Home Renovation Cost Guides for 2026

Every guide uses the same structure: a national range, the cost for each scope of work, a line-by-line budget breakdown, and what changes the number in your state.

Mid-grade work on a single-family home. All figures are planning estimates, not quotes.

Start with the project you are planning

How to use these guides

Each guide is built to be read in the order a real project happens. First match your work to a scope row — a refresh, a same-layout replacement, or a project that moves plumbing, structure or the building envelope. Those three tiers explain most of the gap between two quotes.

Then read the line-item breakdown. It tells you which decisions actually control the total. On a kitchen it is cabinets and whether the sink moves. On a roof it is pitch and how many layers come off. On painting it is preparation, not paint.

Finally, use the state table as a sanity check, not a substitute for a bid. Local permit fees, HOA requirements and access to your property do not show up in any national index.

What these guides do not cover

• Structural engineering. Load-bearing wall removal, foundation work and additions need an engineer and a site visit.
• Hazard abatement. Asbestos, lead paint and mould remediation are priced by licensed specialists, not general contractors.
• Insurance claims. Storm and water damage follow an adjuster's scope of loss, which differs from retail pricing.