Free house flipping calculator
Rehab Cost Estimator
Check off everything a property needs, from the kitchen and bathrooms to the roof, HVAC, and flooring, and this calculator adds up a screening budget for your rehab costs in seconds. You'll also get a Cosmetic, Moderate, or Full Gut scope classification, so you know how much risk you're taking on before you make an offer.
Estimated rehab budget
$0
Project scope
Cosmetic
Cosmetic <$30k · Moderate $30k–$75k · Full Gut >$75k
These are typical mid-range budget figures for a single-family flip. Get contractor bids before you commit, since labor and material costs vary widely by market.
How this rehab cost estimator works
This is a category-based screening estimate, not a contractor bid. Check every box that matches what the property needs (kitchen, bathroom, roof, HVAC, and so on) and the calculator adds a typical mid-range budget for a single-family flip in each category you select. There's no square footage or condition input to fill in; it's built for the first pass, when you're deciding whether a property is worth a closer look before you've walked it with a contractor.
The cost table behind this page is the same one used inside FlipperPro's own Rehab Estimator tool. They share one underlying cost module, so a category priced at $25,000 here is priced the same way there. The in-app version goes a step further, letting you set quantities and your own per-unit costs once you're working a specific lead, but the starting figures are identical.
A worked example
Say a lead needs a new kitchen, a bathroom refresh, new flooring throughout, and a full interior and exterior paint job. Check those four boxes and the math is: Kitchen ($25,000) + Bathroom ($12,000) + Flooring ($8,000) + Paint ($4,000) = $49,000.
That $49,000 total lands inside the Moderate band, which runs from $30,000 to $75,000. Below $30,000, a project is classified Cosmetic: paint, flooring, and fixtures, nothing structural or systems-related. Above $75,000, it's a Full Gut, which usually means structural work, a roof, and major mechanical systems in the same scope. The scope label is just as useful as the dollar total: a Cosmetic project moves fast and predictably, while a Full Gut carries permit timelines, inspection surprises, and a much wider range of possible overruns.
From estimate to offer
A rehab number only means something once it's inside a deal. On its own, $49,000 doesn't tell you whether a property is worth pursuing. It has to run through your maximum offer and your projected profit before you know that. Feed this estimate into a 70% rule calculator to see your maximum allowable offer, or into a house flip profit calculator to see your return after financing, holding, and selling costs. Rehab and ARV are the two estimates everything else in your deal depends on, so it's worth checking this number against the ARV calculator too.
Whatever number this page gives you, treat it as a floor, not a final budget. Most flippers add a 10–20% contingency on top of the category totals to cover the problems that only show up after demo. Older homes and full-gut scopes justify the higher end of that range. Inside FlipperPro, the AI Deal Analyzer builds a rehab estimate for every lead it analyzes and factors it into the MAO and profit numbers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rehab a house for flipping?
A cosmetic refresh (paint, flooring, fixtures) typically runs under $30,000. A moderate rehab touching a kitchen, bathrooms, and systems lands between $30,000 and $75,000. A full gut with structural, roof, and mechanical work runs $75,000 and up. Location and finish level move every one of these numbers.
How do investors estimate rehab costs quickly?
By category: walk the property, flag what needs work (kitchen, baths, roof, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, flooring, paint), and assign a typical budget to each. That gets you a screening number in minutes; contractor bids refine it before closing.
What is the most expensive part of a rehab?
The kitchen is usually the single biggest line item, commonly $15,000–$50,000 depending on finish level. Foundation repairs and full roof replacements are the other budget breakers, which is why inspectors check them first.
What's the difference between cosmetic, moderate, and full gut rehabs?
Cosmetic means surfaces only: paint, flooring, fixtures, landscaping. Moderate adds a kitchen or bath remodel and some system work. Full gut means taking the house back to the studs or touching structure, and it carries the most schedule and budget risk.
Should I add a contingency to my rehab estimate?
Yes. Most flippers carry 10–20% on top of the base estimate. Older homes and full guts justify the high end because hidden problems, like knob-and-tube wiring or rotten subfloor, only show up after demo.
FlipperPro's house flipping software includes this same Rehab Estimator among its deal tools, alongside an AI analyzer that estimates rehab automatically.