Rehab Cost Estimator — flip renovation budget by square foot
Get a fast, line-item flip renovation budget from square footage and condition — with a built-in contingency. Free, no signup, works on mobile.
Condition
Estimated rehab budget
$41,250
≈ $28/sqft all-in (incl. contingency)
| Kitchen | $7,500 |
| Bathrooms | $5,625 |
| Flooring | $5,625 |
| Interior paint | $3,750 |
| Exterior / curb appeal | $3,750 |
| HVAC / mechanicals | $3,750 |
| Roof / structure allowance | $3,750 |
| Permits & dumpster | $3,750 |
| Contingency (10%) | $3,750 |
| Total | $41,250 |
Ballpark only. Costs vary widely by region, finish level and scope. Always confirm with a contractor scope of work before making an offer.
How to estimate rehab costs
Repair cost is where flip profits are won or lost. Underestimate it and a deal that looked great on paper turns into a loss the moment the demo starts. This free rehab cost estimator gives you a defensible ballpark the way experienced investors screen deals: cost per square foot by condition. You pick how much work the house needs — from a light cosmetic refresh to a full gut — and it multiplies your living area by the matching per-sqft band, then splits the total into the line items that make up a typical flip and adds a 10% contingency.
Cost-per-square-foot bands
The bands are order-of-magnitude rules of thumb, not a quote: roughly $15/sqft for light cosmetic work (paint, fixtures, minor repairs), $25/sqft for a standard moderate rehab (kitchen, baths and flooring), $50/sqft for heavy work touching most systems and the layout, and around $75/sqft for a down-to-the-studs gut. Regional labor and material costs can push these up or down substantially, so treat the result as a starting point.
The contingency matters. Renovations reliably surprise you — hidden water damage, outdated wiring, a roof that needs more than a patch — so a 10% buffer is the minimum to keep one bad discovery from erasing your margin. Once you have a rehab number, drop it into the 70% Rule Calculator with your ARV to find your maximum offer, then model the complete flip — holding costs, selling costs, profit and ROI — in the full FlipIQ analyzer. Before you actually buy, replace this estimate with a contractor scope of work priced line by line.
Analyze a full deal in FlipIQ
This calculator gives you one number. FlipIQ turns an address into a conservative ARV range, an AI rehab budget and a full flip P&L — profit, ROI and annualized ROI — all editable and live. Get 3 analyses free, no account needed.
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More free tools
ARV Calculator
Free ARV calculator: enter recent comparable sales and get a conservative after-repair value range for your subject property. No signup, works on mobile.
70% Rule Calculator
Free 70% rule calculator: turn ARV and repair costs into your Maximum Allowable Offer. Adjust the rule percentage and see your MAO update instantly.
Flip Profit Calculator
Free flip profit calculator: enter purchase, rehab, holding and selling costs to estimate conservative net profit and ROI before you make an offer.
BRRRR Calculator
Free BRRRR calculator: model buy, rehab, rent and refinance numbers to estimate cash left in the deal and conservative cash-on-cash return.
Holding Cost Calculator
Free holding cost calculator: estimate taxes, insurance, loan interest and utilities across your holding period so your flip budget stays conservative.
Cash-on-Cash Calculator
Free cash-on-cash return calculator: enter down payment, closing costs, rehab, rent and expenses to estimate the annual cash-on-cash return on a rental or BRRRR.
Wholesale Calculator
Free wholesale real estate calculator: enter ARV, repair costs, your target assignment fee and the end-buyer rule to get a conservative Maximum Allowable Offer to the seller and your wholesale spread. No signup, works on mobile.
Frequently asked questions
How do you estimate rehab costs for a flip?＋
The quickest ballpark is cost per square foot by condition: multiply the home's living area by a per-sqft rate that reflects how much work it needs, then add a contingency for surprises. This estimator uses bands from roughly $15/sqft for light cosmetic work up to $75/sqft for a full gut.
What is a typical rehab cost per square foot?＋
As a rule of thumb: light cosmetic refreshes run about $15/sqft, a standard kitchen-and-bath moderate rehab about $25/sqft, heavy work with systems and layout changes around $50/sqft, and a down-to-the-studs gut about $75/sqft. Local labor and material prices move these figures significantly.
Why add a 10% contingency?＋
Renovations almost always uncover something — old wiring, water damage, code issues. A 10% contingency on top of your line items is a minimum buffer so a single surprise doesn't wipe out your margin. On older or unknown properties, consider a larger cushion.
How accurate is a per-square-foot estimate?＋
It's a screening tool, not a bid. Per-sqft numbers get you a fast, defensible ballpark to decide whether a deal is worth pursuing. Before you close, always replace it with a real contractor scope of work priced line by line.
What's included in the line items?＋
The estimate splits your budget across kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, interior paint, exterior/curb appeal, HVAC and mechanicals, a roof/structure allowance, and permits and dumpster. You can treat any line as a starting point and adjust for your actual scope.
How do I use the rehab number in a deal?＋
Feed it straight into the 70% Rule Calculator to get your maximum offer, or into a full flip P&L to see profit and ROI. A conservative rehab number keeps the whole underwrite honest.