$257,000: Cost Breakdown
The Budget Part 2
Continuing with the last post, $257,000: The Rundown (Budget Part 1), where we detailed out what the project entailed. We first wrote about why we decided to be transparent with our remodeling costs in this post: Blogger’s Block. Now we are ready to share the full itemized list of how we ended up spending exactly $256,920.00.
To recap, in our case, we pretty much rebuilt the house entirely. Room by room, the entire interior of the house was gutted and rebuilt with all new systems and services from the street. In the process, the original woodwork was salvaged and restored including the doors and almost all of the windows. All that remains of the original are the bones: an almost-100-year-old foundation that we repaired, the original main floor framing/layout, and the exterior was left intact. A new roof capped it all off (literally). When you look at it that way, $257K doesn’t sound as insane to build a basically-new house with historical charm.
The $256,920.00 total was tallied by manually entering every remodel-related receipt into an excel spreadsheet and splitting purchases into categories. After all the receipts between March 2007-2011 were tallied, I went the extra mile and reconciled with our Quicken records to account for any lost receipts.
All told, the data entry effort probably took about 30-40 hours. And after all that, I’ve spent about 18 hours crafting this blog entry to show all of you. Fun way to spend Memorial Day weekend, right? :)
Pie Chart of Doom
Download the $256,920 Breakdown Pie Chart (PDF)
Using the figures below, you can hopefully get an idea of how much a similar project would cost. However, every project is different and every market is different.
The costs marked “Pro” relate to professional contractor charges between 2007-2010 in Portland, Oregon. Most of our professional work was completed in Phase 1 through a general contractor in 2008, which increased the mark-up.
The costs marked “DIY” relate to materials we purchased, but did the labor ourselves. We do not have sales tax in Oregon, so keep that in mind. Not to mention that since 2007, prices on the same items have likely risen with inflation.
Phase 1 (March 2007-July 2008) references the work run by our general contractor, Diamond Construction and Remodel: the dormer addition, staircases, master bedroom and bath addition, kitchen, main bathroom, and basement remodel. Phase 1 completed 2/3 of the house restoration.
Phase 2 (June 2009 – October 2010) references our main floor renovation, which we acted as our own general contractor and did much of the work ourselves: the living room, dining room, hallway, bedroom, and some exterior improvements. Phase 2 completed the last 1/3 of the house.
What is left? We expect to put a cedar fence ($2K DIY), paver patio ($2K DIY) and more detailed landscaping in the yard. We should also replace our front stoop and have it repoured at some point.
However, we are in no hurry to spend any more money on the house. Anything we do in the future would have to be for our own enjoyment. For instance, if we keep this house for several more years, we may consider removing the vinyl and restoring or residing the house. This would run around $10K DIY or $20K+ professionally, so we are definitely in NO HURRY to sink money into that, as we know we wouldn’t recoup the cost.
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Asbestos Abatement | 1,220.00 |
| Bathroom Fixtures | 7,165.067 |
| Carpentry | 49,056.07 |
| Closets | 106.06 |
| Construction Loan Closing Costs | 10,947.96 |
| Demolition and Disposal | 6,098.01 |
| Doors | 1,131.19 |
| Drywall | 10,255.00 |
| Electrical | 26,600.14 |
| Exterior | 6,706.85 |
| Flooring | 10,117.12 |
| Foundation | 7,540.40 |
| Flooring | 10,117.12 |
| Garage | 637.02 |
| Gutters | 808.40 |
| Hardware | 9,672.55 |
| HVAC | 9,672.55 |
| Insulation | 6,672.70 |
| Kitchen Materials | 20,461.62 |
| Landscaping | 1,075.87 |
| Laundry | 1,044.09 |
| Lighting | 4,431.48 |
| Membership Fee | 1,540.00 |
| Miscellaneous | 1,874.85 |
| Painting, Interior | 2,449.03 |
| Plans & Permits | 6,119.17 |
| Pest Control | 923.60 |
| Plumbing | 20,013.35 |
| Roof | 7,100.00 |
| Sewer | 4,500.00 |
