusions.
- Measurements and an identical brief for comparing quotations.
- A register of unresolved amounts, with owners and clarification dates.
- A full budget for the intended result, a contingency and payment schedule.
- A written process for approving changes and accepting completed stages.
Use a spreadsheet or Reno Pro: assign work and materials to stages, keep agreements in notes and record payments separately. The app guide explains the actual fields and totals. Organised records help you notice changes in time; the scope and agreed quotations determine the price.
Sources and the limits of price data
- KyivReno: budget structure — one Kyiv contractor’s example cost structure
- KyivReno: package boundaries — included materials and customer-selected products
- Profirem: labour price list — labour rates with materials accounted for separately
Editorial source review: 18 October 2026. The numerical examples were created for teaching; they are not a contractor’s personal quotation. English translation reviewed on 18 October 2026.
Company price lists are commercial offers, not an official Ukrainian average. Their rates were not copied into the teaching table or used to calculate a national price range.