Rehab Cost Estimator

A rehab cost estimator adds up your renovation budget line by line, applies a contingency reserve (15% is the common starting point), and returns the total you should actually plan to spend. Enter an after-repair value and it also computes the 70% rule maximum offer for a flip. Every result shows on this page, free, with no report cap.

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Budget a renovation the way lenders and experienced flippers do: category by category, with a contingency on top. Fill in only the categories your project needs. The totals update as you type, and you can print or save the finished budget.

How to estimate rehab costs without a contractor on site

Work top down: structure first (roof, foundation-level items in the everything-else line), then systems (electrical, plumbing, HVAC), then surfaces (kitchen, baths, flooring, paint), then the outside. Price the big categories with two or three local quotes or recent invoices from other investors, and resist the urge to spread one national average across everything. Labor rates move a category more than materials do, and they are local.

The contingency line is not padding, it is the part of the budget that reflects how rehabs actually go. Hidden water damage, dead knob-and-tube wiring, and subfloor rot do not show up until demolition. A 15% reserve on a defined scope is the common starting point; heavy cosmetic-only projects can justify 10%, and anything bought sight-unseen deserves 20% or more.

What does the 70% rule maximum offer mean?

The 70% rule is a screening shortcut used by flippers: pay no more than 70% of the after-repair value, minus the rehab budget. The 30% margin has to cover selling costs, holding costs, financing, and profit.

If you enter an ARV above, the card shows that maximum offer using the total rehab budget this page computed, contingency included. Run the full numbers in the fix and flip calculator before you write an offer, and check the screen itself with the 70% rule calculator.

Rehab budgeting for a house hack or rental

For a rental or a house hack, the rehab number feeds a different question: what does the property earn after the money is in? Add your total rehab budget to your cash-to-close, then run the deal through the house hacking calculator or the BRRRR calculator to see the return on the whole cash position. A $28,000 rehab that lifts rent by $300 a month recovers itself in under eight years from rent alone, before any equity effect.

Frequently asked questions

What is a rehab cost estimator?

A rehab cost estimator is a budgeting tool that totals renovation costs by category, adds a contingency percentage for surprises, and reports the full amount a renovation is likely to cost. This one also divides by square footage and computes a 70% rule maximum offer when you provide an after-repair value.

What contingency percentage should a rehab budget use?

A contingency reserve is defined as the percentage added on top of known line items to absorb unknown costs. A common working range is 10% to 20% of the subtotal: 10% for light cosmetic scopes you have walked personally, 15% as the standard starting point, and 20% or more for older properties or anything bought without a full inspection.

Is this rehab estimator really free?

Yes. The results are computed on this page and shown immediately, without an account, a trial, or a cap on how many budgets you run. That is part of the sitewide free-forever pledge.

Want this calculator on your own site? Many VanToVault tools have a free copy-paste embed version on the embed calculators page.

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<p>Powered by <a href="https://vantovault.com/tools/rehab-cost-estimator/">Rehab Cost Estimator</a> from Van to Vault</p>

Estimate only. This is a planning tool, not a quote, an appraisal, or financial advice. Every result reflects the figures you enter, so change an input and the answer changes. Confirm the numbers with a lender, an agent, or your own research before you act on them.