How Much Does It Cost to Remodel a Home in Washington D.C. in 2023?

Cost Factors for Kitchens

• Open Concept Kitchen
  In this scenario, clients are usually unhappy with the tight space in their kitchen and would like to increase storage, as well as create a more inviting environment for entertaining. An open-concept kitchen renovation involves removing one or more walls - usually between the kitchen and dining room. Once you begin taking down walls, we encourage our clients to think of the project as either a partial or full first-floor renovation. It’s not just the kitchen. It’s the kitchen, dining room, and sometimes the living room and beyond. When a wall is removed, the scope of the project expands significantly. Depending on the wall, it may be load-bearing which will require a structural plan to be developed and a load-bearing beam installed.

• Flooring
  When a wall is removed, gaps are exposed in the floor where the wall was. If you decide that you’d like hardwood floors in the kitchen and the rest of the first floor (most of our projects), then new hardwood flooring needs to be installed in the gaps. To achieve a close match between the new and the old hardwood floors, we commonly sand and stain all the floors on the first floor, and often the stairs leading up to the second floor.

• Plumbing/Basement
  If the sink is being moved, and/or a gas range is being relocated, then the plumbing needs to be moved underneath the kitchen. If the basement is unfinished, this is a much easier task. If your basement is finished, we’ll need to assess the level of difficulty of relocating the plumbing. If the basement is finished, then at a minimum, the ceiling will need to be opened, pipes relocated, and the ceiling patched and painted.

• Cabinetry
  The greatest factor impacting the cost of a kitchen remodel is the cabinetry. Cabinetry costs vary greatly in cost and quality. There’s no doubt that you’ve seen extremely low prices for cabinets from Ikea, Cabinet Discounters, or many other suppliers. But not all cabinets are built alike. We carry cabinetry from Crystal Cabinets which are all custom and built for your home. Given the age of the homes in the DMV, we commonly need to size the cabinetry to your specific spaces - a standard 36” base cabinet may not fit in your older kitchen. With our Crystal Cabinetry, there is no additional cost for custom sizes.
  

  • Environmental Impact
    As part of our commitment to building as sustainably as possible, we have selected Crystal Cabinets as our primary manufacturer. Crystal Cabinets is a family-owned company based in Princeton, MN that has been manufacturing cabinetry for 75 years. Crystal Cabinet Works, Inc.’s cabinet manufacturing facilities have achieved certification under the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP). Crystal is proud to have been directly involved with the development of the program, which is designed as a framework for manufacturers to highlight sound environmental business practices concerning: product and process resource management, air quality, environmental management policies and systems, and community relations.
  • Origin
    We’re committed to helping grow the incomes of workers locally and nationally by sourcing as many products as possible in the United States. All Crystal Cabinets are built in the U.S. All the wood is Domestic or Canadian-sourced, CARB Phase 2/TSCA Title VI compliant box work materials. High-quality cabinets are of all-plywood construction which is resistant to damage and moisture resistant.
  • Construction Process
    The production process makes a big difference. Our Crystal Cabinets are custom and hand-crafted for your home and thus built to last. By the time your cabinet passes inspection for shipping, it has been touched by at least 50 different workers. From milling to painting, it truly takes a village to make an amazing cabinet that will last in your home for decades.

• Countertops
  The vast majority of our clients choose quartz countertops as they’re the most durable and stain-resistant. The cost depends on the size of the kitchen and costs for our clients range between $6,000 to $9,000.

• Appliances
  Appliances vary greatly in price and have a significant impact on the overall cost of the renovation. At the low end, the typical spend for all appliances is $7,500; mid-range $15,000, and luxury $25,000. Keep in mind that appliance costs aren’t included in our contracts.

• Electrical Service Upgrade
  In many of the homes in which we work, the electrical service needs to be upgraded to 200 amps. Our clients tell us that the wiring is old and that when they turn on the toaster oven and another appliance, the circuit breaker trips. This is a sign that the service may need to be upgraded. This can be assessed during a site visit. All rooms with a source of water must have a GFCI outlet and by code, the island needs to have a dedicated GFCI outlet. To do this, we need to run a dedicated line from your electrical panel to the island. This is simple when your basement is open, but if it’s finished, we may have to open the drywall to run the line. After that, we’ll have to patch and paint the drywall. We may also need to add a dedicated line if you’re converting from a gas cooktop to an induction.

• Lighting
  Clients often choose to either upgrade existing recessed lighting to more energy-efficient LED or add recessed lighting in the kitchen and dining room where none currently exists.

• Switches and Outlets
  When adding new outlets, clients usually like to upgrade to dimmer switches and USB outlets.

• Plumbing
  The extent of the plumbing work depends on whether the sink and stove remain in place, or if they’re being relocated. If you’re moving a gas appliance, the gas line needs to be relocated. Again, this is much easier to do if the basement is unfinished below. If not, we may have to open the drywall to move the line. Sometimes we can make the move from the top when the floor is removed, but we won’t know until we demolish the existing floor. Additions such as a pot filler above the stove or a water filter will impact the cost.
  

