Whole House Renovation Cost Calculator 2026 — Per Sq Ft
Estimate a whole house remodel by size, scope and finish: $15–$150 per sq ft and $52,275 on average (This Old House, Angi data), adjusted for your state.
Whole House Remodel Cost Calculator
Finished living area from your listing or appraisal, 500–5,000 sq ft.
What changes, not how nice it looks.
Stock cabinets and vinyl vs. custom millwork and stone.
Adjusts the labor share by local construction wages (BLS, May 2025).
homeprojectestimator.com · · https://homeprojectestimator.com/calculators/whole-house-remodel-cost/
Estimated whole house remodel cost
$57,750
Typical range $45,500 – $70,000
Cost per sq ft
$38.50
Where the money goes
- Cosmetic renovation, installed $30–$45 per sq ft (band $15–$60)$45,000 – $67,500
- Building permits $500–$2,500$500 – $2,500
National average. Pick your state and metro area to adjust the labor share (about 50% of this job) to local wages. Get three written quotes before you commit to a budget.
Per-square-foot bands: This Old House (March 2026, Angi data). Demolition: Fixr (2025). Includes building permits; excludes temporary housing, hazardous-material abatement and a contingency. Labor share of 50% is assumed; no source states it.
How to use this whole house remodel calculator
- Home size. Enter the finished living area in square feet, the figure on your listing, appraisal or tax record. Leave out an unfinished basement or garage unless you are renovating it as part of the job.
- Remodel scope. Pick what changes. Cosmetic covers paint, flooring, lighting, fixtures and appliances ($15–$60 per sq ft). Comprehensive covers kitchens, bathrooms and systems work ($60–$150 per sq ft). Gut to the studs adds interior demolition at $2–$10 per sq ft on top of the comprehensive band.
- Finish level. Places you inside the scope band: budget is the bottom third, mid-range the middle third and premium the top third.
- Your state. Adjusts the labor share of the estimate to local construction wages, using federal wage data (see Prices by state).
The result shows a typical figure, a range, the cost per square foot and the line items. It includes building permits and leaves out contingency, temporary housing and hazardous-material abatement.
Whole house remodel cost in 2026
Angi's national data puts a typical house renovation between $19,500 and $88,400, with an average of $52,275 for a 1,250–1,600 sq ft home. That average covers a broad mix of projects, from repainting and new floors to kitchen and bath renovations, so treat it as the middle of the market, not a target.
Per square foot, This Old House gives three reference points, and NerdWallet quotes the same $15–$150 range:
| Level | What it buys | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Low end | Basic updates such as painting and replacing appliances | $15 |
| Mid-range | A more comprehensive renovation with moderate-quality materials | $60 |
| High end | A premium renovation with top-tier materials | $150 |
Sources: This Old House, How Much Does Home Renovation Cost? (2026 Pricing), updated 03/31/2026, based on Angi estimates; NerdWallet, Cost to Renovate a House, updated Apr 20, 2026.
The calculator's two scope bands run between those points: cosmetic from $15 to $60, comprehensive from $60 to $150. Neither source publishes a separate gut-renovation band above $150, so the gut option adds Fixr's interior demolition cost instead of inventing one.
Cost by home size
| Home size | Low-end ($15/sq ft) | Mid-range ($60/sq ft) | High-end ($150/sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,200 sq ft | $18,000 | $72,000 | $180,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $22,500 | $90,000 | $225,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $30,000 | $120,000 | $300,000 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $37,500 | $150,000 | $375,000 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $45,000 | $180,000 | $450,000 |
| 3,500 sq ft | $52,500 | $210,000 | $525,000 |
| 4,000 sq ft | $60,000 | $240,000 | $600,000 |
Source: This Old House, How Much Does Home Renovation Cost? (2026 Pricing), updated 03/31/2026, citing Angi data.
Square footage is only the first input. A 2,000 sq ft house with one bathroom and a 2,000 sq ft house with three and a half bathrooms are different projects, because kitchens and bathrooms concentrate plumbing, electrical, tile and cabinetry into small rooms.
Why two similar houses get very different quotes
Scope. This Old House's guide names project scope as one of the biggest factors in renovation cost. Moving from paint and floors to new kitchens, bathrooms and systems is the jump from the $15 point to the $60 point and beyond.
Kitchens and bathrooms. Angi prices a bathroom remodel at $6,600–$28,000 and a kitchen remodel at $14,550–$40,400. The more of these rooms a house has, the higher it sits within its band.
