Remodel and Addition Estimating Services
We estimate remodels and additions from your drawings — demolition, structural modification, the tie-in between existing and new, and the full finish scope — with the existing-condition assumptions stated explicitly, because on this work the unknowns behind the wall drive more of the number than the new construction does.
Get a Free QuoteRemodel Cost Lives Behind the Wall
This is the structural difference between remodel estimating and new construction estimating, and it is why a remodel priced like new work goes wrong.
New construction has no unknowns of this kind. Everything is drawn, specified and built from scratch. The estimator's job is measurement and pricing, and the risk is in the market rather than in the building.
A remodel starts with a building nobody has opened. Framing that may not be where the drawings say. Wiring that predates the current code. Plumbing in an unknown condition. Structure that may or may not carry the new load. Materials that may need abatement. None of it is visible until demolition.
So the honest approach is to state the assumptions. We price what the documents and any site information actually establish, and we write out what was assumed about everything else. A remodel estimate with no stated assumptions is not more confident — it is less informative.
And to price the investigation where it is worth doing. Selective demolition to open a wall, a structural assessment or a hazardous materials survey before the estimate is frequently cheaper than the contingency it removes. Where that applies we say so.
What We Quantify
Demolition. Selective demolition by area and element, with disposal, protection of retained construction and the dust and noise control an occupied home requires.
Structural modification. New beams, headers, posts, footings and the temporary shoring that removing a bearing wall requires, plus any foundation work supporting a new load path.
Addition envelope. Foundation, framing, roofing, siding, windows and doors for new construction, with the tie-in to the existing roof, wall and foundation detailed explicitly.
The tie-in between old and new. Where an addition meets the existing building — roof intersection, wall junction, foundation transition, floor level alignment and the flashing that keeps water out of the joint. This is the most detailed and most failure-prone part of an addition.
MEP modification and extension. Electrical service capacity and panel work, plumbing modification and extension, HVAC capacity and distribution — with the question of whether existing systems can carry the new load answered rather than assumed.
Interior finishes. Drywall, flooring, trim, paint, cabinetry, countertops and fixtures, quantified by room against the specified finish level and matched to existing where the design requires continuity.
Code upgrades triggered by the work. Where the scope triggers requirements that would not otherwise apply — egress, insulation, smoke and CO detection, electrical or accessibility — quantified as their own scope because they are frequently a surprise.
Protection and phasing. Where the owner stays in the house, dust containment, protection, sequencing, temporary kitchens or bathrooms and the productivity loss that comes with working around occupancy.
Where Remodel Estimates Go Wrong
Existing conditions assumed sound
Assuming the framing is where it should be, the structure carries the load, the wiring is serviceable and there is nothing to abate is assuming the favourable answer on four independent questions at once. On an older house it is rarely right on all four.
The tie-in underestimated
Where an addition meets the existing building is the most detailed work on the project — roof intersection, wall junction, foundation transition, floor level alignment and flashing. It is a small area with a high cost per foot and it is routinely priced as though it were ordinary construction.
Matching existing treated as trivial
Matching existing trim profiles, flooring, siding or masonry may mean custom milling, discontinued products or salvage. Where an exact match is expected and not achievable, that is a conversation to have at estimate stage rather than at installation.
Code upgrades not carried
A remodel of sufficient scope can trigger egress, insulation, electrical, detection or accessibility requirements across areas the owner did not intend to touch. These are real costs and they are discovered at plan review rather than on the drawings.
Occupied-home costs ignored
Containment, daily protection, restricted hours, working around a family and the productivity loss of packing up each evening are real. A remodel in an occupied home is a materially different job from the same scope in a vacant one.
Allowances set too low
Finishes, fixtures, appliances and cabinetry carried at an allowance the homeowner will exceed is the defining failure of residential estimating. An allowance that does not reflect what the client actually wants is a deferred argument, not a saving.
What We Need From You
We were not on site, so what you can tell us about the existing building directly determines how much has to be assumed.
