Why remodel cost ranges online are close to useless.
The number depends almost entirely on things the published range does not mention. Here is what actually moves it — and why two honest bids can differ enormously.
Remodel cost ranges published online are close to useless, and the reason is simple: the number depends almost entirely on things the range does not mention.
This is not an attempt to avoid the question. It is an explanation of what actually moves the price, so that when you get two bids that differ by a large margin you can work out why — because usually the difference is in what was assumed, not in what is being charged.
The four things that actually set the number
1. Are walls moving?
This is the single biggest fork in the road. A remodel inside the existing walls is a finishes project with some services work. A remodel that removes a load-bearing wall is a structural project: an engineered beam, posts landing on something that can carry them, a continuous load path down to a footing, temporary shoring, and an engineer's stamp. Those are not the same job and no per-square-foot figure spans both.
2. How old is the house, and what is inside the walls?
On anything older than roughly thirty years, opening walls reveals decisions made by previous owners and previous contractors. Wiring that was supposed to have been replaced. Plumbing that was never vented properly. Framing modified by somebody who did not know what it was carrying. None of that is unusual. All of it costs money, and a bid that does not acknowledge it is a bid that will change.
3. Are you moving water and gas?
Relocating a sink, a range or a bathroom is far more expensive than replacing them where they sit — not because of the fixture but because of what is under the floor and inside the wall. Moving a kitchen island's plumbing means opening a slab or a floor structure. It is one of the most common reasons a kitchen budget doubles between the first conversation and the drawings.
4. Are you living in the house?
Staying put means dust containment that genuinely seals, sequencing so there is always a working bathroom and somewhere to cook, and a slower schedule. It is a real line item. Moving out is faster and often cheaper per week of work, but you are paying to live somewhere else. On a long project that comparison is rarely as one-sided as people assume.
Why two honest bids can differ enormously
Assume both contractors are being straight with you. The gap usually sits in one of these places:
- Allowances. A bid with generous allowances for tile, cabinetry, fixtures and appliances looks cheaper and finishes higher. Ask what the allowance number actually buys at a real supplier this month.
- Engineering. Inside the price, or excluded and coming later?
- Permits and drawings. Who produces them, who submits them, and who absorbs the cost of a resubmittal.
- Systems scope. Whether electrical, plumbing and HVAC are being extended or replaced — and what triggers the switch from one to the other mid-project.
- Contingency. Whether there is one, how big, and who controls it.
- The exclusions list. Frequently more informative than the inclusions list. Read it first.
The most useful question you can ask a contractor about price is not "what does this cost?" It is "what would make this cost more than you have quoted, and how would I find out?" A clear answer tells you they have thought about your specific house. A vague one tells you the number is a starting position.
Where per-square-foot figures break down
A per-square-foot number averages across projects that have almost nothing in common. It cannot distinguish between a house where the wall comes out easily and one where it is carrying the roof. It cannot see your foundation, your soils, your jurisdiction or the 1994 framing modification waiting behind your plaster.
They are useful for one thing only: an order-of-magnitude sanity check before you start. Treat them as that and nothing more.
What we do instead
We ask for the address first, because the jurisdiction reviewing your project changes what is permittable and how long approval takes. Then we walk the property and look at what is actually standing, because that is what determines whether your project is a finishes job or a structural one.
Only then is a number worth anything. AAA Home Improvements has been building on the Front Range for 25 years, and the single most expensive thing we see is a homeowner who committed to a budget before anybody had established what the house would allow.
Want a number based on your house?
Tell us the address and what you are trying to do. We will look at what is standing before anyone quotes anything.
Start My Free Estimate →Or call (720) 637-2060