Rehab cost calculator
A first-pass repair budget before anyone has walked the house: living area, times a cost per square foot for the level of work, adjusted for where it is.
1,500 sf is an example — enter your property’s living area.
An estimate from size and location only — nobody has seen the inside. The cost-per-square-foot bands and location factors are hand-set starting points, not measured market data. Replace this with a contractor’s number as soon as you have one.
ARVSignal provides investor estimates for educational and underwriting purposes. They are not appraisals, are not USPAP-compliant, and are not valuations for lending. The calculator works only from the numbers you enter.
Have the repairs — need the ARV?
ARVSignal finds the comps, rejects the bad ones and shows you why — then works out the offer. 7-day free trial, 5 analyses.
How it works
Early in a deal you need a repair number before you can get a contractor through the door. The standard shortcut is a cost per square foot for the amount of work the house needs.
Repairs = living area × cost per sq ft × location factor × (1 + contingency)
The level of work sets the cost per square foot. Cosmetic is paint, flooring and fixtures. Moderate is new kitchen and baths and some mechanicals. Full gut is down to the studs. Each level is a band, not a point — the calculator uses the middle and shows you both ends.
The location factor raises the estimate in higher-cost states and lowers it in lower-cost ones. The contingency is the cushion for what you find once the walls are open; 10% is the default.
What this is and is not. The bands and factors here are hand-set starting points, not measured market data, and costs vary far more within a state than a single factor can capture. It is good enough to decide whether a deal is worth a closer look. It is not a substitute for a scope of work and a bid.
A worked example
A 1,500 sq ft house in Florida that needs a moderate rehab — new kitchen and baths, flooring throughout.
- Moderate band: $38–$65 per sq ft, middle $51.50; Florida’s location factor is 1.00
- 1,500 × $51.50 × 1.00 = $77,250, plus 10% contingency → $85,000
- Band for this level: $62,700 to $107,300 · typical duration 3 months
Common mistakes
- Picking the level from the listing photos
- Photos hide roofs, wiring, plumbing and foundations — the expensive things. If you have not seen it, assume one level heavier than it looks.
- Dropping the contingency to make the deal work
- The contingency is not padding. It is the average cost of what you cannot see yet.
- Using living area for a house with big non-living costs
- A new roof, a detached garage or a long driveway do not scale with heated square feet. Add them on top.
- Treating the estimate as a bid
- Use it to decide whether to keep going. Before you commit, get a real scope priced by someone who will do the work.
Questions
›How much does it cost to rehab a house per square foot?
It depends almost entirely on the level of work and the local cost of labor. This calculator uses starting bands from about $12–$22 per square foot for a cosmetic refresh up to $100–$160 for a full gut, adjusted by state. They are placeholders for a first pass, not quotes.
›How much contingency should I add to a rehab budget?
10% is a common default and what this calculator starts with. Older houses, houses you have not been inside, and heavier scopes justify more; you can set it anywhere from 0 to 25%.
›How long does a rehab take?
The calculator suggests about a month for cosmetic work, three for a moderate rehab and six for a full gut. Permits, contractor availability and surprises routinely add to that, and every extra month adds holding and interest costs.
›Is this estimate accurate enough to make an offer?
It is accurate enough to screen a deal. For an offer you would stand behind, replace it with a number based on a walk-through and a contractor’s pricing.
More free calculators
- MAO calculatorYour maximum allowable offer, opening offer and buyer price on a wholesale deal.
- Flip calculatorProfit on a fix-and-flip after financing, holding and selling costs — or the most you can pay.
- BRRRR calculatorHow much cash the refinance returns, and whether the rent carries the new loan.
- ARV calculatorAfter-repair value from comps you choose, with the range they imply.