- Drawings — existing conditions plans and proposed plans, elevations and sections
- Photographs of the areas being worked on, including anything already opened up
- The age of the building and any known history of prior work
- Structural information where walls are being removed or load added
- What you know about the electrical service size and panel capacity
- Any hazardous materials survey, or confirmation that none has been done
- The finish specification or allowance levels the client is working to
- Whether the owner is staying in the house during construction
- Any known conditions — settlement, water intrusion, previous repairs
Trades in a Remodel or Addition
Most remodels touch most of these, which is why the coordination cost is higher than the scope suggests.
What You Receive
- A full estimate in editable Excel organized by trade
- Demolition and new construction separated, so the two scopes can be read independently
- Existing-condition assumptions written out rather than absorbed into rates
- Allowances listed individually with the basis for each
- The tie-in between existing and new quantified as its own scope
- Any code upgrades the work is likely to trigger, flagged with the reason
- A marked-up plan set showing where every quantity came from
- The pricing basis and the date that basis was current
Tools and Standards
Quantities, rates and assemblies are read against the published references that govern this work. Where a project specification conflicts with any general reference, the specification governs:
- International Residential Code and International Existing Building Code, which govern what a remodel triggers
- ANSI/ASHRAE 62.2 — ventilation for residential buildings, frequently triggered by envelope work
- EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requirements where pre-1978 housing is involved
- The applicable energy code, which a remodel of sufficient scope can bring into play
- Every estimate states its pricing basis and the date that basis was current
What Moves a Remodel Number
On this work the variables are mostly about the building that already exists.
Structural modification. Removing a bearing wall means a beam, posts, footings and temporary shoring, and the load path has to go somewhere. It is the difference between a finish project and a structural one.
Existing system capacity. Whether the electrical service, the panel, the heating system and the plumbing can carry the new load is a real question with a real cost attached, and assuming yes on all four is optimistic on an older house.
Finish level and allowances. Fixtures, appliances, cabinetry and countertops span a very wide range, and an allowance set below what the client actually wants is a deferred argument rather than a saving.
Occupied versus vacant. Containment, daily protection, restricted hours and the productivity loss of packing up each evening make the same scope materially more expensive with a family living in the house.
Matching existing. Trim profiles, flooring, siding and masonry that have to match may mean custom milling, discontinued products or salvage — and sometimes an exact match is simply not available at any price.
Code upgrades triggered. A remodel of sufficient scope can bring egress, insulation, electrical, detection or accessibility requirements into areas nobody intended to touch, and they surface at plan review rather than on the drawings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you handle unknown existing conditions?
We price what the documents and any site information actually establish, and write out what was assumed about everything else. A remodel estimate with no stated assumptions is not more confident, it is less informative — and where opening a wall or getting a structural assessment first would remove more contingency than it costs, we say so.
Do you price the tie-in between existing and new?
Yes, explicitly. Where an addition meets the existing building — roof intersection, wall junction, foundation transition, floor level alignment and the flashing through all of it — is the most detailed work on the project and the most failure-prone. It is a small area at a high cost per foot and it is routinely priced as ordinary construction.
Do you account for code upgrades triggered by the work?
Yes, where the scope is likely to trigger them. Egress, insulation, electrical, smoke and CO detection and accessibility requirements can apply to areas the owner never intended to touch, and they are discovered at plan review rather than on the drawings. Flagging them at estimate stage is the point.
How do you set allowances?
Against what the client actually wants, where that is known, and with the basis stated where it is not. An allowance the homeowner will exceed is a deferred argument rather than a saving, and underset allowances are the defining failure of residential estimating.
Do you price work in occupied homes differently?
Yes. Dust containment, daily protection, restricted hours, sequencing around a family and the productivity loss of packing up each evening are real costs. The same scope in an occupied home and a vacant one are materially different jobs and we do not price them the same.
Can you estimate from photos and sketches?
Yes, with more stated assumptions than a full drawing set would need. Tell us what you have and we will say what can be estimated from it and what has to be an allowance — and if it will not support the estimate you asked for, you hear that when you ask rather than after you have paid.
Send your plans and any photos of existing conditions
Upload your plans or tell us what you need. We’ll reply with pricing and a delivery date.
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