Whole Home Renovation Cost (2026): Per Sq Ft Pricing by Tier
By Fabio Freire, Founder & General Contractor at EZ-Estimates. Published 2026-07-17.
Whole Home Renovation Cost (2026): Per Sq Ft Pricing by Tier
Client calls with a 2,400 sqft home and says "we want to renovate everything." Your first job is not to quote. Your first job is to figure out which of the three renovations they actually mean. Because "whole home renovation" ranges from $120k for a cosmetic refresh to $960k+ for a gut-to-studs high-end rebuild. If you throw out a middle number you either scare them off or set an expectation you cannot meet.
Here is how whole-home renovations really price in 2026, broken into three defensible tiers.
Whole Home Renovation Cost Per Sq Ft (2026 Ranges)
Installed cost per finished square foot of the home. Includes materials, labor, subcontractors, GC overhead, and profit. Does not include additions, structural changes to load-bearing walls, or major utility upgrades.
| Tier |
Low End |
Mid Range |
High End |
| Cosmetic Refresh |
$50/sqft |
$65/sqft |
$80/sqft |
| Mid-Range Renovation |
$100/sqft |
$140/sqft |
$180/sqft |
| High-End / Gut Renovation |
$200/sqft |
$290/sqft |
$400/sqft |
| Luxury / Full Custom |
$400/sqft |
$550/sqft |
$800/sqft+ |
Total for a 2,400 sqft home:
- Cosmetic refresh: $120,000 to $192,000
- Mid-range renovation: $240,000 to $432,000
- High-end / gut: $480,000 to $960,000
- Luxury: $960,000 to $1,920,000+
Tier 1: Cosmetic Refresh ($50-$80/sqft)
What is included:
- Paint (all interior surfaces)
- Flooring (LVP or mid-tier hardwood)
- Cabinet refacing or paint
- New light fixtures and hardware
- Basic bathroom vanity swap
- Countertop replacement (laminate to quartz)
- Trim refresh (baseboards, casings)
- Minor drywall repair
- Small deck refinish or repair
- Landscaping refresh
What is NOT included:
- New layouts
- Plumbing rough-in changes
- Electrical panel work
- Insulation or HVAC replacement
- Structural changes
- Roof or siding
- Windows
This is the flip / refresh tier. Investors, landlords, and homeowners doing curb appeal upgrades. Fast turn (6 to 10 weeks on a 2,400 sqft home).
Common cosmetic refresh estimate:
| Trade / Category |
Cost Range (2,400 sqft) |
| Paint (interior) |
$8,000-$14,000 |
| Flooring (LVP throughout) |
$16,000-$26,000 |
| Kitchen refresh (paint, hardware, counter) |
$18,000-$32,000 |
| Bathroom refreshes (2 baths) |
$12,000-$22,000 |
| Trim and doors |
$6,000-$11,000 |
| Lighting and hardware |
$4,000-$7,500 |
| Cleanup and touch-ups |
$2,500-$4,500 |
| GC OH+P (15-20%) |
$12,000-$22,000 |
Tier 2: Mid-Range Renovation ($100-$180/sqft)
This is the meat of the residential renovation market. Real scope changes, quality finishes, and homeowners who plan to stay 5+ years.
What is included:
- Full kitchen renovation (new cabinets, quartz counters, tile backsplash, appliances)
- 2-3 full bathroom renovations (new tile, plumbing rough-in, vanity, fixtures)
- New flooring throughout (mid-tier hardwood or quality LVP)
- Interior paint and trim
- New interior doors
- Some layout changes (open kitchen to living, wall removal if not load-bearing)
- Electrical updates (new devices, some new circuits, sometimes panel upgrade)
- HVAC service or partial replacement
- Roof if needed
- Basic exterior refresh (paint, some siding repair)
Typical breakdown for a 2,400 sqft mid-range at $140/sqft ($336,000 total):
| Category |
% of Budget |
Dollar Amount |
| Demo and disposal |
3-5% |
$10,000-$17,000 |
| Kitchen (labor + materials) |
20-25% |
$67,000-$84,000 |
| Bathrooms (3) |
15-20% |
$50,000-$67,000 |
| Flooring |
8-12% |
$27,000-$40,000 |
| Interior paint + trim |
5-8% |
$17,000-$27,000 |
| Electrical |
5-8% |
$17,000-$27,000 |
| Plumbing rough-in changes |
4-7% |
$13,000-$24,000 |
| HVAC |
3-5% |
$10,000-$17,000 |
| Windows (partial or all) |
5-10% |
$17,000-$34,000 |
| Doors and hardware |
2-4% |
$7,000-$13,000 |
| Roofing (if needed) |
3-6% |
$10,000-$20,000 |
| Permits and inspections |
1-2% |
$3,000-$7,000 |
| GC overhead + profit (15-25%) |
15-25% |
$50,000-$84,000 |
Tier 3: High-End / Gut Renovation ($200-$400/sqft)
Full gut to studs, sometimes stripping back to foundation and framing. Major layout changes, structural work, all-new mechanicals, premium finishes.
