Renovation costs by state: 2026 rankings
The same renovation does not cost the same everywhere. Using a 50-state construction-cost index (100 = national average, built from NAHB per-square-foot construction data), the spread is wide: a typical kitchen remodel runs about $38,300 in Hawaii but $25,600 in Mississippi — a $12,700 gap for the same project, driven by local labor rates, material logistics, and permitting.
The 10 most expensive states to renovate
Island and coastal states dominate — material shipping premiums (Hawaii, Alaska), high union labor and strict codes (California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts) push renovation costs 30-42% above the national average.
The 10 least expensive states
The South and parts of Appalachia renovate cheapest — lower labor rates and lighter regulatory overhead keep the same project 2-5% below the national average.
All 50 states: what the same projects cost
Cost index (100 = national average) and the localized typical cost for three common projects. Click a state for its full estimate, or a project for the 50-state comparison.
| State | Index | Kitchen | Bathroom | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 142 | $38,300 | $17,250 | $13,500 |
| Alaska | 141 | $38,000 | $17,100 | $13,400 |
| California | 139 | $37,500 | $16,850 | $13,200 |
| New Jersey | 139 | $37,500 | $16,850 | $13,200 |
| Massachusetts | 130 | $35,050 | $15,800 | $12,350 |
| New York | 130 | $35,050 | $15,800 | $12,350 |
| Connecticut | 123 | $33,150 | $14,950 | $11,700 |
| Rhode Island | 120 | $32,350 | $14,550 | $11,400 |
| Washington | 119 | $32,100 | $14,450 | $11,300 |
| Oregon | 116 | $31,300 | $14,100 | $11,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 114 | $30,750 | $13,850 | $10,850 |
| Nevada | 111 | $29,950 | $13,450 | $10,550 |
| Minnesota | 110 | $29,650 | $13,350 | $10,450 |
| Vermont | 108 | $29,100 | $13,100 | $10,250 |
| Wisconsin | 108 | $29,100 | $13,100 | $10,250 |
| New Hampshire | 107 | $28,850 | $13,000 | $10,150 |
| South Carolina | 107 | $28,850 | $13,000 | $10,150 |
| Virginia | 107 | $28,850 | $13,000 | $10,150 |
| Colorado | 106 | $28,600 | $12,850 | $10,050 |
| Iowa | 106 | $28,600 | $12,850 | $10,050 |
| Maine | 106 | $28,600 | $12,850 | $10,050 |
| Delaware | 105 | $28,300 | $12,750 | $10,000 |
| Illinois | 105 | $28,300 | $12,750 | $10,000 |
| North Carolina | 104 | $28,050 | $12,600 | $9,900 |
| Arizona | 102 | $27,500 | $12,400 | $9,700 |
| Maryland | 102 | $27,500 | $12,400 | $9,700 |
| Idaho | 101 | $27,250 | $12,250 | $9,600 |
| Utah | 101 | $27,250 | $12,250 | $9,600 |
| Georgia | 100 | $26,950 | $12,150 | $9,500 |
| Kansas | 100 | $26,950 | $12,150 | $9,500 |
| Montana | 100 | $26,950 | $12,150 | $9,500 |
| Nebraska | 100 | $26,950 | $12,150 | $9,500 |
| North Dakota | 100 | $26,950 | $12,150 | $9,500 |
| South Dakota | 100 | $26,950 | $12,150 | $9,500 |
| Texas | 100 | $26,950 | $12,150 | $9,500 |
| Wyoming | 100 | $26,950 | $12,150 | $9,500 |
| Florida | 99 | $26,700 | $12,000 | $9,400 |
| Indiana | 99 | $26,700 | $12,000 | $9,400 |
| Michigan | 99 | $26,700 | $12,000 | $9,400 |
| Missouri | 99 | $26,700 | $12,000 | $9,400 |
| New Mexico | 99 | $26,700 | $12,000 | $9,400 |
| Ohio | 99 | $26,700 | $12,000 | $9,400 |
| Alabama | 98 | $26,450 | $11,900 | $9,300 |
| Kentucky | 98 | $26,450 | $11,900 | $9,300 |
| Louisiana | 98 | $26,450 | $11,900 | $9,300 |
| Oklahoma | 98 | $26,450 | $11,900 | $9,300 |
| Tennessee | 98 | $26,450 | $11,900 | $9,300 |
| West Virginia | 97 | $26,150 | $11,750 | $9,200 |
| Arkansas | 96 | $25,900 | $11,650 | $9,100 |
| Mississippi | 95 | $25,600 | $11,550 | $9,050 |
Methodology
The index is each state's cost per finished square foot from the NAHB 2024 "Cost of Constructing a Home" survey divided by the $162 national average, cross-checked against per-state cost ranges. Regional new-construction and renovation cost differentials move together, since both are driven by the same local labor and material markets. Project dollars apply that index to national-average project costs from Angi and HomeAdvisor (2025-2026). Figures refresh annually.
Free to cite with attribution to RenoCalc. For project-level detail, see the cost guides: kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, deck building, roof replacement, flooring installation, fence installation, interior painting, siding replacement, drywall installation, concrete driveway.