Budget
Project Cost Estimator
Compare DIY and professional cost ranges for common home and garden projects by size and finish level.
Your answer
Estimate for planning purposes — get local quotes for a firm price.
How this estimate is built
This tool combines a per-square-foot cost range for your project type with a multiplier for finish level and an adjustment for DIY versus hiring a professional. It is meant for early planning — deciding whether a project fits your budget and roughly how much of the spend is labor versus materials — not as a substitute for a contractor's quote.
Costs vary meaningfully by region: labor in major metro areas can run 30-60% higher than the national average, while materials are more consistent nationwide thanks to national supply chains. Treat the range here as a national planning baseline and adjust it against a couple of local quotes.
Typical cost ranges by project
| Project | Budget | Mid-range | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen remodel (per sq ft) | $85-150 | $150-300 | $300-600 |
| Bathroom remodel (per sq ft) | $100-200 | $200-350 | $350-650 |
| Flooring (per sq ft, installed) | $3-6 | $6-12 | $12-25 |
| Interior painting (per sq ft) | $1.50-3 | $3-5 | $5-9 |
| Deck build (per sq ft) | $20-35 | $35-55 | $55-100 |
| Landscaping (per sq ft) | $6-12 | $12-22 | $22-40 |
Where the money goes
Labor share is not fixed — it depends heavily on how skill-intensive the work is relative to material cost. Painting is mostly labor because paint itself is cheap; a kitchen remodel splits more evenly because cabinets, countertops, and appliances carry real material cost regardless of who installs them.
| Project | Typical labor share | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Interior painting | 60-70% | Materials (paint) are cheap; the work is time-intensive |
| Bathroom remodel | 45-55% | Plumbing and tile work is skilled and slow |
| Kitchen remodel | 40-50% | Cabinets and countertops are expensive materials |
| Flooring | 35-45% | Material cost varies widely by product chosen |
| Landscaping | 50-60% | Plants and hardscape materials plus significant labor |
DIY versus hiring a professional
- DIY saves the most on labor-heavy, lower-skill projects: painting, basic landscaping, simple flooring installs.
- Licensed-trade work — electrical, gas, structural, and most plumbing — often legally requires a licensed contractor and carries real safety and resale risk if done incorrectly.
- Factor in tool rental, your own time, and the risk of mistakes that need professional correction, which can erase DIY savings on unfamiliar work.
- A hybrid approach — DIY demolition and prep, professional installation — often captures meaningful savings while keeping skilled work in expert hands.
Hidden costs to budget for
- Permits — often $100-1,000+ depending on scope and municipality, required for most structural, electrical, and plumbing work.
- Disposal and dumpster rental for demolition debris, easy to forget when estimating a remodel.
- A 10-20% contingency for unexpected issues found once walls or floors are opened up, especially in older homes.
- Temporary living costs — takeout, a rented appliance, or a hotel — for projects that take a kitchen or bathroom fully offline.
Why is the cost range so wide?
Material grade, regional labor rates, and site complexity (old construction, tricky access, permit requirements) can each swing a project cost by 30-50%. A range reflects realistic uncertainty better than a single false-precision number.
How much of a project's cost is typically labor?
For most remodeling work, labor runs 40-65% of the total cost. Material-heavy projects like flooring or countertops skew lower; labor-intensive work like tiling or custom carpentry skews higher.
Is DIY really half the cost of hiring a pro?
Roughly, for projects within a typical DIY skill range — painting, basic landscaping, simple flooring. For licensed-trade work like electrical, plumbing, and structural changes, DIY savings shrink sharply once permit and code-compliance risk is factored in, and some work legally requires a licensed contractor.
Should I get multiple quotes even after using this estimator?
Yes, always. This tool gives a planning-stage range to help you budget and evaluate quotes — three quotes for the same defined scope of work is still the most reliable way to find a fair local price.
Last reviewed February 2026