What is included:
- Gut demo to studs (sometimes to slab)
- New framing modifications (headers, beams, engineered)
- Full electrical rewire and panel upgrade (200A+ common)
- Full plumbing repipe (PEX or copper)
- Full HVAC replacement (often ducted heat pump or hydronic)
- All-new insulation (spray foam common)
- All-new drywall and finish
- All-new flooring (premium hardwood, large format tile)
- Custom cabinets and premium counters (marble, quartzite, waterfall edges)
- Premium bath fixtures (Toto, Kohler premium, Hansgrohe)
- New windows throughout (Marvin, Andersen A-Series, Pella Reserve)
- Exterior scope (siding, roof, some structural)
- Landscape and hardscape refresh
- Smart home / low voltage / audio
Typical breakdown for a 2,400 sqft high-end gut at $290/sqft ($696,000 total):
| Category |
Dollar Amount |
| Demo (full gut) |
$25,000-$45,000 |
| Framing changes and structural |
$30,000-$60,000 |
| Full rewire (200A panel + all circuits) |
$45,000-$80,000 |
| Full repipe (PEX + fixtures) |
$35,000-$65,000 |
| HVAC (ducted heat pump + zoning) |
$28,000-$50,000 |
| Insulation (spray foam) |
$18,000-$32,000 |
| Drywall (full home) |
$30,000-$52,000 |
| Flooring (premium hardwood + tile) |
$45,000-$80,000 |
| Kitchen (custom cabs, premium counter) |
$80,000-$150,000 |
| Bathrooms (3-4 full baths) |
$85,000-$180,000 |
| Windows (all replaced) |
$40,000-$85,000 |
| Doors and interior trim |
$18,000-$32,000 |
| Roofing |
$20,000-$40,000 |
| Siding and exterior |
$30,000-$65,000 |
| Landscape refresh |
$12,000-$28,000 |
| GC overhead + profit (18-25%) |
$125,000-$175,000 |
What Drives Cost Beyond Baseline
Historic homes. Anything pre-1950. Lead paint, asbestos abatement ($8k to $30k), knob-and-tube rewire, plaster walls that need repair not replacement. Add 15% to 30%.
Structural changes. Removing a load-bearing wall with a 20-foot LVL beam runs $8,000 to $22,000 including engineering, permits, and framing. Cutting a new opening into a masonry wall doubles that.
Foundation issues. If you discover a settling foundation during demo, you owe the fix. Piering runs $20,000 to $80,000. Waterproofing is $8,000 to $22,000.
Historic district approvals. Anything on the historic register triples permit review time and forces specific material/window choices. Add 10% to material budgets.
Site access. Urban infill homes with 3-foot side yards or high-rise condo renovations need loading zone permits, elevator time slots, and slower material staging. Add 5% to 12% to labor.
Regional Multipliers
Rough regional adjustment off national baseline:
- NYC, SF, Boston metro: +40% to +80%
- LA, Seattle, DC, Toronto downtown: +25% to +45%
- Chicago, Miami, Denver, Vancouver: +10% to +25%
- Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, Montreal: Baseline to +15%
- Midwest secondary markets: Baseline to -10%
- Rural markets: -15% to -25%
Contractors in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco can quote whole-home projects at 2x the national average. Contractors in Nashville and Charlotte work at or near baseline.
Sample Estimate: 2,400 sqft Mid-Range Renovation ($140/sqft)
Line-item summary for a 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath ranch full mid-range renovation, no additions.
| Category |
Line Total |
| Demo and dumpster fees |
$14,500 |
| Framing modifications (open kitchen wall) |
$8,500 |
| Kitchen renovation (mid semi-custom) |
$76,000 |
| Bath 1 (primary, 100 sqft) |
$32,000 |
| Bath 2 (family, 60 sqft) |
$22,000 |
| Bath 3 (powder) |
$9,500 |
| LVP flooring throughout (2,000 sqft) |
$22,000 |
| Interior paint + trim |
$22,500 |
| Electrical (updates, some new circuits) |
$18,500 |
| Plumbing rough-in changes |
$14,000 |
| HVAC service and new thermostat |
$2,800 |
| Windows (12 replaced) |
$22,000 |
| Interior doors (12) |
$9,600 |
| Cleanup |
$3,500 |
| Permit and inspection |
$4,800 |
| Trades + Materials Subtotal |
$282,200 |
| GC overhead (12%) |
$33,864 |
| GC profit (13%) |
$36,686 |
| Total Estimate |
$352,750 |
That is $147/sqft. Well inside mid-range.
Common Whole-Home Renovation Mistakes
Not pricing contingency into the scope. Anything over $100k should carry 8% to 15% contingency for unknowns. Client should see it as a separate line item, not buried.
Missing the temporary living cost. Not your line item, but you should mention: gutted-to-studs jobs are unlivable. Client needs a rental. Timeline matters to them a lot.
Forgetting utility upgrades. A 100A panel cannot handle a modern kitchen + heat pump + EV charger. Upgrade to 200A or 400A. Cost the client for it upfront.
Under-scoping demo. Full-gut demo of a 2,400 sqft home is 20 to 40 dumpsters and 5 to 10 days of labor. Not a $5k line item.
Related Reading
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