Checking a quote right now? Our free renovation cost calculator gives you the realistic 2026 range for your job and area, plus the line items that quote is probably missing.
Every cost guide on Renolyst in one place, grouped by job. Each one is built from 2026 contractor quotes and supplier pricing — including the line items that quotes usually leave out.
Kitchen
Cabinets, countertops and whole-kitchen budgets — line items, not marketing ranges.
- Cabinet Refacing vs Replacing: What Each Really Costs in 2026 — Refacing costs a third of replacement and takes four days — but only if your cabinet boxes are worth keeping.
- Quartz vs Granite Countertops: Cost, Upkeep and Which to Buy — Granite is $1,250 cheaper on a typical kitchen and handles heat better. Quartz never needs sealing. The decision comes down to one honest question about yourself.
- Kitchen Remodel Cost in 2026: What You’ll Actually Pay — The average 2026 kitchen remodel ran $26,941 — but that number is useless on its own. Real costs by scope, size, and line item, plus the $7,500 surprise most budgets miss.
- Asbestos and Lead Testing Cost 2026 — and the EPA rule that removes your homeowner exemption the moment you renovate for profit.
Bathroom
Small remodels, tub-to-shower conversions, and what the plumbing really adds.
- Cost to Convert a Tub to a Walk-In Shower in 2026 — $3,000 to $12,000, and about 60% back at resale. Why one question about the drain explains most of the price difference between bids — and the single situation where you should not do…
- Cost to Remodel a Small Bathroom in 2026 — A 5×8 bathroom runs $4,000 to $18,000 — a fifth the size of a kitchen at a third the cost.
- Bathroom Remodel Cost in 2026: What $5K, $15K and $30K Actually Buy — The average 2026 bathroom remodel was $12,147, but the real range is $2,500 to $30,000. What each budget tier buys, why labor eats 40-65% of it, and the one question that decides your…
Interior
Painting, basements and the rooms you already have.
- Basement Finishing Cost in 2026: What $32,000 Actually Buys — Finishing a basement averaged $32,000 in 2026 at $7–$23 a square foot, recouping 64–70%. Water, ceiling height and egress decide the number before any of the finishes do.
- Interior Painting Cost in 2026: Why Labour Is 80% of the Bill — Painting a 2,000 sq ft interior ran $6,000 to $8,000 in 2026, and 70–85% of that is labour. Cost by room and by size, plus why premium paint is the cheap option.
- Popcorn Ceiling Removal Cost in 2026: The Scrape Is the Cheap Part — Scraping runs $1-$2 a square foot; removal with a finished, paintable ceiling runs $2-$6.
Roofing
Replacement pricing by material, and the metal-vs-asphalt maths redone honestly.
- Roof Replacement Cost in 2026: Real Numbers by Size and Material — What a roof replacement really costs in 2026, broken down by roof size, material and line item — plus the hidden extras that turn a $12,000 quote into $16,000.
- Metal Roof vs Asphalt Shingles in 2026: The Honest Cost Comparison — Asphalt runs ~$10,500, metal ~$22,000, and metal lasts three times longer. That math only wins if you stay 50 years — here is the comparison done for how long people actually own homes.
- Chimney Repair Cost 2026 — about 90% of a repointing bill is labour.
- Skylight Installation Cost 2026 — and the tax credit that just vanished.
- Tree Removal Cost 2026 — insurance often caps debris removal at $500 per tree, and one city fines $30,000 for removing without a permit.
Exterior
Windows, siding, decks, fences, patios and driveways — the jobs quotes vary most on.
- Gutter Replacement Cost in 2026: Materials, Guards and What Actually Matters — 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.
- Concrete Patio Cost in 2026: Plain, Stamped and What Is Underneath — 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.
- Fence Installation Cost in 2026: What You Pay Per Linear Foot — 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.
- Driveway Replacement Cost in 2026: Asphalt vs Concrete Over 30 Years — 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.
- Deck Building Cost in 2026: Why Wood Beats Composite on Paper — A new deck averaged $8,318 in 2026. A wood deck recoups 94.9% at resale against composite at 88.5% — the best return in home improvement, and the opposite of the usual sales pitch.
- Window Replacement Cost in 2026: What Moves the Price (and What Does Not) — The average window ran $517 installed in 2026 and $7,183 for a seven-window job. Material barely moves that number — insert versus full-frame moves it by thousands.
