Rehab Cost Calculator

How to use the rehab cost calculator

Start with a walkthrough, not a listing photo. Note every room you plan to touch, the condition of the roof, mechanicals, windows, and foundation, and anything that looks like water, pests, or past repairs. Then enter the area that will receive real renovation work, not the total size of the house. A bedroom that only needs paint belongs in the area. An unfinished basement you will leave alone does not.

Set the base cost per square foot for general interior work in your market, and price each kitchen and bathroom on its own line. Add the large systems you expect to replace or repair, the exterior and site work, and the permits and design fees. The calculator totals the scoped work, applies your contingency to that subtotal, and shows the full rehab budget. Copy the share link to keep the inputs with the deal.

Line items the calculator covers

Each input is kept separate so a large risk is never hidden inside a blended rate.

• Area allowance: general interior work such as drywall, paint, flooring, trim, doors, and lighting, priced per renovated square foot.
• Kitchens: cabinets, counters, fixtures, appliances you include in the scope, and the labor to install them.
• Bathrooms: fixtures, tile, waterproofing, vanities, and labor for each bathroom.
• Major systems: roof, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, structure, and windows, entered as one total you can break down later.
• Exterior and site: siding, paint, decks, landscaping, drainage, access, and cleanup.
• Permits and design: permit fees, engineering, architectural drawings, testing, and inspection-related costs.
• Contingency: a percentage reserve applied to everything above.

How to add contingency

Contingency is money set aside for conditions you could not see when you priced the job, such as rot under a tub, wiring that fails inspection once walls are open, or a subfloor that will not hold tile. Pick a percentage that matches how much of the house is still unknown. A verified cosmetic scope needs a smaller reserve than a gut renovation, an older house, or a property you could not fully access.

Keep contingency separate from the line items so you can see when it is being spent. If a known problem shows up during due diligence, add it to the scope as its own line instead of quietly using up the reserve before work starts.

What to do with the rehab number next

A rehab budget is one input to the deal, not the answer. Carry it into the flip profit calculator to see projected profit after financing, holding, and selling costs. Use the maximum allowable offer calculator to turn the budget and your after-repair value into a walk-away price. Then price the time the work will take with the holding cost calculator, because every extra month of rehab adds interest, taxes, insurance, and utilities.

Before you commit, replace the allowances with a written scope of work and contractor bids, and keep the estimate, the scope, and the actual costs together so you can see where the budget moved.