Systems replaced versus systems kept. Keeping the existing electrical panel, plumbing runs and HVAC equipment keeps a job in the lower part of the comprehensive band. Replacing them pushes it up, and in a gut the walls come down first: Fixr puts interior demolition at $2–$10 per square foot.
Finish level. Vinyl costs less than high-end hardwood, stock cabinets less than custom. The calculator's finish setting moves you within the band rather than multiplying it.
Local labor. This Old House lists higher labor costs for specialized work among the cost drivers, and construction wages differ widely by state: the BLS index used here runs from 0.74 in Arkansas to 1.29 in Hawaii. That is what the state selector adjusts.
Cost breakdown
The estimate has up to three lines:
- Renovation, installed (materials and labor): your square footage × the per-square-foot rate for your scope and finish level. This Old House publishes installed totals, not a materials/labor split, so the calculator does not invent one.
- Interior demolition to the studs: gut option only, $2–$10 per sq ft (Fixr). Fixr's whole-home figure for gutting to the studs is $2,000–$20,000 for an average-sized home.
- Building permits: $500–$2,500 (Angi via This Old House).
Not included: a contingency, temporary housing and storage, testing and abatement of asbestos or lead paint, dumpster and hauling fees beyond what a contractor builds into the price, design fees, and higher insurance during the work. This Old House lists debris removal, design services, insurance increases and temporary housing as additional costs without giving figures.
Prices by state and metro area
The national estimate is adjusted with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for construction and extraction occupations (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Each state's mean hourly wage is divided by the national mean of $31.42 to get an index. No fetched source states a labor share for a whole house remodel, so the calculator assumes labor is 50% of the cost. Only that half moves: the factor is 0.5 + 0.5 × the state index.
Applied to the default estimate (1,500 sq ft, cosmetic, mid-range finish: $57,750 national):
| State | Wage index | Factor | Default estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1.26 | 1.13 | $65,250 |
| California | 1.20 | 1.10 | $63,550 |
| National average | 1.00 | 1.00 | $57,750 |
| Texas | 0.84 | 0.92 | $53,150 |
| Arkansas | 0.74 | 0.87 | $50,250 |
The index is a statewide average, so it does not separate a city from the rest of its state. For how the method works in more detail, see how regional cost adjustments work.
The calculator also prices 387 metro areas from the same BLS survey. The default job comes to $57,750 nationally; in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (wage index 1.26) it is $65,250, and in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (0.86) $53,700. Choose the metro area below your state for the closest figure.
Worked example
A 1,800 sq ft house in suburban Denver. The owners want a new kitchen, both bathrooms redone, new flooring throughout and the original electrical panel replaced, with mid-range finishes.
| Step | Figure |
|---|---|
| Scope: comprehensive, mid-range finish | $90–$120 per sq ft |
| Renovation, 1,800 sq ft | $162,000–$216,000 |
| Building permits | $500–$2,500 |
| National estimate | $190,500 (range $162,500–$218,500) |
| Colorado (wage index 1.01) | $191,450 |
| Contingency, 10%–15% | about $19,100–$28,700 |
| Budget to plan around | about $210,000–$220,000 |
The same project priced for Illinois, where construction wages are 25% above the national mean, comes to $214,300 before contingency; for Texas, $175,250. Keeping the existing kitchen layout and panel would move it toward the budget end of the band.
Where the money goes
This Old House's room figures, from Angi data, show why kitchens and bathrooms dominate a comprehensive remodel:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel | $14,550–$40,400 |
| Bathroom remodel | $6,600–$28,000 |
| Appliances | $200–$10,000 per appliance |
| Building permits | $500–$2,500 |
Source: This Old House, How Much Does Home Renovation Cost? (2026 Pricing), updated 03/31/2026.
For individual rooms, use the kitchen remodel calculator and the bathroom renovation calculator, then compare their total with the whole-house figure for your scope.
Phasing: doing it in stages
Many owners phase a whole house remodel over two or three years to spread the cost. Phasing works when the order is right:
- Envelope and safety first. Roof, drainage, foundation, electrical panel and any failing plumbing.
- Rough-in work next. Anything that opens walls: rewiring, replumbing, HVAC ductwork, insulation.
- Kitchen and bathrooms. Expensive rooms that depend on the rough-in being done.
- Finishes last. Flooring, paint and trim, once no other trade needs to cut into them.