| Tile | 11,845.38 |
| Tools | 666.55 |
| Windows | 5,504.04 |
| Wood Refinishing | 10,762.13 |
| Grand Total | $256,920.00 |
Asbestos Abatement
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 200.00 | Testing fees |
| Pro | 325.00 | Basement duct wrap abatement |
| Pro | 695.00 | Kitchen tile abatement |
| $ | 1,220.00 | Abatement Total |
Bathroom Fixtures
| Cost | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 2715.18 | Master Bath: Clawfoot tub, supply, faucet, shower, etc. | |
| 616.10 | Master Bath: 60″ vanity and double sink vanity top | |
| 306.00 | Master Bath: Sink faucets (2) | |
| 163.00 | Master Bath: Toilet | |
| 154.60 | Master Bath: Towel racks, shower curtain, hooks, toilet paper holder, glass shelving | |
| 259.98 | Master Bath: Recessed medicine cabinets (2) | |
| Lighting | ||
| $ | 4,214.86 | Master Bathroom Fixtures Subtotal |
| 319.20 | Basement Bath: Jetted tub | |
| 275.42 | Basement Bath: Curved shower rod and curtains | |
| 169.00 | Basement Bath: Shower and tub faucet | |
| 398.00 | Basement Bath: Vessel sink and cabinet | |
| 119.98 | Basement Bath: Vessel sink faucet | |
| 106.40 | Basement Bath: Toilet | |
| 98.00 | Basement Bath: Mirror | |
| Lighting | ||
| $ | 1,486.00 | Basement Bathroom Fixtures Subtotal |
| 449.00 | Main Bath: Corner shower enclosure | |
| 128.75 | Main Bath: Shower valve and head | |
| 434.10 | Main Bath: Pedestal sink | |
| 214.72 | Main Bath: Sink faucet | |
| 163.00 | Main Bath: Toilet | |
| 75.24 | Main Bath: Mirror | |
| Lighting | ||
| $ | 1,464.81 | Main Bathroom Fixtures Subtotal |
| $ | 7,165.67 | Bathroom Fixtures Total |
Carpentry
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 34,325.00 | Phase 1 rough carpentry/framing and materials from original bid for dormer addition, master/attic remodel, 3 baths, kitchen, staircases, laundry shoot and pantry conversion |
| Pro | 7,511.43 | Phase 1 finish carpentry and millwork throughout remodeled areas mentioned above |
| Pro | 4,848.00 | Window installation (basement and dormer), construction of custom door frames to fit salvaged doors in remodeled areas mentioned above |
| DIY |
2,371.64 |
Phase 2 millwork for main floor bedrooms, living room, dining room, and hallway. Replacement trim for broken pieces, douglas fir wainscot, picture rail, window and door crown moulding, window/door stop, etc. (materials) |
| Wood Refinishing | ||
| $ | 49,056.07 | Carpentry Total |
Closets
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DIY | 106.06 | Shelving systems for bedroom closets (materials) |
| $ | 106.06 | Closets Total |
Construction Loan Closing Costs
| Cost | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 10,947.96 | Fees to service construction loan with Wells Fargo. ALERT: Not a good idea. It’s simply $11,000 down the drain. |
|
| $ | 10,947.98 | Closing Costs Total |
Demolition and Disposal
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 1,250.00 | Remove old furnace-venting chimney from roof down to basement |
| Pro | 1,500.00 | Phase 1 demo of roof and entire staircases for dormer addition, kitchen and main bath plaster removal. Note: We did the majority of the demo ourselves to save on the labor cost. |
| Pro | 2,734.26 |
Phase 1 disposal fees for debris |
| DIY | 338.75 |
Drop box fee to demo and clean-out basement. We had friends help demo the basement down to studs and clean out the previous owner’s hoard. |
| DIY | 275.00 |
Drop box fee to demo main floor (Phase 2). We had friends help demo the plaster down to studs. |
| $ | 6,098.01 | Demolition and Disposal Total |
Doors
| Cost | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 775.00 | Salvaged interior doors (3 basement doors, attic french door and linen closet door) | |
| 115.00 | Salvaged exterior doors (back entry and front screen door) | |
| 241.19 | New closet bi-fold doors (2 sets) | |
| $ | 1,131.19 | Door Total |
Drywall
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 7,625.00 | Drywall for phase 1: main bath, kitchen, pantry, dormer, staircases, basement areas, master bedroom and bath. |
| Pro | 2,630.00 | Drywall for phase 2: main floor hallway, 2 bedrooms, living room and dining room. |
| $ | 10,255.00 | Drywall Total |
Electrical
