The national average price range for a home remodel is $2,000 to $25,000 but most homeowners pay an average is $13,500. The cost includes labor and materials, and varies based on the type of remodel, the materials used, and how extensive the renovations are.
Homeowners might tackle a renovation for many different reasons. Maybe you want to make space for a new addition to your family with a new addition. Or, you want to a kitchen remodel to replace outdated countertops and cabinetry and give it a fresh new look.
Like any home improvement project, a remodel costs money to buy the materials and the contractors you need to get it done. Whatever your budget, get out your calculator and use this guide to estimate your costs before you start tearing out old countertops.
What impacts the cost of a home remodel?
There are general factors that affect the price you'll pay for any remodeling or renovation project, whether you're finishing a basement or renovating a bathroom.
Age of home
Older homes may need extra work to bring outdated wiring, plumbing, and other features up to date, and this costs more money. In newer homes, it's easier to access plumbing, wiring, and vents, so you'll pay less in labor costs. You're also not likely to need to redo entire systems in newer homes.
Size of home
Most contractors estimate renovation costs based on your home or room's square footage, since a kitchen redo in a 5,000 square foot home (where the kitchen will be larger) will cost more than a kitchen redo in a 1,700-square foot home. If you remodel several rooms at once, you may be able to push down the cost per square foot thanks to the magic of economies of scale.
Whether structural changes are needed
Many remodels will require moving walls to reconfigure a space. down an interior wall costs $300 to $500 on average, with the price varying on the complexity of the job. The price increases if:
Whether you hire an architect
an architect costs $875 to $2,500 on average, depending on size and complexity of the project. Some projects, particularly home additions, will require an architect to create building plans that meet local codes and allow you to get permits.
A Thumbtack pro in Nashville, Tennessee, charges $2 per square foot to draw plans of a house as built' for a remodel and $500 for an engineer stamp of approval for remodeling plans.
The local cost of building permits
The national average cost of getting a building permit for a remodeling project is $300 to $900.
Many remodeling projects require building permits before you begin. You'll usually need permits for an addition, a major renovation like a kitchen, structural changes, and electrical, mechanical, or plumbing work.
Quality, type, and amount of materials you need
If you choose high-end materials for your remodel, you'll pay more for the job. For example, if you're remodeling a kitchen, opting for countertops and custom cabinets can cost as much as 75% more than low-end stock cabinets and laminate or Corian countertops.
The trim, flooring, and appliances you choose have a big impact on price, too. If you're trying to stick to a lower budget, consider good quality but mid-range materials that will still give you the look you want in your home. Remember, while some materials will cost more upfront, they'll last longer and need fewer repairs, saving you money in the long run.
Interior painting
Just about any remodeling project will need an interior or paint job. Nationally, painting costs $900 for labor and materials. This amount varies on the size of the room, the quality of paint used, the amount of prep work the job requires, and whether there's a lot of trim and doors to paint.
A painting pro in Richardson, Texas, charges $0.50 per linear foot for baseboard and trim, $20 to $25 per door and $15 per door jamb. Paint ranges in price from $20 per gallon for a store brand to $110 per gallon for a high-end designer paint. If walls need to be patched or old layers of paint sanded off, the job will take longer and the price goes up.
New flooring
flooring costs between $1,000 and $10,000, depending on the size of the room where you're putting down new floor and the material you choose. For example, high-quality hardwood flooring will cost you more than a basic laminate.
How much do different remodeling projects cost?
Each type of remodeling project has unique factors affecting what you'll pay, and remodeling costs vary by project. The average price of a kitchen remodel is different than that of a new room addition. Below is a comparison of average remodeling costs by common project types:
| Range | Average national total cost | Average price per square foot | |
| data-redactor-tag='strong'>Basement | $5,000 - $70,000 | $32,000 | $25 - $50 |
| data-redactor-tag='strong'>Kitchen | $4,500 - $49,000 | $22,500 | $75 - $250 |
| data-redactor-tag='strong'>Room addition | $10,000 - $80,000 | $45,000 | $50 - $250 |
| data-redactor-tag='strong'>Bathroom | $6,000 - $14,000 | $10,000 | $50 - $250 |
Average cost of a basement remodel
While a high end basement remodel could cost as much as $70,000, most Thumbtack customers across the country report paying $5,100 - $7,150 on average to remodel a basement. The cost to remodel a basement is mostly impacted by what you add to your basement.
If you're adding a bathroom to your basement, expect to pay $8,000 or more on average, depending on the size of the new bathroom. That's more than twice the cost of remodeling a small bathroom. Putting a bathroom where there wasn't one before is more expensive because you need to cut open or remove walls to put in plumbing, connect the new bathroom to the main plumbing, and, of course, put in new sinks, showers, toilets, and lay tiles.
If you're adding a kitchenette in your basement, you'll need to hire an electrician to run wiring for appliances and you may need a breaker box. Electricians charge an average of $40 to $110 an hour, depending on the specific task. This could also require additional plumbing work.