Cost Factors for Bathrooms

• Tile Coverage
  The amount of tile setting has a very significant impact on the price. When only a shower surround is being tiled, the tile job may take up to 2 days. If tile is being set on every wall in the bathroom including the floor, it could take our tile setter 5-7 days to complete. The more tile being set, the higher the labor cost.

• Tile Design
  The pattern in which the tile is being set, also has a significant impact on the time it takes to install. Complex patterns such as herringbone could take twice as long to install.

• Movement of Toilets
  One of the most challenging aspects of a bathroom remodel involves the movement of a toilet. The complexity depends on where the new location is to the existing plumbing and if changes need to be made in the ceiling below the bathroom to accommodate new waste pipes. This will be evaluated during the design process so that you can make informed decisions about the impact on your home and the cost.

• Plumbing Fixtures
  The type of fixtures you select can greatly impact the labor cost to install. Some of these include bidets, wall-mounted toilets (whose setup and reinforcement require 4 times the labor as a floor-mounted toilet), and shower setups which can require significantly more labor.

• Steam Showers
  Steam showers are becoming increasingly popular. The steam shower parts themselves can range from $2,500 to over $5,000 and are very labor-intensive to install.

• Niches
  In every shower that we renovate, we install one or more niches. The placement of the niche varies depending on what’s behind the wall and whether the placement may impact the location of the plumbing supply lines. Sometimes, we may not know until the wall has been demolished. The highest-cost niche is a lighted horizontal niche running the length of the wall. The framing behind the wall has to be restructured and electrical lines run. We need to locate the power transformer outside of the shower (often underneath a vanity) so this can be accessed in case it needs replacing.

• Windows and Doors
  Replacing windows is quite common in our bathroom renovations. Sometimes a double-hung window inside a shower is replaced with a single and tile is set all around the window. Windows in bathrooms need to be constructed of tempered glass to meet the IRC building code. To gain more space, we often install pocket doors which require rebuilding the wall into which the pocket door is installed.

• HVAC
  The housing code requires that a vent fan be installed and vented to the exterior of the home. Heating is another factor to consider. Sometimes a radiator is removed to make more room in a small bathroom, and radiant floor heating is often installed to replace radiator heat.

• Electrica
  If the bathroom doesn’t have a GFCI outlet, we’ll need to run a dedicated circuit from your electrical panel in the basement.

• Glass Shower Enclosures
  To ensure a water-tight seal, we always install custom glass enclosures. They typically cost between $2,800 to $4,000 depending on the size, design, and hardware selected.

• Fixtures and Vanity Costs
  Toilets, shower setups, and soaking tubs, can vary incredibly in price. A modest selection of these items may cost $5,000, building up to over $15,000 for high-end fixtures. Vanities can range from $1,000 up to $10,000. For this reason, we don’t include an allowance for these fixtures in our cost estimates as it’s too difficult for us to predict the taste of our clients.

As you can tell, there are a tremendous number of factors that impact the price of a bathroom remodel - even more than a kitchen remodel. For this reason, we won’t know the full cost of the renovation until the design process is complete and your finish selections are made. The cost of our bathroom remodels usually runs anywhere from $35,000 to $70,000 depending on the type of renovation as well as the fixtures selected. The higher end is associated with adding bathrooms where none existed or substantially expanding an existing bathroom.

Cost Factors for Basements

• Ceiling Height
  The residential housing code requires that finished basements have ceilings of at least 7 feet, except where there are support beams or bulkheads. The minimum height for support beams or bulkheads is 6’4”.

• Movement of Plumbing and Heating Pipes
  Many basements have plumbing and heating pipes hanging low. Having these pipes in these positions makes it difficult to have a finished drywall ceiling. Moving these pipes may be possible, but it can be expensive.

• Flooring Leveling
  Most basements that we encounter do not have level cement floors. There are often drains that no longer serve a purpose and can be discontinued. To install the most common basement flooring - luxury vinyl plank - the floors need to be leveled for an even surface.

• Water Proofing
  The best-case scenario is that you have a completely dry basement or one that has had a french drain installed with a sump pump. If not, you may have rusty-looking flaked walls with water stains visible. In these situations, we recommend that the basement be waterproofed before the renovation. The last thing you want is to complete the basement and then experience water damage later on.

• Egress Windows
  To comply with the housing code, any basement bedroom needs an egress window installed. An egress window provides a safe exit in case of fires, floods, or other disasters. ​​The International Building Code advises that every bedroom must contain at least one egress window. For basements, egress windows must be at least 36 inches in width and height and have a fully functioning opening. If a basement window is more than 44 inches from the ground, a ladder or steps at least 12 inches wide must be present. Basement egress windows must also include window wells that provide enough clearance to allow escape.

• Bathrooms
  Adding a bathroom to a finished basement adds tremendous value to a home. Ideally, the bathroom should be located as close to the existing plumbing as possible. For any basement bathroom, the concrete needs to be broken up and new drain lines run to a main waste stack, which is pretty extensive work. However, having a fully finished basement with a full bath for guests is a great convenience for all. Adding a bathroom to a basement usually begins at around $60,000.

• HVAC
  Basements need to be fully conditioned. To achieve this, if you already have ductwork for air conditioning, it may be possible to extend the ductwork to heat and cool every room. If not, mini-splits are another option.