How the remodel cost estimator works
Choose the type of project: a kitchen, a bathroom, a room renovation or landscaping. Enter the size, pick a finish quality, and the estimator builds an itemised budget. Every line has a unit price you can change, so you can replace my typical figures with a quote from a contractor in your area.
- Finish quality: budget, mid-range or high-end. This sets the starting prices for every item.
- Where you live: adjusts the prices from a lower-cost area to a very high-cost city.
- Who does the work: you can remove the labour share from items you plan to do yourself. Plumbing, electrical work, permits and inspections stay as professional work.
- Contingency: an extra 10, 15 or 20% for surprises, which every renovation has.
- Currency: pick the symbol you want. The starting prices are in US dollars, so adjust them to your local costs.
What a remodel usually costs
These are typical total costs for the sizes in the calculator, in US dollars. Your quotes could be well above or below them.
| Project | Budget | Mid-range | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen, 150 sq ft | about $15,000 | about $31,000 | about $61,000 |
| Bathroom, 45 sq ft | about $6,700 | about $14,000 | about $31,000 |
| Room renovation, 200 sq ft | about $6,200 | about $11,600 | about $22,600 |
| Landscaping, about 1,350 sq ft | about $8,100 | about $16,000 | about $31,800 |
Where the money goes
In a kitchen
Cabinets, countertops and appliances typically take about half of the budget. Moving the sink, the cooker or the gas line costs a lot, so keeping the layout is the biggest saving.
In a bathroom
The shower or tub, the tile and the plumbing work make up most of the cost. Keep the toilet, the shower and the sink where they are, and you save on the hidden work.
In a room renovation
The biggest swing is whether the walls move. Changing finishes only is much cheaper than changing the structure.
In landscaping
Hard surfaces such as patios and retaining walls cost many times more per square foot than lawn and plants. Small plants and trees are the cheapest way to fill a garden, and they grow.
Why you need a contingency
Behind the walls of an older home you can find old wiring, rot, damp or pipes that are not up to code. Prices also change between quote and delivery. A contingency of 10% is the minimum, 15% is sensible, and 20% is wise for an older house.
How to save money on a remodel
- Keep the layout, especially the plumbing.
- Reface or paint the cabinets, instead of replacing them.
- Choose a mid-range finish for most things, and spend on the one or two items you will use and see every day.
- Do the demolition, painting and clean-up yourself, and leave the electrics and plumbing to professionals.
- Buy standard sizes. Custom sizes cost more.
- Order materials yourself, if the contractor allows it, and compare prices.
- Schedule the work outside the busy season, which is spring and summer in many places.
How to get a good quote
- Get at least three written quotes for the same list of work.
- Ask what is included: materials, disposal, permits, clean-up.
- Check licences and insurance.
- Ask how changes are charged.
- Agree a payment schedule linked to progress, not a big deposit.
Worked example
A mid-range kitchen of 150 sq ft with 25 ft of cabinets, 40 sq ft of countertop and 30 sq ft of backsplash comes to about $27,300 for the work. With a 15% contingency that is about $31,300, and a realistic range of $26,600 to $39,200.
Common mistakes
- Not allowing for the extras. Permits, disposal, delivery and small fittings add up.
- Forgetting where you will live. A kitchen or bathroom out of use for weeks costs money for meals or lodging.
- Choosing the cheapest quote. The cheapest quote often leaves things out.
- Changing your mind halfway. Changes during the work cost far more than changes on paper.
- Skipping the contingency. Without one, a surprise forces you to cut quality.
Tips
- Run all three finish levels to see how much the quality changes the total.
- Untick items you already have or will buy yourself, such as the appliances.
- Replace the starting prices with the figures from your first quote, to see the effect on the total.
- Plan the big decisions, such as the layout and the tile, before you start, and not during.
