Anticipated Project Costs and Project Timelines

Project costs always come with a bit of a caveat because every project is unique. There is no cookie cutter solution for like there is with a planned development like we see with large suburban track homes. One’s existing home conditions, design preferences, and budget all play a role.

Furthermore, there is just not good information online about what to expect for costs. Various remodeling shows on television have also given prospective clients a false sense of what to expect as far as costs, length of time, and process.

We are hoping to help rectify this by providing some real-world information. The below costs are reflective of what we would call mid-level finishes. For example, this means about $1200 per cabinet box, $10 per square foot tile allowances, level 4 Quartz counters, and $500 allowance for a bathroom faucet.

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Hall Bathroom

A Hall Bath remodel will generally fall between $30k and $40k, depending on size, features, and finish.

Primary Bathroom

A 5-piece Primary Bath remodel will generally fall between $80k and $100k, depending on size, features, and finish. A more luxury primary bath can cost $120k or more.

Kitchen Remodel/Ground Floor Remodel

A kitchen remodel in a historic home is generally a ground floor remodel that includes a Hall Bathroom, new floors, electrical work, HVAC work, structural work to open walls, new trim, paint and so on. Typically, for a standard historical Denver home in the 900 to 1200 square foot range, this will run about $150k – $250k, depending on how far you take it.

Luxury Kitchen

A lux kitchen remodel with fully custom cabinets, Sub zero appliances, marble counters, and so on, can be more in the $300k to $400k range, assuming a scope that includes new floors, moving some walls, etc. Depending on the size, cabinet costs can be $40-$70k, with another $40k in appliances, for example.

Basement

A basement remodel will generally be $150 to $200 per square foot depending on features, finish level, and size. As the size increases, the cost per square foot decreases. A 1000 SF historical basement in Denver proper with a bedroom and a bathroom with 2 egress windows will generally run about $165k, including design, but can definitely be more as things like a theatre room, bar, etc are added.

Primary Suite Addition

A Primary Suite addition is typically in the $350k range for a 500 SF addition. This would include a 5-piece bath, walk in closet, and roughly 15×15 bedroom. Foundation would be standard crawl space.

2-story Primary Suite Addition

While, a Primary Suite addition is typically in the $350k range for a 500 SF addition, a 2 story version generally can be done for about $500k to $550k, depending on what else is added. In our experience, that usually means a family room with stairs on the main floor and a nice primary suite upstairs for a total of 1000 SF.

Pop-Top

A full pop-top is not substantially different in cost from a new build. While there are still savings in the 10-20% realm, a 1000 SF pop top (which gives you 3 bedrooms and 2 baths) with a 1000 SF gut below will run between $800k and $1 million, depending on features and finishes.

Partial Pop-Top

Sometimes, a full pop-top is not the answer. For example, if you recently did your kitchen and you don’t want to tear it back out. While this situation is more complex, it can be done and does create substantial savings. A 1000 SF pop top (which gives you 3 bedrooms and 2 baths) with minimal main floor changes (think stairs, paint and drywall for the most part), will run between $450k and $550k, depending on features and finishes.

Historic Gut

If you live in Denver proper, or specifically in central Denver — Park Hill, Wash Park, Platte Park, Congress Park, etc. — there is a good chance that your home is 100 years old or more. These houses can pose an interesting challenge, as many were not well maintained. This has started to change as Denver has experienced an urban renewal over the last 20 years. That being said, a gut of these homes often means all new electrical, mechanical, and plumbing (including new sewer and water lines), fixing structural issues, replacing rotten fascia, new roof, new roof rafters, and so on. They are an investment to own and a challenge to build — but are projects we have quite a bit of experience in. If gutting a historic home, which includes new windows, siding, exterior paint, as well as all new interior, you should budget $250-$350 per square foot. A 2000 SF gut in Wash Park, for example, is likely to be $600k to $800k. A 3000 SF home is likely to be $800k to $900k. If that exceeds your budget, then a phased approach may be best, starting from the top down (2^nd floor first).

ADU

An ADU is essentially a small house. Approximate cost is $400k and $450k for a garage with an apartment above it with an overall size of 650 SF per story.

New Build

A new build typically starts at $350-$450k per square foot. Cost can go down as square footage increases, but a standard 3000 SF 4 bed 4 bath house is roughly $1.2 million to $1.4 million build, plus land costs. A 5000 SF mid-tier home will run about $1.6 million to $1.7 million, by comparison. This can vary dramatically based on finish level. A higher-end build can add another $100 per square foot if you are adding things like a whole house low volt package for automated blinds, audio and video and so on. A luxury 10,000 SF new build for example, can be in the range of $7 million.

Duplex

A 3-bedroom 4-bathroom duplex with 2300 SF per side and 2 car garage per side will cost roughly $1.5 million to $1.5 million ($700k to $800k per side), plus the land cost, and is often a good alternative to a single family home when budget is a constraint as one side can be sold or rented out.