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 2,760.00 | Service upgrade to 220 and new panel moved to utility room area |
| Pro | 21,614.80 | New electrical rough in and final installation |
| Pro | 1,600.00 | Unexpected: Reroute and relocate panel to bedroom closet/server room per city inspector demand |
| DIY | 466.65 | Network, phone and cable (materials) |
| DIY | 123.72 | Ceiling speakers (materials) |
| DIY | 34.97 | Doorbell and transformer (materials) |
| $ | 26,600.14 | Electrical Total |
Exterior
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 3,360.00 | Dormer Hardiplank siding and installation |
| Pro | 1,110.25 | Dormer painting to match vinyl exterior color |
| Pro | 1,985.60 | Exterior window trim painting; stripping and painting of porch beams, ceiling and soffit beams around house |
| DIY | 107.34 | Porch floor stripping and refinishing (edger sander rental, supplies and stain) |
| DIY | 143.66 | Concrete stoop pressure stripping (pressure washer rental and paint supplies) |
| Lighting | ||
| $ | 6,706.85 | Exterior Total |
Flooring
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 5,019.00 | Phase 1 hardwood floor patching and refinishing (kitchen, pantry, attic/master bedroom) |
| Pro | 1,991.46 | Phase 2 hardwood floor refinishing (main floor dining room, living room, hallway, 2 bedrooms) and supplies |
| Pro | 3,106.66 | Phase 1 carpet and padding (basement, staircases and attic closets) including installation ($1050) |
| $ | 10,117.12 | Flooring Total |
Foundation
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 5,895.00 | Basement concrete work: structural footings to support dormer; full foundation formed under back porch to convert it to a kitchen pantry |
| DIY | 773.56 | Basement waterproofing gutter supplies installed around base perimeter of foundation walls (materials) |
| DIY | 871.84 | Foundation repair and resurfacing with Xypex waterproofing product. Replaced above ground lathe and plaster with foam board insulated areas covered with concrete board (materials) |
| $ | 7,540.40 | Foundation Total |
Garage
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 500.00 | Minor paint stripping and painting garage to match house |
| DIY | 137.02 |
Garage light, shelving and miscellaneous supplies (materials) |
| $ | 637.02 | Garage Total |
Gutters
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 785.00 | Replacement of front and back gutters |
| DIY | 23.40 |
Gutter cover supplies to keep from clogging (materials) |
| $ | 808.40 | Gutters Total |
Hardware
| Cost | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 290.94 | Kitchen cabinet hardware: glass knobs and bin pulls | |
| 1,386.99 |
Various door hardware (mostly salvaged): hinges, glass knobs, door plates, stops, strikes, mortises, etc. |
|
| 195.77 |
Various hardware not categorized and polishing cloths, aging solutions, etc. |
|
| $ | 1,873.70 | Hardware Total |
HVAC
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro |
5,677.00 |
New high-efficiency furnace and central air system |
| Pro | 2,550.00 | New duct work, bath exhaust fans (3), range hood, dryer exhaust |
| Pro | 646.00 | Unexpected: Moving furnace during phase 1 remodel |
| Pro | 335.00 | Unexpected: Relocate main hallway return register |
| Pro | 464.55 | System maintenance |
| $ | 9,672.55 | HVAC Total |
Insulation
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro |
5,680.00 |
Phase 1 wall and ceiling insulation to code for kitchen, basement, master/attic, dormer/staircases, main bath |
| DIY | 606.36 | Phase 1 replacement of old attic insulation and added extra insulation for sound-proofing (materials) |
| DIY | 386.34 | Phase 2 wall, ceiling and soundproofing insulation for dining room, living room and 2 bedrooms (materials) |
| $ | 6,672.70 | Insulation Total |
Kitchen Materials
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro |
10,200.00 |
Custom Douglas Fir Cabinets |
| DIY |
594.36 |
Custom stained glass (ordered online) and leaded glass supplies for cabinets (materials) |
| Pro | 4,486.94 | Stainless steel Maytag appliances: dishwasher, range, microwave, refrigerator |
| Pro | 3,496.00 | Kashmir White granite counter tops |
| DIY |
746.86 |
