Guides
Plain-English background to the numbers behind the calculators — from what a bathroom or kitchen remodel costs to how much paint a room needs, how to compare quotes and how the ROI & financing math works.
How much does a bathroom remodel cost?What drives a bathroom remodel budget, how to estimate it line by line on your own prices, and how much contingency to keep for surprises behind the walls.Walk-in shower & tub-to-shower conversion costWhat goes into a walk-in shower budget and a tub-to-shower conversion worksheet, how to size the tiled wall area, and where the glass and labor land.How much does a kitchen remodel cost?Where the money goes in a kitchen remodel, how to estimate it line by line on your own prices, and how much contingency a kitchen project really needs.Kitchen cabinet cost: new vs. refacing, and $/linear footHow to price kitchen cabinets by the linear foot, when refacing beats replacing, and how to compare the two on the prices you enter from your own quotes.Countertop & backsplash cost: measuring square footageHow to turn cabinet runs into countertop square footage, how to size a backsplash with a waste factor, and how to price both on the $/sq ft you enter.How much paint do I need? (gallons & coats)How to work out the wall area of a room, subtract doors and windows, and calculate the gallons of paint you need for two coats at standard coverage.How many drywall sheets do I need? (4×8 = 32 sq ft)How to count drywall sheets from wall and ceiling area using the fixed 32 sq ft per 4×8 sheet convention, plus mud, tape and how much extra to buy.Flooring cost by material & how much waste to orderHow to estimate flooring cost from area and a waste factor, why you order more than you measure, and how to split material and installation on your own prices.Tile installation cost: area, waste and boxesHow to estimate tile installation cost from area and a waste factor, turn square feet into boxes of tile, and split tile from labor on the prices you enter.Cost to finish a basement (per sq ft & line items)How to estimate the cost to finish a basement two ways — a quick per-square-foot pass and a detailed line-item worksheet — on the prices you enter.How much does a room addition cost per square foot?How to estimate a room addition by area and a per-square-foot figure you enter, why it costs more than finishing existing space, and what add-ons to include.Cost to gut a house per square foot (down to studs)How to estimate a gut renovation by area and a higher per-square-foot band, how it differs from a cosmetic remodel, and how to normalize any quote to $/sq ft.Budgeting a renovation: allocation & the contingency you needHow to split a renovation budget sensibly across categories, why a 10–20% contingency is essential, and how to plan both on the figures you enter.Renovation ROI & financing math (illustrative, not advice)How the renovation ROI recoup ratio works on your figures, how a loan monthly payment is calculated, and why both are illustrative math, not advice.