Why the Lowest Remodeling Estimate Can Cost You More in the End

A $50,000 bathroom estimate looks better than an $80,000 estimate until the $50,000 project finishes at $100,000. The number at the bottom of a proposal matters, but I care just as much about how much of the real project that number covers.

I’m Sam Brenich, Chief Marketing Officer at New Day Construction. We remodel homes throughout King and Snohomish counties, and homeowners regularly ask why estimates for apparently similar projects can be tens of thousands of dollars apart. Sometimes one contractor genuinely works for less. Sometimes the scope, materials, allowances, or subcontracted work are completely different. The problem is that you usually cannot tell which situation you are looking at from the headline price alone.

We once estimated a home addition at roughly $300,000. The homeowner chose another contractor with a lower bid. About six months later, he contacted us again after already spending around $300,000, while the project was only about halfway complete. We declined to take it over because we could not verify the quality or full scope of what had already been done. That experience is one reason I would rather see a homeowner question a low estimate before construction than discover what was missing after the walls are open.

A Remodeling Estimate Should Tell You What You Are Actually Buying

A useful proposal should let you picture the project before construction starts. If a kitchen is being remodeled, I want the scope to explain what is being demolished, which structural work is included, who handles plumbing and electrical, what happens to the drywall, which flooring is being installed, how the cabinets are specified, and whether painting is part of the price.

A vague allowance can hide just as much as a vague scope. “Tile allowance” does not tell a homeowner very much. Tile format changes labor significantly. In our October 2026 pricing, large-format tile around 2 by 4 feet was roughly $75 per square foot to install, while a bathroom covered with smaller 6-by-6-inch tile could reach around $95 per square foot because the crew has far more individual pieces to set. Flooring has similar differences. Floating LVP was around $11 per square foot all in, while engineered hardwood was closer to $20 to $22 per square foot because it requires a different installation method.

Cabinets can move the budget even faster. A typical kitchen around the $60,000 level may have $20,000 to $25,000 in cabinetry. Fully custom cabinets can reach $50,000 to $60,000, while some European flat-panel systems with integrated pulls can approach $80,000 for the cabinetry alone. Two contractors can therefore both say “kitchen remodel” while pricing completely different kitchens.

The Cheapest Quote Often Leaves the Most Questions Unanswered

Labor is another place where estimates become difficult to compare. On our projects, excavation, foundation work, plumbing, and electrical are normally subcontracted, and drywall often is too. Other parts of the project may be handled by our crews or outside partners depending on the size and scope. Countertops come from a fabricator rather than being made by our remodeling crew. I do not think subcontracting is a problem by itself. The homeowner simply needs to know who is responsible for the work, whether those costs are included, and who deals with a failed inspection or scheduling issue.

The same applies to exclusions. I actually prefer seeing exclusions written down because that tells you what the contractor is not pretending to cover. A proposal without any exclusions can look cleaner, but it often leaves more room for disagreements later.

We break down the estimate structure, material allowances, change orders, and Washington contract requirements in more detail in our full guide to what should be included in a remodeling estimate.

Some Price Changes Are Legitimate Because Nobody Can See Through a Wall

A detailed estimate still cannot eliminate every surprise. There are conditions we simply cannot confirm until demolition starts. On one project, a wall appeared to be non-load-bearing during the initial consultation. Once demolition exposed it, the crew discovered that the wall was carrying a load. The project then required a beam, two posts, engineering, and a permit, adding approximately $30,000 to the scope. That is very different from discovering halfway through construction that the cabinets, demolition, or painting were never included in the original number. Visible scope should not suddenly become a surprise charge. Concealed rot, old plumbing, unexpected HVAC runs, and structural conditions can legitimately change a remodel because they could not be fully verified beforehand. When that happens, I want the change order to explain what changed, why it changed, what it costs, and what it does to the schedule. The homeowner should see that information before the additional work proceeds whenever circumstances allow.

I also recommend keeping a contingency outside the contract price. A common planning range is 10% to 20% of the remodeling budget, especially in older homes where concealed conditions are more likely. On a $60,000 kitchen, that means keeping another $6,000 to $12,000 available rather than spending every dollar of the budget on the initial design.

Realistic Remodeling Numbers Make Low Bids Easier to Recognize

Our current project benchmarks are useful because they give homeowners a reference point before they start comparing proposals. A small kitchen may start around $40,000, a medium kitchen around $60,000, and a larger kitchen around $80,000, depending heavily on materials and scope. Removing or modifying a structural wall can add roughly $15,000 to $25,000.

