Exterior

A retaining wall runs $25 to $60 per square foot of face, around $6,000 typical. But the permit height is measured from the bottom of the footing, not what you can see — and comparing quotes per linear foot compares nothing at all.

Tree removal averages $750–$850, but insurance often caps debris removal at $500 per tree. Plus the permit that costs $60 and the fine that costs $30,000.

Angi puts the 2026 average inground pool at $65,909, but vinyl starts near $25,000 and concrete runs past $120,000. Here is what drives the gap, plus the $3,000-$6,000 a year nobody quotes.

Cost guides say $1,230, the Cost vs. Value report says $4,672 – they describe different doors. Real prices by size and material, what the 268% ROI figure actually measures, and how 2026 steel tariffs moved the number.

New gutters run $12–$25 a linear foot, or $2,200–$5,000 on a typical house. Cost by material, seamless versus sectional, and why gutter guards can cost more than the gutters.

Plain concrete runs $4–$12 a square foot, stamped $9–$30 — same slab, different finishing labour. Cost by size, plus why the compacted base matters more than the finish.

A new fence averaged $3,270 in 2026 at about $23 a linear foot — and half of that is labour. Cost by material, plus the property-line mistake that can force the whole thing down.

Asphalt runs $5–$12 a square foot and concrete $6–$15. The upfront gap is small; the thirty-year gap is not — and freeze-thaw decides which way it falls.