Pantry shelving, cupboard, stainless steel table and storage (materials) |
|
368.46 |
Apron-front sink | |
| 265.00 | Faucet | |
| 304.00 | Mobile island | |
| Lighting | ||
| $ | 20,461.62 | Kitchen Materials Total |
Landscaping
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DIY |
1,075.87 |
Plants, shrubs, mulch and assorted gardening items |
| $ | 1,075.87 | Lanscaping Total |
Laundry
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro |
835.53 |
GE Washer, Dryer and cords |
| DIY | 78.00 | Temporary laundry sink used during remodel |
| DIY | 130.56 | Basement bathroom laundry cabinetry (materials) |
| $ | 1,044.09 | Laundry Total |
Lighting
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 199.90 | Master bath sconces (2) | |
| $ | 199.90 | Master/Attic Subtotal |
| 172.60 | Basement bath 3-light vanity light | |
| 493.10 | Basement antique sconces and shades | |
| $ | 665.70 | Basement Subtotal |
| 890.05 | Kitchen lighting: 3-light pulley fixture, 1-light pulley fixture, 1-light fixture, pantry track light | |
| 205.35 | Main bath sconces (2) and salvaged deco fixture | |
| 287.27 | Dining room antique pan light and tiffany-style shades | |
| 631.44 | Living room antique 5-light pan chandelier and trumpet art glass shades, antique sconces and carnival glass shades (2) | |
| 140.06 | Main Bedroom (office) antique 3-light pan chandelier and shades | |
| 50.06 | Main Bedroom (guest room) antique fixture and shade | |
| 215.88 | Hall antique gaslight fixture and shades | |
| $ | 2,420.11 | Main Floor Subtotal |
| 214.98 | Exterior porch light and back door light | |
| $ | 214.98 | Exterior Subtotal |
| Pro |
741.80 |
Rewiring lights to UL standards |
| 65.86 | Work and temporary lights | |
| 123.13 | Light bulbs | |
| $ | 930.79 | Rewiring, etc. Subtotal |
| $ | 4,431.48 | Lighting Total |
Membership Fee
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4,990.00 | Direct Buy Membership Fee ALERT: Don’t bother, its not worth the hassle. |
|
| Pro | (3,450.00) | Direct-from-manufacturer savings. Note: We saved most on our appliance purchases that had a free home delivery special. Otherwise other items shipping and handling fees negate the overall savings. |
| $ | 1,540.00 | Membership Fee Total *Dave Ramsey would call this "Stupid Tax" |
Miscellaneous
| Cost | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 1,874.85 | Assorted supplies, nails, screws, bolts, gloves, goggles, etc. a.k.a. things not worth categorizing | |
| $ | 1,874.85 | Miscellaneous Total |
Painting, Interior
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DIY | 573.35 | Professional-grade paint sprayer, tips and supplies (materials) |
| (175.00) | Craigslist sale of paint sprayer | |
| DIY | 2,050.68 | Paint, samples, tape, drop cloths, assorted supplies (materials) |
| $ | 2,449.03 | Painting, Interior Total |
Plans & Permits
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 3,700.00 | Drafting and design blueprints |
| Pro | 2,419.17 | Residential building permit fees, required second sink covenant |
| $ | 6,119.17 | Plans & Permits Total |
Pest Control
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 444.60 | Spray for silverfish in basement, mouse baits Note this was necessary due to previous owner’s wood pile in basement |
| Pro | 479.00 | Attic squirrel trapping and wire screen installation to keep them out of vented area between dormer and roof |
| $ | 923.60 | Pest Control Total |
Plumbing
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro |
17,890.00 |
Plumbing rough-in and final installation |
| Pro | 960.00 | Unexpected: Install backflow device per city inspector demand |
| Pro | 885.00 | Unexpected: Reroute kitchen drain around outside wall to plumbing stack per city inspector demand |
| DIY | 278.35 | Miscellaneous repair-related items (most pre-remodel) |
| $ | 20,013.35 | Plumbing Total |
Roof
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 6,155.00 | New sheathing and 30-year shingles after complete tear off |
| Pro | 945.00 | Dormer addition roof installation |
| $ | 7,100.00 | Roof Total |
Sewer
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 2,600.00 | Unexpected: Replaced sewer line from street to porch by order of city inspector because of "increased load on the old line." |
