Remodeling Cost Calculators (2026)

Remodels are where planned budgets most often drift. The room you see is only part of the job: behind it sit plumbing, wiring, subfloor and a permit, and the choices you make about cabinets, tile and fixtures can swing the price by tens of thousands of dollars. The calculators in this category start from national prices gathered from public cost guides, then adjust them for wages and prices in your state.

Every calculator gives you a low, typical and high price, a breakdown you can hold next to a contractor's quote, and a table of typical prices for all 50 states and DC. You don't need to leave an email to see the result.

Bathroom Remodel$5,900–$21,000 Kitchen Remodel$23,000–$40,000

Bathroom remodel costs

Bathroom size sets the starting point. Including the permit, a half bath runs $1,850–$14,500 (typical $8,180), a full bath $5,900–$21,000 (typical $13,500) and a primary bath $10,100–$31,000 (typical $20,600). Our sources disagree widely on full and primary baths, so those ranges are wide on purpose.

If you know your floor area, the per-square-foot price gives a tighter number. Installed, basic finishes run $100–$150 per square foot (typical $130), mid-range $150–$300 (typical $230) and high-end $250–$500 (typical $380). Moving plumbing is the other big lever: ticking that box takes a full bath to $6,900–$26,000, typical $16,500. One source puts a single moved fixture at $1,000–$5,000.

The bathroom remodel cost calculator handles bath size, floor area, finish level and plumbing moves, and shows installed prices for vanities, toilets, tubs, showers and tile.

Kitchen remodel costs

Finish level decides most of a kitchen's price. For a 150 sq ft kitchen with new appliances, basic finishes come to $9,460–$25,000 (typical $17,200), mid-range to $23,000–$40,000 (typical $31,500) and high-end to $38,000–$55,000 (typical $46,500). Those per-foot rates come from one source, so the calculator marks them as limited data.

Cabinets and countertops are the largest materials lines. Installed, stock cabinets run $100–$300 per linear foot, semi-custom $200–$580 and custom $500–$1,200. Refacing existing cabinets costs $4,640–$11,600 for the job. Countertops run $30–$60 per square foot for laminate, $45–$140 for granite and $50–$150 for quartz. Keeping your appliances brings the mid-range example down to $20,500–$33,200.

The kitchen remodel cost calculator adjusts for kitchen size, finish level and appliances, and lists cabinet and countertop prices for checking a quote.

What drives the price of a remodel

Finish level. Tile, cabinets, counters and fixtures come in every price tier. In both rooms, high-end finishes cost close to three times what basic ones do per square foot at the typical price.

Layout. Leaving the sink, toilet, shower and range where they are is the single most reliable way to keep a remodel near the typical price. Moving them means opening floors and walls for new pipes, drains, gas lines and wiring.

Labor share. How much of the bill is labor decides how much your state matters. A bathroom is a little over half labor in our data, so local wages move its price a lot. A kitchen is about 21% labor, because cabinets, counters and appliances make up most of the cost, so state differences are smaller: the typical kitchen runs from $28,500 in Arkansas to $36,700 in Hawaii. A full bath, by comparison, runs from $11,400 in Arkansas to $16,500 in Hawaii, a much bigger swing for a much smaller job.

The age of the house. Older homes can hide water damage, outdated wiring or uneven floors that only show up during demolition. None of our sources price these repairs separately, which is one reason the high end of each range sits well above the typical price.

Permits. Fees are set by your city, not your state, so we show them as a national range and don't adjust them. A kitchen permit in our data runs $460–$2,500; a bathroom permit $100–$1,000.

How to budget a remodel

Start with the typical number for your state, then decide which side of it you're on. Lean toward the low end if you're keeping the layout, choosing mostly stock sizes and the house is in good shape. Lean toward the high end if you're moving fixtures, choosing custom pieces, or the house is old enough that the walls may hold surprises.

