Remodeling Cost Calculator 2026

How to Use the Remodeling Cost Calculator

The calculator at the top of this page works the same way for every project:

1. Check your city. The line under the title shows where prices are set. Every range in the calculator follows that location.
2. Pick what you’re pricing. Roofing is already selected. Tap Siding, Windows, Central AC, Gutters, Furnace, Kitchen or Bath to switch. Each project asks only its own questions.
3. Answer one or two size questions. Home size, number of stories or system type, depending on the project. Measure instead of guessing, because the price scales with size.
4. Read the range, not just the average. Low is a basic job with no surprises. High is premium material, a hard site or extra repairs. The step from mid-range to luxury finishes alone can be $9,200 to $23,000 or more.
5. Go deeper or get bids. Each project links to its full calculator for more options. When you’re ready, enter your ZIP to compare quotes from local contractors.

Prices on this page are set to Columbus, OH. Wrong city? Change it above and every number updates.

What a typical bathroom update includes

A typical bathroom update ($5,180 to $16,170) means a 40 to 60 sq ft hall bath with a new tub, toilet, vanity with sink and storage, and tile on the floor and around the tub. The high end assumes a 10 x 10 ft primary bath with a corner shower, jetted tub, marble-topped vanity and tile on floors and walls.

Kitchens have more moving parts (cabinets, counters, appliances and layout), so they get their own kitchen remodel calculator.

Flooring and windows

Flooring prices depend on the material: hardwood, laminate or carpet. Refinishing an existing wood floor means sanding off the old finish and putting down two coats of oil- or water-based polyurethane. Pulling up an old floor usually costs extra, so budget for it if something has to come out first.

Typical window prices assume Low-E glass with argon fill, foam or batt insulation around the frame, and reinstalling the interior stops. Vinyl prices assume welded corners on the frame and sashes. Wood, fiberglass and aluminum frames are priced differently, and the window replacement calculator covers more sizes and styles. Since windows decide how drafty the house feels and how high the heating bill runs, buy the most efficient unit you can comfortably afford. That money comes back every month.

Measuring for siding

Siding prices depend on the material: vinyl, wood or fiber cement (Hardie board). If you’re leaning toward fiber cement, the Hardie siding calculator goes deeper on board styles and trim. To get your wall area:

1. Measure each side of the house at ground level and add them up for the perimeter.
2. Multiply by wall height, about 9.5 ft per story.
3. If the house has gable ends, multiply by 1.05.

A one-story house measuring 50 x 26 ft has a 152 ft perimeter. Times 9.5 ft is 1,444 sq ft, and with 5% for the gables you need about 1,516 sq ft of siding.

What Does It Cost to Remodel a House?

Most homeowners spend $16,100 to $48,300. The range is wide because “remodel” covers everything from painting a guest room to rebuilding a kitchen. By room:

Light refresh = paint and new fixtures, no tear-out. Budget remodel = budget materials: refaced cabinets, rental-grade bath, carpet or laminate. Full remodel = new cabinets, a mid-range bath with tiled floors and walls, tile or hardwood. An attic can be finished as is (budget) or opened up with a shed dormer and a bathroom (full). Each range is the low and high result of our kitchen, bathroom, painting, flooring and dormer calculators for the sizes shown, in your area.

Plumbing, electrical or structural work often adds $11,500 to $17,250 by itself, and a multi-room luxury renovation starts around $86,250 to $115,000. Licensed tradespeople bill about $74.75 to $138 an hour, with plumbers and electricians at the top of that range or above it.