For bathrooms, a powder room is around $20,000, a standard 4-by-8-foot bathroom is around $35,000, and a primary bathroom starts around $50,000. A more luxurious primary bathroom can reach $80,000 or more. These are planning benchmarks from our team, not fixed prices, but they make it easier to recognize when a proposal needs more explanation.

Whole-home remodeling works differently. Around 2,000 square feet, we commonly use roughly $160 per square foot as a planning figure. Around 3,000 square feet, that benchmark drops toward $140, and homes of 4,000 square feet or more may be closer to $120 per square foot. Larger projects gain some efficiency, but finish selections can move those numbers significantly.

The purpose of these benchmarks is not to tell someone that every $35,000 bathroom is correctly priced or every $25,000 bathroom is suspicious. They simply give homeowners enough context to ask why a quote is far above or below the others.

A Good Estimate Should Still Look Accurate When the Project Is Finished

One of the best examples from our own work was Daniel’s bathroom and laundry remodel in Lake Forest Park. The house was built in 1984, and Daniel wanted the last two original rooms updated to match a kitchen that had already been remodeled.

We gave him two options. The semi-custom cabinet version was approximately $46,000, while the custom cabinet version was approximately $54,000. Both estimates included materials, labor, demolition, haul-away, and permits. Daniel visited our Bellevue showroom, compared the cabinet options in person, and ultimately chose custom because the semi-custom line did not offer the finishes he wanted.

The project ran from mid-March to mid-May 2026. The final cost was $54,000, exactly the amount quoted at the estimate stage. There were no additional charges during construction.

I think that is a better measure of an estimate than whether it was the lowest number on bid day. A strong estimate should give the homeowner a realistic idea of what they are agreeing to spend, identify the places where the number could legitimately change, and make those changes understandable when they happen.

Homeowners planning a kitchen, bathroom, addition, or whole-home remodel can see more of our projects and approach at New Day Construction.

Sam Brenich Explains What He Looks for Before Trusting a Remodeling Estimate

The Stone Magazine (TSM): Sam, should a homeowner automatically avoid the lowest estimate?

Sam Brenich (SB): No. If somebody quotes your bathroom at $50,000 and really finishes it at $50,000 with the scope you wanted, that is a great deal. The problem is when the $50,000 estimate leaves out enough work that the final number becomes $100,000.

TSM: What is the first thing you would compare between two proposals?

SB: The scope. Make sure they are actually pricing the same project. One may include demolition, electrical, plumbing, permits, and painting, while the other does not.

TSM: Are allowances always a red flag?

SB: No. Sometimes you have not selected the tile or fixture yet, so an allowance makes sense. I just want the amount stated clearly. If there is a $5,000 allowance and you choose something that costs $8,000, you should already know how that difference will be handled.

TSM: How detailed should material descriptions be?

SB: Detailed enough that you know what you are paying for. “Tile” is not enough. Cabinet level matters too because you can move from $20,000 in cabinets to $60,000 or more without changing the size of the kitchen.

TSM: What price changes do you consider reasonable after construction starts?

SB: Something hidden that we could not verify beforehand. Rot behind a wall, old plumbing, unexpected framing, or finding out that a wall is structural can change the scope. Something we could clearly see and should have priced from the beginning is different.

TSM: What should a change order tell the homeowner?

SB: What changed, why it changed, what it costs, and what it does to the schedule. I do not like vague change orders where the homeowner only finds out what happened when they get an invoice.

TSM: How much money should homeowners keep aside for surprises?

SB: I like the idea of having a separate contingency instead of spending the entire available budget on the initial project. Ten to twenty percent is a useful planning range, especially on older homes.

TSM: Does the project timeline belong in the estimate discussion too?

SB: Absolutely. A kitchen might be six to ten weeks of construction, but that does not necessarily include design and permitting. Homeowners need to know whether the timeline they are hearing is construction time or the entire process.

TSM: What is the biggest warning sign in a remodeling estimate?

SB: A low number with almost no explanation behind it. Price matters, but I want to know what that price is actually buying.

TSM: What should a homeowner feel before signing?

SB: They should understand the scope well enough to explain it back to us. If you still do not know what is included, what is excluded, or what can change the price, there are questions that need to be answered before you sign.