If you need a change but love where you live, home remodeling can be more desirable than moving. It can save you money over moving too, but how much? It depends on what the remodel is and the home in question; here’s a breakdown of remodeling costs for homes in NJ and PA.
NJ & PA Home Remodeling Costs by Room & Project Type
Every remodel is different; it might be one or two rooms, tackling a specific issue, or going through the whole house. Obviously, the costs for each of those scenarios are very different, so we’ll look at costs per room or project type to get a better idea of the budget you’ll need for your home.
Kitchen Remodel Cost
The heart of your home, and the most common focus of a remodel. Your kitchen is also one of the most used rooms in the property, with wear and tear showing much sooner than in other rooms. You can expect to pay between $35,000 and $80,000 for a quality kitchen remodel, depending on whether you are moving appliances and other factors.
If you shift towards higher-end cabinetry or bespoke options, the project can go well beyond $100,000.
Bathroom Remodel Cost
Remodeling the main bathroom is a really good way to make a home feel like yours. It’s often one of the first major projects people do after moving to a new place and offers a lot of possibilities. You can swap out a tub for a steam shower, move the layout, and add luxurious finishes to create something really special.
For a basic remodel, expect to pay between $20,000 and $35,000, but if you want natural stone finishes and the latest technologies like steam showers, that can go beyond $60,000 for the finished project.
Basement Finishing Cost
Basements can be a great investment as a relatively quick way to add extra living space for your home. Here, costs can vary wildly, depending on the scope of work and size of the space. Expect to pay somewhere between $45 and $150 per square foot, depending on whether you are fully waterproofing the space, adding windows or bathroom facilities.
Attic Conversion Cost
Attics are another way to add living space to your home, and have proven very popular across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Again, sizes vary considerably, as does the scope of work. For a very basic conversion to use as a storage area rather than living space, you are looking at $5,000 to $10,000.
That goes up when you switch to being a habitable room, though. In this scenario, costs vary between $20,000 and $50,000, and if you want to add a bathroom in the space to create a full bedroom suite, the project can easily hit $90,000 or more.
Bedroom and Living Room Cost
If there are no structural alterations, and the remodel is entirely cosmetic, then it can cost between $10,000 and $25,000 for a bedroom or living room remodel. The price difference depends on the scope, with new floors adding to the cost. Choice of finishes and the size of the room also impact the final cost.
Room Addition Cost
Adding a room is a great alternative to moving if you need more space, but is it really cheaper? Pricing is difficult, as size varies so much, and the preparation work can be so different depending on the location.
However, if we take size out of the price, we see averages of between $100 and $300 per square foot. The cheaper end is for a basic room, while the more expensive options include additional HVAC, bathrooms, and other ancillary support.
Exterior and Roofing Cost
This can cover so many different types of projects that it is a challenge to estimate current costs. For replacement windows, budget around $750 per item, while a repaint is somewhere between $2 and $4 per square foot depending on prep needed and accessibility factors.
Roofing is again dependent on size and materials. The cheapest is asphalt shingles, where costs between $10,000 and $20,000 can be expected. However, that can extend to as high as $40,000 for a metal roof, and $60,000 for tile or slate roofing replacement.
Whole-House Remodel Cost
This covers a lot of work, and costs vary depending on the size of the property and the kind of remodeling involved. Extensive layout changes, new HVAC systems, high-end materials, and more can all add a significant amount to the cost.
In general, a whole house remodel starts at $100,000 and goes up from there. $500,000 is not unheard of for a large property using luxury finishes and fixtures.
Systems and Structural Costs Most Estimates Leave Out
While these are general ideas of overall costs, it is worth mentioning that even when you receive a contractor’s quote, they often fail to include some necessary work. It keeps that initial quote lower but leads to nasty surprises down the line when the reality of the project makes these additional costs necessary.
Here are some of the common ones to look out for.
Electrical Rewiring and Panel Upgrades
Adding a steam shower or extra living space through a room addition, attic, or basement conversion all increase power usage in your home. That usually means some rewiring and often requires a panel upgrade too. Check any remodeling quotes to see if this has been included.
Plumbing Replacement and Repiping
If piping is old and worn, or simply doesn’t have the capacity to cope with new demands from your remodel, it will often need replacing. If that is not included in the quote, it’s just an additional cost waiting to be sprung on you at a later date.
HVAC Replacement and Ductwork
Adding a new room or adjusting the layout of existing rooms usually means changes to your ducting at best, and often requires installing a new HVAC system to cope with the extra demand. While neither is a major issue during a remodel, knowing the cost of the work upfront makes life a lot easier, so check if it has been included in your remodeling quote.