Roofs, siding, windows and HVAC

The biggest single checks most owners write are not for kitchens. They are for the outside of the house and the systems inside it: a new roof, a full siding job, replacement windows, or a new furnace and central AC. These jobs are priced differently from room remodels:

• Roofing is priced by the square (100 sq ft of roof surface), not by floor area. Pitch, the number of old layers to tear off, and how many valleys and dormers the roof has move the price more than the size of the house does.
• Siding is priced by wall area, minus large openings, plus trim. Material is the biggest lever. Vinyl is the budget choice; fiber cement and wood cost more but last longer and hold paint well.
• Windows are priced per opening. Frame material, glass package and whether the old frame stays (insert) or comes out (full-frame) decide most of the price.
• HVAC is priced by system size and efficiency. A unit that is too big costs more and runs worse, so a proper load calculation should come before any quote.
• Gutters are priced by the linear foot. Seamless aluminum is the standard; copper costs several times more.

Pick any of these in the calculator above to see the range in your city, then open its full calculator for the details.

Cost per square foot

Per-foot pricing is the fastest way to check a quote, as long as you compare like with like:

• Bedrooms, living rooms and offices: about $23 to $40.25 per sq ft. It’s mostly paint, flooring, trim and lighting.
• Bathrooms: about $86.33 to $269.50 per sq ft, or $5,180 to $16,170 for a 60 sq ft hall bath. Tile, plumbing and fixtures are packed into a small floor.
• Kitchens: about $42.70 to $97.75 per sq ft, or $8,540 to $19,550 for 200 sq ft. More in total, less per foot.
• High-end finishes roughly double any of these.

A gut renovation, where the house is stripped to the studs, runs close to new construction: about $115 to $230 per sq ft once you add demolition, structural and foundation repairs, permits and haul-away. On a 2,000 sq ft house, plan on at least $230,000.

Budgeting a Whole-House Renovation

Starting budgets for a mid-range renovation done all at once:

For a 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft house, here is roughly what each level buys:

• $23,000 to $40,250: cosmetic only. Paint throughout, budget counters, new kitchen and bath floors, light fixtures, faucets, showerheads and some yard cleanup. Nothing broken gets fixed.
• $46,000 to $86,250: about $57,500 is a solid budget. It can cover a full kitchen and bath, better flooring, new windows and some mix of siding, roof and deck. The longer the list, the more you trade down on materials.
• $115,000 and up: premium appliances, upgraded siding, a new deck or patio and real landscaping.

At this scale, hire a general contractor. Coordinating six trades, ordering materials and holding the schedule is a full-time job, and a good GC usually saves more than they charge. Room-by-room projects are different; plenty of owners run those themselves.

Renovating an older or historic home

Plenty of what goes wrong in an old house won’t show up on a home inspection. Older homes also tend to need new wiring, a new breaker panel, and heating, plumbing or sewer lines brought up to code. Plan on at least $23,000 more than a newer home of the same size.

Purely cosmetic jobs rarely work here because one repair leads to the next. For a 2,000 sq ft older home, a realistic floor is $57,500 to $74,750. In a historic district, preservation rules can dictate siding, roofing, windows and even stair details, and period-correct materials and specialty labor can add another $28,750 to $34,500.

Why Two Quotes for the Same Job Can Be $23K Apart

The calculator gives a fair-market range. Where a real bid lands depends on:

• The contractor. Established firms with a waiting list charge more. Newer ones often bid low to win work. Check references either way.
• Where you live. Labor follows local incomes. The same bathroom can cost up to 20% more in an affluent suburb than in a small town an hour away, which is why it pays to compare bids from contractors in your area.
• Job size. Every job carries fixed costs (travel, setup, floor protection, cleanup). On a bigger scope they’re spread thinner, so two bathrooms done together cost less per foot than one powder room.
• Difficulty. Hard access and complicated layouts can add up to 30% to labor. A steep two-story roof full of valleys and dormers costs far more than a low-slope ranch roof of the same size.
• Materials. They make up 40 to 60% of the total, led by cabinets, counters, appliances and HVAC equipment. Good mid-range products give you most of the looks and durability of premium lines for much less.
• What’s behind the walls. Mold, rotted framing, wiring that was never to code, or old jury-rigged plumbing can add $11,500 to $17,250, and none of it is optional.

