Remodeling cost vs value: what comes back when you sell?

What Cost vs Value is, and which numbers apply here

Cost vs Value is an annual report that gives a job cost and a "percent recouped" for common remodeling projects. Recouped means the share of the job cost the report says comes back in the home's resale value. The 2025 report has a South Atlantic region column. That region covers Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and others.

We looked for Tampa-only numbers. The 2025 Tampa page on the report's website shows the same South Atlantic figures, not a separate Tampa set. So every number on this page is South Atlantic region, 2025, Cost vs Value report (Zonda, Remodeling magazine). Do not read it as a Tampa or Manatee County price.

The numbers, project by project

South Atlantic region, 2025, Cost vs Value report (Zonda, Remodeling magazine)

Project	Job cost	Recouped at resale
Bath remodel, midrange	$25,609	75.3%
Bath remodel, universal design	$41,203	61.5%
Bath remodel, upscale	$80,222	41.4%
Minor kitchen remodel, midrange	$28,567	109.2%
Major kitchen remodel, midrange	$81,076	50.2%
Major kitchen remodel, upscale	$161,511	35.5%
Bathroom addition, midrange	$59,039	51.4%
Primary suite addition, midrange	$165,012	35%
Window replacement, vinyl	$21,629	82.6%
Entry door replacement, steel	$2,398	219%
Garage door replacement	$5,126	227.7%
Backyard patio	$49,982	43.5%
Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)	$161,457	41.9%

The report lists many more projects. These are the ones that match what homeowners in our area ask us about most.

What the pattern says

Three things stand out in the South Atlantic 2025 rows.

• Small, visible jobs recoup the most. The steel entry door and the garage door are each reported above 200 percent. A minor kitchen remodel is reported above 100 percent.
• Going bigger recoups less. The midrange major kitchen is at 50.2 percent. The upscale major kitchen is at 35.5 percent.
• Additions sit near the bottom. A midrange primary suite addition is at 35 percent, and the upscale version is at 18.8 percent.

A number over 100 percent means the report puts the resale gain above what the job cost. A number under 100 percent means you spend more than the resale gain. That is not a bad deal by itself, as the next section explains.

What the percentages do not tell you

A percent recouped is an estimate for a project the report defines. It is not a promise for your street, your lot or the month you sell. It also counts only resale value.

It leaves out what you get while you live in the house: a bathroom that is safe to use, a kitchen that works for your family, a room for a parent, or a door and windows that hold up in a storm.

If you want the detail behind two of the biggest rows, read does a bathroom remodel add value and does a kitchen remodel add value.

How to use this when you plan a project

1. Decide why you are remodeling: to sell soon, to stay for years, or to fix a problem.
2. If you plan to stay, weigh comfort, safety and storm protection ahead of resale percentages.
3. If you plan to sell, ask a local real estate agent what buyers on your street pay for. The report cannot tell you that.
4. Set a budget with room for surprises. Our guide on how to budget for a remodel shows how.

For local price ranges on the two most common projects, see our guides to bathroom remodel cost and kitchen remodel cost.

Windows, doors and storm protection

The report also prices openings. Vinyl window replacement costs $21,629 and recoups 82.6 percent. Wood window replacement costs $26,445 and recoups 71.5 percent. The steel entry door costs $2,398 and recoups 219 percent. The report does not say these are impact-rated, so do not read them as impact window prices.

In Florida, windows and doors also do a storm job that a resale percentage does not show. Any insurance credit for impact windows is set by your insurer from a wind mitigation inspection (form OIR-B1-1802). We cannot promise a percentage or a dollar saving. See impact windows cost and insurance and entry door replacement cost.

How Hildebrand handles this kind of question

We do not quote from a report. Every job is priced after a free in-home visit, and you get a written estimate with no trip fee. One licensed contractor, Florida Certified Building Contractor license CBC1257253, runs the whole job. We pull the required permits and meet Florida Building Code inspections. See bathroom remodels, kitchen remodels and our process.

If you are not sure a project is worth it, we will talk it through with you. Call or text (941) 284-2218, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.

Questions homeowners ask