Short answer
What homeowners spent
54% of U.S. homeowners renovated in 2025. Across every project they did that year, the median household spent $20,000, and the top 10% spent $150,000 or more, according to the 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study.
By room, and counting every scope from a refresh to a full remodel, the median spend was $24,000 on kitchens, $15,000 on primary bathrooms and $7,000 on guest bathrooms. Major remodels cost more: the median major kitchen remodel was $35,000 for kitchens under 200 square feet and $55,000 for larger ones.
Middle Atlantic benchmarks
The Cost vs. Value Report prices defined projects for New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania together. In its 2025 edition, a midrange minor kitchen remodel cost about $31,212, a midrange major kitchen remodel about $89,679, a midrange bathroom remodel about $30,158, a basement remodel about $60,644 and a midrange primary suite addition about $195,129, according to the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com).
What a gut renovation involves
A gut renovation takes rooms down to the framing and rebuilds them: new wiring, plumbing, insulation, drywall, flooring and finishes. No published survey prices a whole-house gut renovation, because the scope varies too much from house to house. Price it as the sum of its rooms, then add the systems that get replaced behind the walls.
It always needs construction permits. New Jersey treats adding, altering or relocating piping and electrical wiring as work beyond ordinary maintenance (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7), and that work needs a permit before it starts (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14).
Why the same project costs more in some houses
The work costs the same to build; the houses differ. Older homes are more likely to need new supply lines, wiring and lead-safe work once walls are open, and paid work that disturbs paint in a home built before 1978 falls under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. Census data shows how old the housing is in some of the towns we work in:
| Town | Median year built | Homes built before 1980 | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haddonfield | 1938 | 87% | $755,300 |
| Collingswood | 1941 | 91% | $380,400 |
| Pitman | 1945 | 89% | $279,300 |
| Woodbury | 1948 | 88% | $222,700 |
| Wenonah | 1946 | 87% | $377,800 |
| Glassboro | 1986 | 43% | $314,400 |
| Cherry Hill | 1968 | 73% | $386,300 |
| Washington Township | 1982 | 43% | $337,600 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024). Unincorporated towns use their Census-designated place.
Comparing quotes
Quotes for the same project differ mostly in scope and allowances. New Jersey requires the contract to describe the work and the principal products, including make, model and size where they apply (N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.2), so line the quotes up item by item before comparing totals. See what a New Jersey contract must include.
Sources
- Houzz Inc., 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study (renovation spend and project length in 2025). Checked September 2026.
- Zonda Media, Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, Middle Atlantic region. Checked September 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, via Census Reporter, American Community Survey, ACS 2024 5-year (tables B25034, B25035, B25077). Checked September 2026.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rules, 40 CFR 745 Subpart E. Checked September 2026.
- New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, Ordinary maintenance (work that needs no permit). Checked September 2026.
- New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14, Construction permits: when required. Checked September 2026.
- New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, N.J.A.C. 13:45A-16.2, Home Improvement Practices (contract terms, permits, warranties). Checked September 2026.
© 2025 Zonda Media, a Delaware Corporation. Complete data from the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.