What does it cost to remodel a home in Greater Houston in 2026? A full price guide

Refresh — cabinet refinishing or refacing, new counters, backsplash, fixtures, lighting: $25,000–$45,000. Mid-range full remodel — new semi-custom cabinetry, quartz, appliances, flooring, same layout: $55,000–$95,000. High-end design-build — custom cabinetry, stone slabs, professional appliances, reworked layout: $120,000–$220,000. Estate-level in River Oaks, Memorial, and Tanglewood: $200,000–$450,000.

Powder room: $12,000–$22,000. Secondary or hall bath, full gut: $18,000–$30,000. Primary bath, mid-range: $35,000–$65,000. Primary bath, custom spa with curbless wet room, slab stone, heated floors, and millwork: $75,000–$150,000.

Ground-level living space: $325–$425 per square foot. Additions containing a kitchen, full bath, or primary suite: $425–$525 per square foot. Second-story additions and pop-tops: $375–$525 per square foot, plus downstairs reconfiguration for the new stair. Garage conversions to conditioned living space: $85,000–$160,000. Detached garage apartments: $250,000–$450,000.

Cosmetic refresh throughout: $85–$130 per square foot. Comprehensive renovation with new kitchen and baths and selective structural work: $150–$210 per square foot. Down-to-studs custom-level renovation with new systems: $210–$275+ per square foot. Historic and high-end inner-Loop renovation: $250–$500+ per square foot.

Covered patio with structure, ceiling, fans, and lighting: $45,000–$110,000. Full outdoor kitchen with 316-stainless equipment, stone counters, and utilities: $35,000–$90,000. Combined outdoor room with fireplace, kitchen, and porcelain paver decking: $110,000–$200,000. Pools are typically contracted separately and start around $85,000 in this market.

Custom construction in Greater Houston runs roughly $325–$450 per square foot for well-finished builds in suburban locations and $450–$600+ per square foot for high-specification homes inside the Loop and in the Memorial villages, exclusive of land, site work, and pools.

Location: inner-Loop and village addresses carry higher labor, access, and permitting costs than Katy, Cypress, or Fort Bend County. Structure: moving load-bearing walls, plumbing, and gas is the largest single cost multiplier in any remodel. Finish level: cabinetry and stone alone can double a kitchen budget with identical square footage.

Age of the home: pre-1970 houses carry hidden-condition risk — cast iron drains, undersized electrical, no insulation — and deserve a 10–15% contingency. Newer builder homes usually need 5–8%.

The lowest bid in Houston is almost always the one with the thinnest allowances. When tile is allowanced at $4 per square foot and you pick $12 tile, the difference arrives as a change order.

We price from complete drawings and real selections after a paid pre-construction phase, so the contract number is the number. Fewer surprises, and a schedule that means something.