Rental Property Rehab Budget Calculator
Rehab budget is the single biggest variable in BRRRR investing — under-estimating wrecks the deal. This calculator uses 2026 RSMeans-aligned per-square-foot rehab benchmarks across light, medium, and heavy renovation tiers.
Renovation Tier Definitions
Light cosmetic: paint, flooring, fixtures, cabinet fronts — no mechanicals. Medium update: kitchen and bath remodel, some mechanicals, flooring throughout. Heavy gut: full HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roof, structural — typical for distressed BRRRR targets.
Why Contingency Matters
BRRRR investors who skip contingency average 22% budget overruns according to BiggerPockets 2024 survey data. 15% contingency is the standard floor. 20% is safer for first-time investors or pre-1960 properties with unknown mechanical condition.
How To Get Real Bids
Three-bid rule: get bids from at least three licensed contractors before committing. Use this calculator output as a sanity check, not the final budget. RSMeans construction cost data updates quarterly and remains the industry-standard benchmark.
Source: RSMeans Construction Cost Data 2026, BiggerPockets BRRRR Investor Survey. Last updated: May 2026.