What is a good square foot price for remodeling?

Question:  What is a good square foot price for remodeling?

Answer:  There is no correct answer to this question.  It really depends on the type of project being completed, the materials included, and the total square footage affected by the project.  Each square foot can have a very large price difference when you factor in the costs of each of the materials.  For instance, the square foot in the center of a carpeted living room will cost much less than a square foot that includes a kitchen cabinet with a sink, faucet and garbage disposal. 

Generally, square foot prices are applied to new construction projects that are for a complete home.  These prices allow all of the higher costs for specialized areas of a home (i.e. kitchen, bathrooms, etc) to be spread out over the total square footage of the house.  When you remodel your kitchen, the higher cost is spread over a much smaller area which results in a high square foot price.

Remodeling also costs more due to the extra labor involved in demolishing the existing area while protecting the surrounding finishes.  All fixtures, finishes, cabinets, etc. must be removed at the beginning of the remodeling project.

When building a new house, each phase is completed with few or no obstacles.  Instead of running electrical wires or plumbing drains along open joists, the remodeling contractor now has to fish wires or drain pipes behind existing drywall or remove the drywall and patch it later.

A final factor is your selections for materials.  Let’s share just one example.  Flooring can vary as much as $25 per square foot. 

In the end, it is more important that you know exactly what is included in the price than the total square foot price.