- Cost to Convert a Garage Into a Room in 2026 — Averages $16,474 and returns about 80% — the cheapest square footage you can add. Cost by room type, and the four things missing from most quotes, starting with the sloped floor.
- Siding Replacement Cost in 2026: Vinyl vs Fiber Cement — Fiber cement averages $14,893 installed and returns about 80% at resale — the best payback in home improvement.
- Garage Door Replacement Cost in 2026: The $1,230 Door and the 268% Number — Cost guides say $1,230, the Cost vs. Value report says $4,672 – they describe different doors.
- Inground Pool Cost 2026 — what $65,909 actually buys.
Flooring
Refinishing versus replacing, and where vinyl plank actually fails.
- Hardwood Floor Refinishing Cost in 2026 (And When It Is Not Possible) — Refinishing runs $3.40 to $7.20 a square foot against $8 to $16 to replace. What drives the price, how many refinishes your floor has left, and the water-drop test that saves you…
- Vinyl Plank Flooring Problems: What Actually Goes Wrong — Gapping, peaking, denting, telegraphing and water underneath — the seven real complaints about LVP, what causes each, and why almost every one traces back to installation rather than…
- Vinyl Plank vs Laminate: Cost, Durability, and Which Room Gets Which — They look identical and cost about the same. One is waterproof, the other is water-resistant — and that single word decides which rooms each belongs in.
Systems
HVAC, water heaters, insulation, panels and pipes — the systems that fail on their own schedule.
- Whole-House Repipe Cost in 2026: PEX vs Copper, and What Labour Really Costs — A whole-house repipe averaged $7,500 in 2026 and 70% of it is labour. PEX versus copper, cost per fixture, and the three pipe materials that make the job non-optional.
- Attic Insulation Cost in 2026 (And Why Air Sealing Comes First) — Attic insulation averaged $2,100 in 2026 at $1–$3 a square foot. Cost by type and size — plus why insulating before air sealing wastes much of what you spend.
- Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost in 2026: 100, 200 and 400 Amp Compared — A panel upgrade averaged $1,800 in 2026. A panel swap and a service upgrade are different jobs at different prices — and some panels are replaced for the brand on the door.
- Water Heater Replacement Cost in 2026: Tank vs Tankless, Honestly — A water heater swap averaged $1,347 in 2026. Going tankless is not a $1,000 upgrade — the gas line, venting and electrical turn a $2,000 unit into a $5,000 project.
- HVAC Replacement Cost in 2026: Furnace, AC and Heat Pump Compared — A full HVAC replacement averaged $7,500 in 2026, but ductwork can push the same house to $22,000. Cost by system type and size, plus the load calculation most quotes skip.
- Sump Pump Installation Cost in 2026: Why the Pump Is the Cheap Part — A sump pump job averages $1,100 to $1,600, but the pump itself is $100 to $800 – labour is 65-80% of it.
- Foundation Repair Cost 2026 — the $5,200 average is the midpoint of two unrelated jobs.
- Radon Mitigation Cost 2026 — a $1,000 fix, a $25 test, and the band nobody quotes on.
- Septic Tank Replacement Cost 2026 — the tank is $700–$3,000; the drain field averages $7,900, and moving it can cost $21,500.
- Well Drilling Cost 2026 — why two guides say $5,500 and $10,500, and who pays for a dry hole.
- Basement Waterproofing Cost 2026 — under the code your basement was only ever damp-proofed. That is not a defect.
Solar
Cost per watt by state, incentives, and whether the payback holds up.
- Solar Panel Cost by State in 2026: Where It Pays Back and Where It Does Not — The same 8 kW system pays back in nine years in Massachusetts and nineteen in Louisiana. State-by-state costs, utility rates and the net metering rules that decide the answer.
- Is Home Solar Still Worth It in 2026? The Math After the Tax Credit Ended — The federal residential solar credit hit 0% on January 1, 2026 — no phase-down. Payback by state, why New Jersey beats Texas, and how to tell which side of the line you are on.
Financing
HELOCs, home equity loans, and how people actually pay for this.
- Home Equity Loan vs HELOC for a Renovation: Which Costs Less? — A fixed lump sum or a credit line you draw from? We run the same $40,000 kitchen through both, with real five-year interest totals and the fees lenders leave off the phone call.
- How to Finance a Renovation in 2026: Five Options Compared — 0% cards, personal loans, HELOCs, home equity loans and cash-out refinance — rates, closing costs and risk side by side, plus the refinance mistake that turns a $60,000 loan into a…