diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/deploy.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/deploy.go
index 47d7d93d8bd..c873127d476 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/deploy.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/deploy.go
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ type Deployer interface {
 
 	// Cleanup deletes what was deployed by calling Deploy.
 	Cleanup(context.Context, io.Writer) error
+
+	// Render generates the Kubernetes manifests replacing the build results and
+	// writes them to the given file path
+	Render(context.Context, io.Writer, []build.Artifact, string) error
 }
 
 type Result struct {
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go
index f5a5a2380c2..d4af34236a5 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm.go
@@ -461,6 +461,10 @@ func (h *HelmDeployer) joinTagsToBuildResult(builds []build.Artifact, params map
 	return paramToBuildResult, nil
 }
 
+func (h *HelmDeployer) Render(context.Context, io.Writer, []build.Artifact, string) error {
+	return errors.New("not yet implemented")
+}
+
 func evaluateReleaseName(nameTemplate string) (string, error) {
 	tmpl, err := util.ParseEnvTemplate(nameTemplate)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm_test.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm_test.go
index 8f6f2aacf82..752edc16307 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm_test.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/helm_test.go
@@ -714,6 +714,25 @@ func TestExpandPaths(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestHelmRender(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		description string
+		shouldErr   bool
+	}{
+		{
+			description: "calling render returns error",
+			shouldErr:   true,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		testutil.Run(t, test.description, func(t *testutil.T) {
+			deployer := NewHelmDeployer(&runcontext.RunContext{})
+			actual := deployer.Render(context.Background(), ioutil.Discard, []build.Artifact{}, "tmp/dir")
+			t.CheckError(test.shouldErr, actual)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func makeRunContext(deploy latest.HelmDeploy, force bool) *runcontext.RunContext {
 	pipeline := latest.Pipeline{}
 	pipeline.Deploy.DeployType.HelmDeploy = &deploy
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl.go
index 46458c818aa..577af7362d7 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl.go
@@ -251,3 +251,7 @@ func (k *KubectlDeployer) readRemoteManifest(ctx context.Context, name string) (
 
 	return manifest.Bytes(), nil
 }
+
+func (k *KubectlDeployer) Render(context.Context, io.Writer, []build.Artifact, string) error {
+	return errors.New("not yet implemented")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl_test.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl_test.go
index 6609c00e538..707b6556c95 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl_test.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kubectl_test.go
@@ -457,3 +457,32 @@ func TestDependencies(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestKubectlRender(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		description string
+		shouldErr   bool
+	}{
+		{
+			description: "calling render returns error",
+			shouldErr:   true,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		testutil.Run(t, test.description, func(t *testutil.T) {
+			deployer := NewKubectlDeployer(&runcontext.RunContext{
+				Cfg: latest.Pipeline{
+					Deploy: latest.DeployConfig{
+						DeployType: latest.DeployType{
+							KubectlDeploy: &latest.KubectlDeploy{
+								Manifests: []string{},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			})
+			actual := deployer.Render(context.Background(), ioutil.Discard, []build.Artifact{}, "tmp/dir")
+			t.CheckError(test.shouldErr, actual)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize.go
index 494b520cff4..4f0abb267b3 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize.go
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ func (k *KustomizeDeployer) Dependencies() ([]string, error) {
 	return dependenciesForKustomization(k.KustomizePath)
 }
 
+func (k *KustomizeDeployer) Render(context.Context, io.Writer, []build.Artifact, string) error {
+	return errors.New("not yet implemented")
+}
+
 func dependenciesForKustomization(dir string) ([]string, error) {
 	var deps []string
 
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize_test.go b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize_test.go
index 013d62d7511..499bc2c4c00 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize_test.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/deploy/kustomize_test.go
@@ -393,3 +393,30 @@ func TestKustomizeBuildCommandArgs(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestKustomizeRender(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		description string
+		shouldErr   bool
+	}{
+		{
+			description: "calling render returns error",
+			shouldErr:   true,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		testutil.Run(t, test.description, func(t *testutil.T) {
+			deployer := NewKustomizeDeployer(&runcontext.RunContext{
+				Cfg: latest.Pipeline{
+					Deploy: latest.DeployConfig{
+						DeployType: latest.DeployType{
+							KustomizeDeploy: &latest.KustomizeDeploy{},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			})
+			actual := deployer.Render(context.Background(), ioutil.Discard, []build.Artifact{}, "tmp/dir")
+			t.CheckError(test.shouldErr, actual)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner_test.go b/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner_test.go
index c6679700ecf..27a443041e8 100644
--- a/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner_test.go
+++ b/pkg/skaffold/runner/runner_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package runner
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -170,6 +171,10 @@ func (t *TestBench) Deploy(_ context.Context, _ io.Writer, artifacts []build.Art
 	return deploy.NewDeploySuccessResult(t.namespaces)
 }
 
+func (t *TestBench) Render(_ context.Context, _ io.Writer, artifacts []build.Artifact, _ string) error {
+	return errors.New("not yet implemented")
+}
+
 func (t *TestBench) Actions() []Actions {
 	return append(t.actions, t.currentActions)
 }