How Much Will My Remodel Cost?

The most common and inevitable question I get from clients – and one that really can only be answered by your General Contractor. But there are rules of thumb that my experience has found to be accurate. For older (pre-1950) Seattle homes, both for remodeling and additions, remodeling ranges from $200-$275 per square foot (sf), and the new construction of additions runs $150-$225/sf.

Remodeling costs more than additions/new construction because of the time and labor to tear things apart – carefully – before the new construction can happen. Dealing with old wiring and plumbing systems, often done incorrectly, takes time.

My cost averages have several assumptions:

• Projects size of ~400sf or larger – smaller projects cost more per sf, as many subcontractors have minimum fees to come out to work on any project. Travel time, set up and clean up take time, so even a few hours of actual work can take an entire day.
• Kitchen and bath projects cost more per sf than other areas. Plumbing, electrical, built in cabinets, and expensive finishes drive the cost up in these rooms. Here’s an idea ofkitchen pricing.
• These averagesdo not include freestanding appliances, and landscaping.
• These averages are for construction cost anddo not include design and permit fees.

Homeowners often want to lower this cost by taking on parts of the project such as demolition or painting. Most demolition is best left to the Contractor, unless the owner has construction skills. Wiring and plumbing can be inside any wall, requiring skill to avoid or reroute.

One of the best things home owners can do to keep their project cost down is to keep the contractor on the job working – not spending time tracking down fixtures and materials. If you have all appliances and fixtures picked before the GC bids your job, you will get a much more accurate bid and the construction process should go quicker and cost less.

There are many articles and data about the return on your remodel project. Look for regional data instead of national surveys, such a this article in the Seattle P.I.

Here is another article on a local kitchen remodel that has some good kitchen pricing as well, and an article outlining four improvements which will add value to your home.