Whole Home Remodeling
Remodeling contractors are the second-biggest search in this category. This is the project they were made for.
One project or ten? Deciding how to eat the whale
Remodeling contractor searches run close behind general contractor searches in our demand data, and whole-home projects are where those two roles merge: a remodel that touches kitchens, baths, systems and surfaces across the house is general contracting with the walls left standing.
The first strategic decision is all-at-once versus phased. Doing everything in one mobilization prices better per room, gets the disruption over in one season, and lets systems, layouts and finishes be designed coherently. Phasing spreads cost across years and lets you stay in the house more comfortably, at the price of repeated setup costs and finishes that never quite match. Owners with the budget usually regret phasing; owners without it regret pretending otherwise.
The second decision is how deep to go. Cosmetic whole-home refreshes, paint, floors, fixtures, keep walls and systems. True gut renovations open walls and replace plumbing, wiring and sometimes structure, which is the moment to fix everything a house has been hiding, and the reason gut budgets live in a different universe. Old houses reward the gut approach precisely because their hidden problems get found on your schedule instead of theirs.
Scope levels and strategy calls
From refresh to gut, plus the decisions that shape any of them.
Cosmetic whole-home refresh
Paint, flooring, lighting, hardware and fixtures everywhere. Transforms how a house feels without permits or wall surgery.
Systems-forward remodel
Roof, HVAC, panel, repipe first, finishes second. The unglamorous order that protects every later dollar.
Kitchen and baths package
The high-value rooms done together under one contract. Shared trades and one mobilization beat two separate projects.
Layout renovation
Walls move, kitchens relocate, suites appear. Engineering, permits and design fees join the budget.
Full gut renovation
Down to studs, everything new inside. The old-house endgame: maximum cost, maximum control, decades of quiet afterward.
Phased master plan
A designed end state executed in stages. Works when someone keeps the drawings; drifts into mismatch when nobody does.
What does it cost?
Commonly published ballparks are wide because scope is: cosmetic whole-home refreshes often land in the tens of thousands, while gut renovations are frequently cited in the $60 to $150+ per square foot range depending on region and finish, putting a full gut of an average house well into six figures.
The stable rule inside the spread: kitchens, baths and systems drive the total, and discovery in old houses is the change-order engine, so gut projects carry contingencies of 15 to 20 percent for what the walls have been keeping to themselves.
Ballparks based on commonly published national averages, stated as assumptions, not measured local pricing. Your competing quotes set the real number for your home and ZIP.
How to hire for whole home remodeling work
Who does the work
A remodeling contractor or general contractor with completed whole-home projects at your scale, or a design-build firm when you want drawings and construction under one roof. At gut scale, ask specifically about old-house experience if you own one.
What pros will ask
The end-state wish list room by room, your budget band and flexibility, whether you will live in place, and every known quirk of the house. Expect a discovery phase, sometimes paid, on older homes before firm pricing; it is money that buys away surprises.
What to check before signing
That the contract phases payments against milestones across the whole schedule, that allowances cover realistic selections at your finish level, that a contingency is agreed and its spending rules written, and that daily supervision, who exactly runs your site, is named.
Related searches homeowners make
Pulled from the same demand data behind our General Contractors, Home Remodeling and Additions category.
Whole Home Remodeling questions, answered straight
Should I remodel all at once or in phases?
All-at-once prices better per room, ends the disruption in one season and produces a coherent result; phasing spreads the cash flow. If financing at reasonable terms is available, one mobilization is usually the better economics. If phasing, pay for a master plan first so stages match.
Can I live in the house during a whole-home remodel?
Through cosmetic and phased work, commonly yes, with dust barriers and a functioning bathroom and kitchenette negotiated into the schedule. Through gut renovations, rarely, and pretending otherwise strains both family and crew. Budget temporary housing honestly; it changes bids less than it changes your life.
How long does a whole-house remodel take?
Cosmetic packages run weeks. Multi-room remodels commonly run several months on site; gut renovations of whole houses frequently run six months to a year including permits and inspections. The calendar killer is decision lag, so make selections before demolition, not during.
Is remodeling cheaper than moving?
The comparison is transaction costs plus the new mortgage against construction cost plus disruption. Remodeling wins most often when you like your location, your lot and your rate, and the house merely needs to become itself. It loses when the lot or location is the actual problem.
What contingency should I hold?
Commonly advised: 10 percent on newer homes and defined scopes, 15 to 20 percent on old houses and gut work. Contingency spending should require your written approval per event, and unspent contingency stays yours, both worth stating in the contract.
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Keep planning your project
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