There's a lot of moisture in a basement that can floors or cause them to sag. To prevent basement floors from water damage, you'll need to pay extra to install a moisture absorbing layer of polyethylene before you put down or floors.
In addition to that waterproof layer for your floor, you may need to install a sump pump to keep your basement dry. pumps and their installation costs between $700 and $3,000.
Average kitchen remodeling costs
Kitchen remodels are one of the most expensive types, with high-end remodels topping $50,000 or more. However, a kitchen renovation gives homeowners a great return on investment. Upgraded kitchen cabinets, countertops, and appliances can increase your home's resale value. Not to mention, you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of your redone room.
These are the factors the affect what you'll pay for a Pinterest-worthy kitchen remodel.
Refacing, refinishing, or even replacing your kitchen cabinets is a game changer. New kitchen cabinets will make the most dramatic impact on the room's appearance, but they're also a significant part of the budget. On average, they account for 30% of a homeowner's kitchen remodel costs.
That percentage varies widely based on the type of cabinets you choose. kitchen cabinets range from $80 per cabinet for off-the-shelf stock cabinets to $200 per cabinet for semi-custom to $1,000 per cabinet for custom cabinets made just for your space.
cabinets, which involves putting new veneers on your cabinet boxes, is a money-saving option, with costs starting at $1,000 for the entire kitchen.
A kitchen island itself costs between $1,000 and $10,000, depending on whether you go with a custom or stock unit and whether or not it has appliances or a sink and garbage disposal in it. However, this super popular feature will require you to move plumbing and electrical wiring, which adds labor costs.
Estimate using about 10% of your remodeling budget on countertops, depending on the material you choose. Prices for new countertops range from $15 per square foot for laminate countertops to $75 per square foot for marble or a granite countertop.
Your total kitchen remodel costs also depend on the appliances you choose. For example, a custom built, stainless steel, six-burner gas stove can cost as much as $8,000, while a good old four-burner stainless steel gas stove from a big box store costs just $1,600. And that must-have, beautiful farmhouse sink costs anywhere from $400-$800, more than the price of a basic double-basin stainless steel kitchen sink.
Average bathroom remodeling costs
Bathroom remodels can be pricey, too, but you'll get a 70% return on your investment because your home's resale value increases once it has a new bathroom. Here are factors that will affect the costs you'll pay for a bathroom remodel.
New showers, tubs, and sinks can be the most costly part of a bathroom remodel, depending on the fixtures you choose. A bathtub runs as little as $400, while a spa tub starts at $1,500. And a fiberglass shower surround costs an average of $300, while custom tile work can cost more than $3,000.
Most homeowners opt for tile flooring and walls when they renovate a bathroom. Prices range from $2 per square foot for ceramic tile to $10 per square foot for glass tile and $25 per square foot for high-end stone tile, not including installation. The national cost to install tile in 100-square foot bathroom is $1,200.
New cabinets are key to making a dramatic change in a bathroom remodel. Bathroom vanities range from $500 for stock, off-the-shelf vanities from home improvement centers to $2,500 and up for custom cabinets.
Making your bathroom larger or moving fixtures will increase the price because you will have to move plumbing and redo tile. Converting a half bath to a full bath, which requires adding a tub/shower unit, which costs an average of $5,000. Replacing a standard tub with a tub costs an average of $4,000, including installation.
Average room addition costs
Rooms additions are a complex remodeling job since you're adding square footage to your home, not just altering existing space. Here are some factors that affect how much you'll pay to add a new room to your house:
For a room addition, there are two different types of builds homeowners could do:
Adding a bedroom costs $80 to $200 per square foot, while adding a bathroom costs $250 and up per square foot. So adding on a master bedroom would cost $5,600 on average, while adding on a bathroom costs $10,000 on average. Bathroom additions are pricy because they require extensive plumbing and the purchase and installation of fixtures like sinks, toilets, and vanities.
You'll probably need to hire an architect for an addition so the new construction matches the style of your house, and so you contractor can get the permits he needs to do the work.
If you're building out, you'll have to get your yard set up to be a construction site. You may need to remove trees or fences and grade the site to make it level. Prepping a construction site costs between $1,200 and $4,000, depending on the amount of work that needs to be done.
If you're building out, you'll need to build a foundation for the addition. For most houses, this means pouring a slab. a slab concrete foundation costs $4,000 to $12,000, depending on the size and the type of foundation.
You'll need to hire pros to install ducts connecting your new living space to your existing HVAC system. your HVAC system costs an average of $1,000.
How can you hire a remodeling professional?
Remodeling jobs are complex, so hire a general contractor who can supervise the array of specialists you'll need to complete the job. Before you a contractor to help with your home remodel, be sure to:
A home remodel can increase the resale value of your home and make your digs dreamy. If you're ready to give you home a makeover to make it Pinterest-worthy, for a remodeling contractor in your zip code on Thumbtack.