| Pro | 1,900.00 | Unexpected: Cut trench in basement floor and run new sewer line in basement |
| $ | 4,500.00 | Sewer Total |
Tile
| Who | Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pro |
2,955.95 |
Basement bath tile installation |
| 619.99 | Basement bath, back door landing earth-gauged slate and glass tile (materials) | |
| Pro | 1,312.00 | Master bath tile installation |
| 900.00 | Master bath Carrara marble basketweave tile (materials) | |
| Pro | 4,520.67 | Main bath tile installation |
| 490.17 | Main bath subway tile, accent tile, black liner tile (materials) | |
| Pro | Kitchen backsplash installation (barter worth $463) | |
| 606.60 | Kitchen salvaged subway tile, art nouveau reproduction tiles, cinnamon slice liner tile (materials) | |
| Pro | 440.00 | Back door slate tile landing installation |
| $ | 11,845.38 | Tile Total |
Tools
| Cost | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 666.55 | Various tools including saws, drills, air compressor, nail guns, stapler, etc. | |
| $ | 666.55 | Tools Total |
Windows
| Cost | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Pro |
4,349.45 |
Marvin wood windows for basement and dormer (materials) Window installation (see Carpentry) |
|
210.00 |
Stained glass rose windows (2) for master bedroom and porch decor (materials) | |
| DIY |
229.96 |
Screen and screen kits (materials) |
| DIY |
195.59 |
Bronze weatherstripping (materials) |
| DIY | 193.89 | Glazing supplies and replacement glass for repairs (materials) |
| DIY | 304.20 | Roller shades for main floor windows (materials) |
| $ | 5,504.04 | Windows Total |
Wood Refinishing
| Cost | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | 4,070.00 | Dipping fees for doors, salvaged trim and a few windows |
| Pro | 2,880.00 | Contractor cost to strip built-ins, fireplace mantle, windows and door frames on main floor |
| DIY | 599.45 | Silent Paint Remover and scrapers |
|
(300.00) |
Silent Paint Remover and scrapers sold at end of project | |
| DIY |
3,512.68 |
Various stripping and sanding supplies, stain, rags, varnish and brushes (materials) |
| $ | 10,762.13 | Wood Refinishing Total |
Next up, we’ll go into more detail on HOW we paid for all this work with insane construction loans, HELOCs, previous home sale proceeds, and lots of income and overtime…
About author:
User Experience (UX) Design Consultant and Web Producer/Project Manager with an affinity for usable design, kittehs and cupcakes.
All entries by Dawn Peterson
5 Responses to “$257,000: Cost Breakdown”
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About Us
Dawn & Jeremy Peterson
Rose City Park,
Portland, Oregon
1914 craftsman bungalow project began in 2007
with no end in sightRetail Therapy
- Antique Lamp Supply
- Architects & Heroes Lighting
- Bright Spot Lighting
- Clawfoot Classics
- Craftsman Homes Connection
- Designer Plumbing Outlet
- Genuine Antique Lighting
- House of Antique Hardware
- Kilian Hardware
- Lightworks
- Middlefield Glass
- ReBuilding Center
- Rejuvenation
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- Schoolhouse Electric
- Trimbelle River Stencils
- VanDyke's Restorers
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- Vintage Home Lighting
This is very informative. Thanks so much for taking the time to pull it all together!
This comment really seemed to be a good summary: “When you look at it that way, $257K doesn’t sound as insane to build a basically-new house with historical charm.”
I guess the bottem line is comparing that total to the original cost of the house and the value of the comps today.
I think you guys got an amazing amount of work done for your money spent. We blew through $257K a while ago, though we are doing the exterior too.
I stumbled upon your site and I love it! This page is so helpful for considering the costs of building from the bones up. My house in Portland is in dire need of repair, and its worth noting what i am in for.I actually think you saved quite a bit by having friends help as well as the things you guys did. nice work!
Thank you for all your hard work in sharing this information.
OMG. You are AWESOME. Thank you so much for sharing. Congrats. Your home is amazing.