What your renovation is likely to cost
Square footage times a scope rate, adjusted for region and structural work. It is a ballpark, not a bid — but it is the right ballpark, and it will tell you when a quote is selling you something.
Rates reflect broad US averages for occupied homes, not quotes. A 1930s house with original wiring, a hillside lot, or a tight urban site can move the number 30% in either direction. Get three bids before committing to anything.
What the rates include
The per-square-foot number most contractors quote is construction cost: labor, materials, permits, and site protection. It usually does not include design fees, furniture, appliances above the allowance, or the cost of moving out while the work happens. Those are the four lines that turn a $180/sq ft project into a $230/sq ft project.
| Scope | Typical mid-range | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | $80–110 / sq ft | Paint, LVP or refinished floors, light fixtures, trim |
| Kitchen and bath | $140–190 / sq ft of those rooms | Cabinets, counters, tile, plumbing relocation |
| Whole house, mid-range | $160–210 / sq ft | Layout changes, new systems, standard finishes |
| Whole house, high-end | $250–350 / sq ft | Custom millwork, stone, imported tile, smart systems |
| Addition | $300–450 / sq ft | Foundation, framing, roof tie-in, exterior finishes |
Renovating a small house costs more per square foot than a large one, because the fixed costs — permits, design, a dumpster, the crew's mobilization — do not shrink with the floor area. A 900 sq ft gut renovation often prices at the high end of the range for that reason alone.
The five lines that decide whether a bid is real
Two bids can differ by 25% and neither be wrong. They are pricing different jobs. Put the bids side by side and compare these five lines before the total:
- Allowances. A cabinet allowance of $8,000 is a placeholder, not a price. Ask what the allowance buys at the showroom you will actually shop at.
- Exclusions. Permit fees, dumpster, final clean, window coverings, appliance installation. Normal exclusions are fine; surprises are not.
- Contingency. If it is not in the bid, it is in your savings account. Either way, it needs to exist.
- Payment schedule. Tied to stages or to dates? Stage-tied payments keep the risk on the contractor.
- Change-order pricing. A contract without a written hourly rate and markup for changes is a contract that will argue later.
Where the money actually goes
On a mid-range whole-house renovation, roughly three quarters of the budget is construction labor and materials. Kitchens and bathrooms consume a disproportionate share because of cabinets, stone, tile, and the trades that have to coordinate in a small space. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing usually run 20–25% of construction cost and are the least visible part of the job.
Design typically runs 8–12% of construction for a full architectural set, less for a design-build firm that folds drawings into its fee. Permits vary wildly by jurisdiction — a few hundred dollars in a small town, several thousand in a city with impact fees and school fees attached.
How to use the number
Treat the range as a screening tool. If a bid comes in 40% below it, the scope is smaller than you think or something is missing — usually subfloor, electrical, or the cost of temporary housing. If a bid comes in 40% above, ask what is in it that the others excluded. Sometimes the expensive bid is the honest one.
Then take the midpoint, add the cost of living elsewhere for the duration if you cannot stay, and decide whether the project still makes sense. That final number is the one to compare against moving.
Questions homeowners ask
Is per-square-foot pricing accurate enough to budget from?
For a first budget, yes. For a contract, no. Per-square-foot rates average across very different houses; the only number that matters is a line-item bid based on drawings and a site visit. Use the estimate to sanity-check the bids, not to replace them.
Why is a bathroom so expensive per square foot?
Because the cost is in the walls, not the floor. A 50 sq ft bathroom has a waterproofing system, a fan, dedicated circuits, supply and drain lines, tile labor, and fixtures — the same trades a kitchen needs, compressed into a space where every error is expensive to undo.
Should I renovate before or after moving in?
Before is cheaper if the house is empty, because demo and floor protection are simpler and you are not paying two housing costs for as long. After is easier on your patience but usually adds 10–15% in temporary kitchen costs and rework. Either way, do not start demolition before permits are issued.
Does a renovation increase the home's value by the same amount?
Rarely dollar for dollar. Kitchens and bathrooms tend to return the most at resale; high-end finishes in a mid-range neighborhood tend to return the least. The reliable return is the years you spend in a house that works better for you.