Doing finishes first and systems later is the most common and most expensive phasing mistake. New drywall and flooring get torn out when the electrician or plumber arrives.
Costs most estimates leave out
- Temporary housing. Likely needed during a gut and for parts of a comprehensive remodel when the only kitchen or bathroom is out of service.
- Storage. A storage unit or portable container for the contents of the house.
- Hazardous materials. Testing and abatement for asbestos or lead paint in older homes, which must happen before demolition.
- Code upgrades. Once walls are open, inspectors may require current smoke alarms, GFCI and AFCI protection or other upgrades.
- Utility work. A larger electrical service or a new gas line can involve the utility company and its own fees and schedule.
How to use the estimate with contractors
Write a scope document before you ask for bids: which rooms, which systems, what finish level, and what stays. Send the same scope to at least three contractors. Bids on a written scope can be compared line by line; bids on a verbal description cannot.
If a bid comes in far below the calculator's range for your scope, ask what it leaves out. The usual gaps are permits, electrical and plumbing upgrades, and allowances for fixtures and finishes that are set unrealistically low.
Sources
- This Old House, How Much Does Home Renovation Cost? (2026 Pricing) — $19,500–$88,400 typical and $52,275 average for 1,250–1,600 sq ft; $15, $60 and $150 per sq ft; cost by home size; kitchen, bathroom and appliance costs; permits $500–$2,500; 10%–15% contingency; all based on Angi estimates (updated 03/31/2026). link
- NerdWallet, Cost to Renovate a House: Is Your Project Worth It? — $15 to $150 per sq ft (updated Apr 20, 2026). link
- Fixr, Interior Demolition Cost — $2–$10 per sq ft interior demolition; $2,000–$20,000 to gut an average-sized home to the studs (updated January 31, 2025). link
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 — state mean hourly wages for construction and extraction occupations, used for the state adjustment. link
Related
- How to plan a home renovation — the planning framework for large projects
- Home renovation timeline guide — schedules for whole-house projects
- Renovation cost by home size — how costs scale from small homes to large ones
- Renovation contingency budget — how much to hold back and when it gets spent
- Gut renovation — what the term covers
- Kitchen remodel cost calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a whole house remodel cost in 2026?
Angi's national data, as published by This Old House in March 2026, puts a typical house renovation between $19,500 and $88,400, averaging $52,275 for a home of about 1,250–1,600 sq ft. Per square foot, the range runs from $15 for basic updates such as paint and appliances, through $60 for a comprehensive renovation with moderate-quality materials, to $150 for a premium renovation with top-tier materials.
How much does it cost to remodel a 1,500 sq ft house?
This Old House's table, based on Angi estimates, gives $22,500 at the low end, $90,000 at mid-range and $225,000 at the high end for a 1,500 sq ft house. That is $15, $60 and $150 per square foot. The calculator's default, a cosmetic renovation with mid-range finishes on 1,500 sq ft, comes to about $57,750 including permits, close to Angi's $52,275 national average.
How much does it cost to gut a house?
Gutting is two costs. Fixr prices the tear-out alone at $2–$10 per square foot of interior demolition, or $2,000–$20,000 for an average-sized home. Rebuilding then falls in the comprehensive band, $60–$150 per square foot on This Old House's figures. The calculator adds both for its gut option, so 1,500 sq ft at mid-range finish comes to about $168,000 before contingency.
How much contingency should I add to a whole house remodel?
This Old House's guide quotes a renovation expert advising homeowners to add 10%–15% more to the estimate for unexpected costs. On the calculator's default $57,750 cosmetic renovation that is about $5,800–$8,700. Older homes, where walls are opened and wiring or plumbing may need bringing up to code, are where that reserve is most likely to be spent.
How much do permits cost for a whole house renovation?
Municipal requirements and building permits run $500 to $2,500, according to Angi figures quoted by This Old House. The calculator includes that range as its own line on every estimate. It is small next to the work itself, about 1%–4% of the default $57,750 cosmetic renovation, but skipping it can mean opening finished walls later for an inspector.
How much of a whole house remodel goes to the kitchen and bathrooms?
This Old House, citing Angi, prices a bathroom remodel at $6,600–$28,000 and a kitchen remodel at $14,550–$40,400, with appliances at $200–$10,000 each. In a house with one kitchen and two bathrooms, those rooms alone can account for $27,750–$96,400, which is why the number of kitchens and baths matters as much as total square footage.