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Before you make an offer on a fixer-upper (or budget for updates on your own place), it helps to know what each piece of the renovation actually costs. This tool breaks the budget down line by line — kitchen, bathrooms, roof, HVAC, flooring, paint — so you can build a realistic number instead of guessing at a lump sum. Enter what you're planning above.

How this estimator works

Pick a scope for each area of the house you're renovating, and this tool adds up the low and high end of typical 2026 national cost ranges for each one. It's a planning number, not a bid — get contractor quotes before you finalize a budget, especially in a market with above-average labor costs. Leave any section at "none" or zero if you're not touching it.

Where these ranges come from

Cost ranges are sourced from HomeGuide's 2026 national renovation cost data:

• Kitchen: minor refresh $5,000–$20,000, mid-range remodel $29,000–$64,000, high-end remodel $60,000–$125,000.
• Bathroom: standard bath $3,500–$25,000, primary/ensuite bath $10,000–$30,000.
• Roof replacement: asphalt shingle $7,500–$14,000, metal $7,500–$40,000.
• HVAC: full system (furnace + AC) $5,000–$11,000, furnace alone $2,000–$5,400, AC alone $2,500–$7,500.
• Flooring: hardwood $1,000–$3,800 per room, laminate $1,400–$3,400 per room, carpet $400–$3,000 per room. HomeGuide doesn't always specify whether a given figure is per-room or whole-house — we're treating these as per-room estimates, so a whole-house re-floor should use the room count, not square footage.
• Interior painting: $600–$2,000 per room.
• Whole-house renovation: $15–$60 per square foot, for a full gut-and-remodel rather than a room-by-room budget.

These are national averages. Louisville-area labor and material costs generally run near or slightly below the national median, but get local quotes before relying on this for an actual offer.

What this doesn't cover

• Permits, architect or design fees, and inspection costs — these vary by jurisdiction and project size and aren't included in the ranges above.
• Structural surprises: foundation issues, mold, asbestos or lead abatement, outdated electrical panels, and plumbing behind walls can add tens of thousands of dollars once a contractor opens things up. Always budget a contingency (typically 10–20% of your total) on top of this estimate.
• Exterior work other than the roof — siding, windows, landscaping, driveways, and decks aren't priced here.
• Appliances, unless you're at the high end of the kitchen range, which typically assumes mid-to-high-end appliances are included.
• Waste removal and dumpster rental, though this is usually a small line item relative to the rest of the budget.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use the line-item total or the whole-house per-square-foot estimate?

Use line items if you're updating specific rooms or systems and leaving the rest of the house alone. Use the whole-house estimate as a sanity check on a full gut renovation, or when you're evaluating a property sight-unseen and just need a ballpark. The two won't match exactly — a full gut typically costs more per room than doing rooms individually, because of the overlapping labor and site setup involved.

Why is the range so wide on some items?

Finish level drives most of the swing — a "high-end" kitchen with custom cabinetry and stone counters costs multiples of a "minor refresh" with new counters and paint on existing cabinets. Pick the scope that best matches what you're actually planning, and lean toward the low end if you're doing builder-grade finishes or the high end for custom work.

Does this account for a contingency budget?

No — add your own. Experienced flippers typically budget 10–20% on top of a contractor's quote for unexpected issues, and older homes or homes that haven't had recent inspections should lean toward the higher end of that range.

Working up a rehab budget for a specific property? Get in touch and we'll help you scope it with real comps and local contractor pricing. Licensed in Kentucky and Indiana. Every listing goes live on MLS within 3 business days of signing.