Removing or Moving Walls
Installing new beams, engineering reports, inspections. Moving or changing walls can add both time and cost to a remodeling project. With major changes to your home, this is just part of the process, but it should be included in the initial quote, rather than presented as an additional cost at a later date.
Foundation and Framing Repairs
Adding rooms or making structural changes can leave you needing work done on the foundation or framing, and often, both. This is another part of the process, and one that should be included in any quote for remodeling.
Permitting, Architecture & General Contractor Fees in NJ & PA
There are costs beyond labor and materials associated with any construction work, and that includes remodeling your home.
These can be broken down into four distinct groups.
Architect and Designer Fees
Drawing up plans, creating new designs, and so on are carried out by professionals. Costs can range from 7% to as much as 14% of the total project costs, depending on the work involved.
Structural Engineer Fees
A structural engineer is essential if you are making any major alterations to framing, walls, foundations, or adding additional rooms. Fees can range from $2,000 to $7,500 for larger projects, or as little as a few hundred dollars for simpler projects, such as providing a safety confirmation letter.
Building Permits and Inspections
There is no getting around the permit and inspection requirements for any project, and this includes remodeling. The exact costs vary with the scope of work and can go from $500 to over $2,000.
General Contractor Markup and Project Management
Every item used on the project is charged to you, plus some markup for the contractor. How much that costs varies but can range between 20% and 35% of the total cost of those materials. Project management is essential for scheduling and smooth running of the work, and that is usually around 10% of the total cost of the project.
Key Factors Driving Renovation Costs in NJ & PA
As discussed throughout this article, costs for remodeling can vary wildly depending on the exact work required to achieve your goal. Here are some of the factors that can impact those costs the most.
Scope: Cosmetic vs. Layout Change vs. Gut
The highest cost for any remodeling is labor. To put it simply, the more work hours needed to complete a project, the more expensive it becomes. Cosmetic remodeling requires the least labor, so if we use a kitchen as an example, the lowest cost would be a repaint, refloor, and cabinet change.
However, changing the layout and the labor costs soar. This is because it requires plumbing work, electrical work, and fitting cabinetry in a new layout is more complex and takes longer. All means more cost. Gutting the entire kitchen and rebuilding requires even more labor, and with it, higher cost.
Wet Rooms vs. Dry Rooms
Dry rooms, with standard tubs or shower cubicles, are the lower-cost option, as they keep moisture well contained. A wet room requires extensive waterproofing of floors, walls, and more, adding both labor and material costs to the project.
Age and Condition of the Home
Older properties often require more work than newer ones for similar projects, and wear and tear and aging cause issues that must be rectified. Similarly, a property that has been run down and has damage can require more work to restore it during a remodel.
Finish and Material Tier
Marble tiles cost more than vinyl. That is an obvious example, but in general, the higher level of finish required, the more expensive it is, not just in materials, but in labor costs to fit it.
Location and Local Labor Rates
Some areas are more expensive to live in than others; we all know that. But that applies to construction labor costs too. Labor rates in Hoboken and Princeton will be significantly higher than somewhere like Camden or Vineland.
Conclusion
Rates do vary depending on the kind of remodel you want, the size of the property, and the quality of finishing materials you request. You can go all out and spend the cost of a move into a new property on your existing place, and many people do. If you love your home and neighborhood, it can make sense. But you can also plan carefully and refresh your home without spending a fortune.
Whichever way you go, be sure to get accurate quotes that include all those extra costs some like to leave out, so you know exactly what you agree to. At PHS Construction, we create accurate, itemized estimates that include all the work, so what you see is what you pay.
Take the guesswork out of remodeling and get in touch today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to remodel a 1,000 sq. ft. house in NJ & PA?
Costs vary from $100 to $300 per square foot, depending on the work needed and finishes required.
What is the most expensive part of a home remodel in NJ & PA?
The kitchen is the most expensive room to remodel as it involves so many different skills, including cabinetry work, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems.
Why are contractor labor and remodeling costs higher in NJ & PA than the national average?
Labor costs are higher due to a combination of the higher cost of living in the region, a shortage of skilled workers, and the strict code and permitting regulations for the area.
Is it cheaper to remodel or rebuild?
You can spend as much money as you want on a remodel if you set out to do it. However, in general, a remodel will be cheaper than tearing down and rebuilding. It is also much faster and easier to get suitable permits and inspection work done for a remodel than a rebuild.
