Renovation ROI Calculator

Calculate the return on investment for home renovation projects. Compare renovation cost to value added and see how much you'll recoup.

This calculator compares what a renovation costs against how much it actually raises your home's resale value, expressed both as a Return on Investment percentage and as a Cost Recouped percentage. Return on Investment is Net Gain (Value Added minus Renovation Cost) divided by Renovation Cost, so an ROI of 0% means the renovation exactly paid for itself in added value, a positive ROI means the project added more value than it cost, and a negative ROI -- the outcome for most cosmetic and even most major renovations -- means part of the cost was a genuine expense rather than an investment that pays itself back at resale. Cost Recouped answers a closely related but distinct question: what percentage of the money spent shows up as added value, regardless of sign framing -- a renovation that adds $18,000 in value for a $25,000 cost recoups 72% of its cost, which corresponds to an ROI of -28% (you still lost 28 cents on every renovation dollar relative to what you spent, even though most of it came back). Current Home Value only affects New Home Value, the projected value after the renovation -- it has no effect on either ROI or Cost Recouped, since both of those figures are purely a function of what the renovation cost versus what value it added, not the home's starting price. Real estate industry surveys such as Zonda's annual Cost vs. Value report (formerly published by Remodeling Magazine) track this by project type, and the spread is wider than a single number: in the 2025 report, a minor/midrange kitchen remodel and a midrange bathroom remodel both recoup a large share of their cost -- minor kitchen updates were the only interior project to approach or cross 100% -- while a major or upscale kitchen or bathroom remodel typically recoups meaningfully less, often under half its cost. Exterior and curb-appeal projects consistently top the list: garage door replacement and manufactured stone veneer both recouped well over 200% of their cost in 2025, making them the standout performers, not an also-ran category.