National Home Improvement Estimator 2026

By: Pray & Chase

Current labor and material prices for home improvement projects.

Take advantage of home improvement jobs you may never have bid on before by relying on the solid cost figures in this book. That's why so many home improvement contractors use this manual as their company price book.

You'll be able to quickly locate hard-to-find costs for demolition, foundations, framing, structural repairs, decking, deck repairs, window repair and replacement, door repair and replacement. wall and ceiling repairs, floor repair and replacement, kitchen and bathroom improvement prices, and much more.

Provides manhours for each job, recommended crew size, and the labor cost for the removal and installation work. Many assembly prices are included to help you speed your estimates, just add linear or square feet to complete the estimate. Material prices are current, with location adjustment factors and free quarterly updates on the Web. Gives step-by-step instructions for the work, with helpful diagrams, and home improvement shortcuts and tips from an expert.

Recently added sections include: Restorative drying, water damage and mold remediation. Smart home electrical management systems prices that comply with U.S. Green Building Council standards for energy-efficient upgrades. LED lighting retrofit costs, HEPA central air filtration retrofit costs, heat recovery ventilator central system retrofit costs, storm flood damage repair and prevention costs, mold and dry rot remediation costs, basement HVAC restoration costs, corrosion coating costs, and much more.

Labor Costs, Material Costs, City Cost Modifiers and Selling Prices for All Home Improvement Projects:

• Demolition - Gutting a Building, Porches and Decks, Slabs, Roof Cover, Walls, Ceilings, Floors
• Earthquake Repairs - Foundation Bolting, Floor and Framing Repairs, Straps and Bracing
• Foundations - Board and Plywood Forms, Reinforcing, Footings, Slabs, Walls, Finishing
• Framing - Room Additions, Wall Bracing, Sheathing, Breakthrough Window and Door Openings
• Structural Repairs - Sagging Floors, Replacing Posts and Plates, Roof Frame Jacking, Sheathing
• Insulation - Ceilings, Walls, Crawl Spaces, Attics, Insulation Board, Fiberglass, Foam, Ventilation
• Siding - Repairs, New Siding Over Old, Vinyl, Wood, Hardboard, Plywood, Shingle, Veneer, Stucco
• Roofing Repairs - Finding and Fixing Leaks, Temporary and Permanent Repairs, Flashing Repairs
• New Roofing - Re-Roofing Over Old, Composition Shingles, Wood Shingles, Built-Up, Concrete Tile
• Window Repairs - Loosening Stuck Sash, Sash and Balance Repair, Moving a Window, Trim
• New Windows - Custom Made, Vinyl, Aluminum, Vinyl-Clad, Bow Windows, Storms, Skylights
• Door Repairs - Refurbishing, Antiquing, Re-Hanging, Moving Doors, Adding Doors, Casing, Stops
• New Doors - Security, Hardwood, Steel, Fiberglass, Prehung, Locksets, Storms, Patio, Weatherstrip
• Walls and Ceiling Repairs - Patching, New Over Old, Furring, Textures and Finishes, Molding
• New Walls and Ceilings - Gypsum Drywall, Plywood, Hardboard, Plank Paneling, Drop Ceilings .
• Floor Repairs - Surface Prep, Underlayment, Emboss Filler, Flooring Over Concrete, Tile Backer
• New Flooring - Resilient, Sheet Vinyl, Wood Strip and Laminate, Base, Trim, Paver Tile, Ceramics
• Modern Kitchens - Estimating Checklist, What to Renew, What to Replace, Making Good Choices
• The New Kitchen - Finished and Unfinished Cabinets, Fixtures, Soffits, Installed Appliances, Hoods
• Modern Bathrooms - Adding a Bath, Replacing Fixtures, Moving Plumbing, Electric & HVAC Lines
• Painting - Surface Prep, Interiors, Exteriors, Windows, Doors, Trim, using Brush, Roller or Spray

Use this manual as your company price book when bidding home improvement work. Following the figures in this guide will help you develop reliable, comprehensive estimates that result in consistently profitable completed jobs.

Optional: Subscribe to National Estimator Cloud a Web app that makes it easy to compile and print estimates, bids and invoices for nearly any type of construction project.

Contents: (prior version)

1, Pricing Home Improvement Jobs, 5
This book works two ways, 8
Craft codes and crews, 15
Area modification factors, 17

2, Demolition, 27
Before you begin, 27
Cost estimates
Equipment rental, 28
Sitework demolition, 29
Building demolition, 30
Wood framing demolition, 33

3, Foundations and Slabs, 37
Pre-construction checklist, 38
Cost estimates
Equipment rental, 39
Concrete flatwork, 40
Concrete finishing, 49

4, Rough Carpentry, 53
Floor beams, 53
Wood floor repairs, 56
Wall framing, 57
Roof repairs, 58
Cost estimates
Framing repairs, 62
Framing room additions, 64
Subflooring, 66
Wall and ceiling changes, 70
Roof framing changes, 75