Keep a contingency of at least 15%, more in an older home. On a $50,000 renovation, that’s about $7,500 held back.

Which Remodels Pay You Back?

If you might sell within five to ten years, check the payback before you settle on a design.

• Paint wins. Interior painting often returns everything you spend, sometimes more. Price your rooms with the interior painting calculator.
• Exterior work is next. Siding, roof, replacement windows, a new entry door and a deck typically recoup about 70 to 85% because they sell curb appeal. If new siding is out of reach, painting the old siding gets you much of the look for far less.
• Kitchens and baths are steady. Mid-range remodels usually earn back around 60 to 75%, and a minor kitchen update tends to beat a major one. Luxury versions return less.
• Big additions return the least. High-end additions and patios often recover under half their cost unless the home’s value supports them.

A good rule: skip any project you don’t expect to return at least 60%. A local real estate agent can tell you what buyers in your area actually pay extra for.

Don’t over-improve for your home’s value

A $100,000 spa bathroom in a $650,000 house is mostly money you won’t see again. In a $4 million home, the same room just meets expectations, and adding space (an addition, attic conversion or finished basement) is often the best move. One way to stay honest is to cap each project at a share of the home’s value. On a $500,000 house:

• Kitchen (about 15%): up to $75,000
• Primary bathroom (about 10%): up to $50,000
• Finished attic or basement (10 to 15%): $50,000 to $75,000
• Powder room or small bath (about 5%): up to $25,000
• Siding (3 to 5%): $15,000 to $25,000
• Windows (3 to 4%): $15,000 to $20,000
• Deck or patio (2 to 5%): $10,000 to $25,000
• Roof (2 to 4%): $10,000 to $20,000
• Any single room (1 to 3%): $5,000 to $15,000

The roof is the exception to the payback math. It adds little value on paper, but a worn or leaking roof can sink an offer, so replace it before you list if it’s near the end. The roof replacement calculator shows what that costs.

Mechanical upgrades work the same way. A new furnace, central air, wiring or plumbing won’t excite anyone, but buyers notice, especially central AC in a hot climate. A failing system will turn up in the buyer’s inspection anyway, and then you fix it on their schedule or cut the price. Do it first and you can list it as new.

A Sensible Order for a Whole-House Remodel

Budget, timeline and whether you’re staying or selling all matter, but this order keeps you from redoing work:

1. Fix what’s broken. Leaking or worn-out roofs, mold, water damage, structural problems, failing windows and old heating or hot water equipment. Your inspection report is the list.
2. Kitchen or bath. Both if the money is there. At the same finish level, a full kitchen usually costs a few thousand more than a full bathroom. On a tight budget, paint, new sinks and hardware, and refaced cabinets go a long way.
3. Paint the whole house. If money is very tight, make this step one. Crown molding and new lighting fit in here.
4. Replace worn flooring, everywhere or just where it’s damaged.
5. Energy efficiency. Insulation, efficient windows, a high-efficiency furnace or boiler, better appliances, a metal roof or solar.
6. Exterior. New siding does more for curb appeal than anything else, so move it up if you’re selling.
7. Outdoor living. Decks, patios, gazebos and big landscaping jobs are optional. A tidy yard is enough to sell a house.
8. Luxury extras. Heated floors, a steam shower, sauna, hot tub or pool.
9. More space. An addition, second story, or attic or basement conversion, when building out costs less than moving.

Remodeling Cost FAQ

Is a renovation cheaper than a remodel?

Usually. A renovation refreshes what’s there (paint, floors, refaced cabinets, retiled showers, replacement windows) without changing the layout or major systems. A remodel changes the house itself: moving walls, adding an island, gutting a kitchen, building an addition. Structural change costs more than new surfaces.

How accurate is the remodel calculator?

It gives a realistic, current range for your project’s size and your city. The final price depends on local labor, site conditions and what turns up during demolition, so use the estimate to judge bids, then compare free quotes from local contractors for a firm number.