Overview
There are a lot of notable expenses that come with buying a home, but some of the most significant are the costs that come with updating it as the years go by.
Not all of it is too expensive, of course; a good amount won’t run you more than $210. But other renovations can come with price tags numbering well into the thousands, even breaking the $10K mark in certain cases.
It’s expensive enough if you’re paying the right price, which makes it that much more important for you to make sure that the service you’re receiving isn’t coming with an unnecessary markup.
Verify Contractor Quality
Of course, as far as the quality of work goes, you’ll have to check the testimonials of people that’ve utilized that person or company’s services in the past. You’ll also have to consider the scope of the job you’re having performed; larger houses with more to renovate will inevitably cost more to renovate, as will houses with higher quality standards.
That being said, judging quality isn’t useful unless you have an average price with which it can be related. On that note, let’s take a look at the average price you can expect to pay for common home improvement projects.
Average Improvement Projects: Least Expensive
Sprinkler System Refresh
Some of the most affordable improvements start in the garden, specifically with your sprinkler system. Activating or winterizing your sprinkler system can run you as little as $40 in some cases, and the cost for repairing it only starts $10 higher. The highest prices you’ll see for those efforts are slightly over $260 and $620 respectively, so you can expect the average price to be around $80 for activation/winterization, and $225 for repair.
Screen Doors
You can also get a screen door installed (or a regular door repaired) for as cheap as $50 each, while doors can cost up to $600, and screens up to $800, meaning they average out around $222 and $277 respectively.
Heater / Air Conditioning System Service
Moving towards HVAC, you should be able to get your furnace repaired for less than $60, and your AC can enjoy the same sort of repairs for right below $80. While the most expensive versions of these services can cost customers up to $800 & $900 for the former & latter, the average price tag for these jobs ends up in the ballpark of $267 and $318.
Ceiling Fan
A ceiling fan can get installed starting around $80, and a clogged drain could be repaired for the same price, but their average are approximately $243 and $194 respectively, since their maximum costs are $600 and $496 in turn.
Window Cleaning
Finishing off this section, a window cleaning job will run you around $207 on average, since they tend to cost less than $85 on the bottom end & $400 at the top, and hiring a roof inspector will set you back just under $225, with the upper & lower bounds being $700 and $75 respectively.
Average Job Costs: More Expensive Projects
Kitchen Remodel
Speaking generally, the kitchen is by far the most expensive part of a home to remodel. Various sites put the average between $19,720 & $20,474. For reference, the average from Remodeling Calculator are based on the following specifications:
“20 linear feet of cabinets, 200 sq. ft. of floor tile and installation, 30 sq. ft. of backsplash tile and installation, 4 piece set of stainless steel appliances (Energy Star Rated), 45 ft^2 of granite countertop (Colorado gold or Venetian gold), 50/50 under-mount sink, pull down faucet, dishwasher kit, track light fixture, new garbage disposal, and painted kitchen walls.”
Of course, many of your kitchens might not be receiving such elaborate makeovers. Minor renovations may only require 10 grand or so, but some of the priciest overhauls can land around a jaw-dropping $50,000.
No other part of the house quite reaches that tier in terms of renovation costs (in most cases), but the costs that come with taking your home improvement project to the bathroom aren’t what we’d call low.
Refacing Kitchen Cabinets
Refacing your cabinets can set you back almost as far. The minimum is the same, just around $2000, and the average is less than $300, with cabinet refacing running for approximately $6,692 according to HomeAdvisor. The high end, however, is just $200 short at $13,000.
Bathroom Remodel
Remodeling a small bathroom will cost anywhere between $5,000 and slightly over $9,000 on average, and larger ones can run you well into the $10-20K range. Of course, if you plan on making decadent additions & utilizing higher quality materials, the most ambitious bathroom & kitchen projects can reach similar heights in terms of price.
Deck
Then comes deck building. There’s only so much you can add to a deck to hike up the price, so the average isn’t as ridiculous, but it can still be a dent in anyone’s wallet.
The least it’ll cost you to build one is a cool $2,000, but depending on the size, dimensions & wood you use, that cost can hit a ceiling around $15,000. If you don’t feel like doing the math, that means the average falls just shy of $6,920.
Roof Repair
Roof installations are similarly priced. Just like the other two, around $2,000 at the lower end, although the high end thankfully caps off near $12,100, leading to an average of $6,626.
Flooring and Drywall
Other renovations like floor & drywall installations, along with crown molding & things of that nature, depend on the size of your home & the area being worked upon. For your reference, though, here are some examples of average costs for that type of work:
- $7.32 / ft^2 for oak wood flooring (including installation).
- $3.44 / sq.ft ($31 / sq. yard) for a new carpet (1/2 inch padding, 38 oz carpet and installation).
- $52 per sheet of drywall or sheetrock (including installation).
- $5-8 per linear foot for installing crown molding (assuming you’re using a material like PVC, MDF or Polyurethane).
Conclusion-How much will it cost?
We want to remind you again that we just intend this to be a handy reference guide, rather than a legal document of required prices. You should always be sure to check the testimonials of people that’ve used the service you’re looking at, and comparing the prices you’re being quoted with those that have gone through similar situations is vital in the process.
Once you’ve found someone, make sure you keep a clear line of communication throughout every step of the job, and be sure you both know what amounts of money are being exchanged at the end of the day.
If you’re ready to start your kitchen or bath makeover, you can schedule a free design consultation with our in-house experts by clicking HERE.