5, Insulation and Moisture Control, 79
Ceiling insulation, 79
Wall and floor insulation, 80
Attic and roof ventilation, 83
Cost estimates
Fiberglass insulation,84
Panel insulation, 85
Vapor barrier, 87
Vents and louvers, 88
Roof ventilators, 91

6, Siding and Trim, 93
Vinyl siding installation, 96
Wood siding installation, 97
Estimating procedure for siding, 104
Masonry fireplaces, 104
Cost estimates
Siding and soffit repairs, 105
Vinyl siding, 107
Wood board siding, 108
Texture 1-11 plywood siding, 111
Fiber cement siding, 112
Aluminum siding and soffit, 113
Stucco and masonry siding, 114

7, Roofing and Flashing, 117
Flashing leaks, 118
Roof repairs, 121
Roofing material, 122
Cost estimates
Roof repairs, 129
Composition shingles, 130
Built-up roofing, 131
Roof patching, 134
Wood roofing, 137
Slate and tile roofing, 139
Roof flashing, 141
Gutters and downspouts, 146

8, Windows, 147
Window repair, 149
Sash repair, 151
Counterweighted windows, 152
Adding or moving a window, 153
Cost estimates
Window repairs, 156
Vinyl, 157
Aluminum windows, 161
Wood windows, 164
Storm windows, 166
Window accessories, 166
Window glazing, 170
Skylights, 173

9, Doors, 175
Door repair and replacement, 175
Adding or moving a door, 182
Hanging a slab door, 184
Door terms, 188
Cost estimates
Exterior doors, 191
Prehung doors, 197
Screen and storm doors, 202
Interior doors, 206
Patio doors, 214
Closet doors, 218
Garage doors, 223

10, Walls and Ceilings, 227
Drywall installation, 228
Wood paneling, 235
Removing partitions, 239
Cost estimates
Drywall, 242
Textured finishes for drywall, 244
Drywall bead and tools, 247
Wall paneling, 251
Suspended ceilings, 255
Moldings, 259
Partition walls, 270

11, Floors and Tile, 271
Wood flooring installation, 272
Ceramic tile installation, 276
Cost estimates
Wood strip and plank flooring, 278
Laminate plank flooring, 283
Vinyl, 286
Ceramic tile, 293
Natural stone and slate flooring, 298
Ceramic field wall tile, 301
Carpet, 308

12, Kitchens, 309
Kitchen cabinet standards, 312
Cost estimates
Kitchen demolition, 315
Cabinets and countertops, 317
Cabinet knobs, pulls and hinges, 324
Sinks and faucets, 328
Appliances, 339

13, Bathrooms, 345
Bathroom additions, 345
Cost estimates
Tubs, enclosures and shower stalls, 352
Tub and shower faucets, 360
Toilets, 362
Lavatory sinks, 367
Vanity cabinets and countertops, 374
Bath exhaust fans, 378
Medicine cabinets, 382
Bathroom accessories, 385

14, Plumbing and HVAC, 391
Heating types and considerations, 391
Framing for plumbing and HVAC, 394
Cost estimates
Furnace replacement, 396
Chimney flue components, 399
Water heaters, 405
DWV pipe replacement, 407

15, Electrical, 409
Wiring residences, 411
Adding outlets and switches, 414
Cost estimates
Non-metallic cable, 417
PVC conduit and fittings, 420
EMT conduit and fittings, 422
Flex conduit and fittings, 426
Rigid and IMC conduit and fittings, 429
Switches and receptacles, 434
Distribution panels, 436
Lighting, 440

16, Porches and Decks, 445
Adding a porch, 446
Elevated decks, 448
Cost estimates
Deck lumber, 452
Alternative deck materials, 454
Porch and deck stairs, 457
Pool, 459
Spa replastering, 460

17, Painting and Finishing, 461
Paint application techniques, 464
Cost estimates
Labor estimates for painting, 466
Stains and finishes, 487
Wood preservatives, 490
Interior paints, 492
Exterior paints, 494

18, Earthquake Damage, 497
Types of Damage
What FEMA recommends
When making alterations
When adding a room
Checking for earthquake damage
Repair of foundation and floor slabs
Framing repairs
Cracks in plaster and stucco
Fireplaces and chimneys
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems
Cost estimates
Foundation anchors and brackets
Cripple wall bracing
Hold-down anchors
Bracing a water heater
Framing straps and braces
Concrete repairs
Straighten a frame wall
Straighten a window opening
Plaster and stucco repair

19, Water Damage and Mold Remediation, 515
Building Dryout
Mold remediation
Cost estimates
Water extraction
Pre-drying
Remove appliances
HVAC system cleaning
Carpet removal
Drywall repairs
Demolition
Cleanup after water extraction
Mold inspection and remediation protocol
Containment structure
Remove mold by abrading
Encapsulation
Personal protection equipment
Air movers, dryers and drying systems
Other dryout and mold equipment

Index, 541