Then run the calculator twice: once with the choices you want and once with the cheaper option on the one or two items that matter most to the total. In a bathroom that's usually moving plumbing or the bath size. In a kitchen it's the finish level and whether you buy new appliances. The difference between the two runs tells you what each choice actually costs.

Set aside a cushion for what you can't see. Once the old tile or cabinets come off, a contractor may find rot, old wiring or pipes that need to be replaced. Ask each contractor how they price that kind of change and get the answer in writing before work starts.

Planning both rooms

If a kitchen and a bathroom are both on your list, ask whether one contractor can quote them together. Shared demolition, one dumpster and fewer trips for the plumber and electrician can make two rooms cheaper as one project than as two. The order matters too: many people do the kitchen first while they can still use the old bathroom, or the other way round, since living without either room for a few weeks is hard. Ask how long each room will be out of use.

Questions to ask a remodeling contractor

What exactly is included? Demolition, haul-away, plumbing, electrical, drywall repair and cleanup are the lines most often left out.
Who orders the materials? Ask who buys the cabinets, tile and fixtures, and who carries the risk if they arrive late or damaged.
Who handles the permit? Ask who applies, who pays and whether inspections are included in the schedule.
How are hidden problems priced? Get a per-hour or per-item rate for surprises found during demolition.
How long will the room be out of use? Get a start date and an end date in writing.
Are you licensed and insured? Ask for proof of insurance, and check licensing where your state requires it.

Reading a remodel quote

A good quote lists the job in pieces you can check. For a bathroom, that's the fixtures, the tile area, the vanity, any plumbing moves, the permit and demolition. For a kitchen, it's the cabinet line and length, the countertop material and square footage, appliances, flooring, plumbing, electrical and the permit.

Hold each piece next to the breakdown from our calculator. Big gaps aren't proof of a bad quote, but they're the right place to ask questions. A price far below our low number often means something is missing; a price far above the high number may reflect conditions the contractor saw and we can't.

Before the first wall comes down

Settle your choices on paper first. Pick the fixtures, the tile and the cabinet line before demolition, so the crew isn't waiting on deliveries while your room sits open. Confirm the permit is approved, agree on how dust and debris will be handled in the rest of the house, and make sure everyone knows which day the water or power will be off. Bring the ballpark. Ask for the line items.

FAQ

Which costs more, a kitchen or a bathroom remodel?

A kitchen, usually by more than double. Nationally, a 150 sq ft mid-range kitchen with new appliances runs $23,000–$40,000 (typical $31,500), while a full bathroom runs $5,900–$21,000 (typical $13,500). A primary bath, at $10,100–$31,000, can overlap with a basic kitchen at $9,460–$25,000.

Why do bathroom prices change more between states than kitchen prices?

Because a bathroom remodel is mostly labor and a kitchen is mostly materials. Our calculators split a bathroom at 52.5% labor and a kitchen at about 21%. Wages vary more between states than material prices do, so the bath's typical price swings from $11,400 in Arkansas to $16,500 in Hawaii.

Do remodels need a permit?

Usually, once the work touches plumbing, wiring, gas or walls. In our data a bathroom remodel permit runs $100–$1,000 (typical $550) and a kitchen permit $460–$2,500 (typical $1,480). Cosmetic updates often need none, but rules vary by city, so check before you book.

Why are your ranges so wide?

Because real remodel quotes are. Our low number is a simple job with standard materials; the high number covers premium finishes, older houses and busy seasons. Where few sources agree, such as full and primary bathroom costs or kitchen finish-level prices, the calculator says so with a limited-data note.

What is the smallest remodel these calculators price?

A half bath. With the permit, remodeling a half bath (toilet and sink only) costs $1,850–$14,500 nationally, typical $8,180. On the kitchen side, refacing the cabinets you have instead of replacing them runs $4,640–$11,600 for the job, typical $8,120, though that covers the cabinets only, not a full remodel.

Do you have calculators for basements, showers or painting?

They belong in this category, and they'll appear here once we have enough public price data to give a fair range for each. We don't publish a calculator until every number in it traces to a dated source.