Most remodeling advice is inherited wisdom: kitchens sell houses, bathrooms pay for themselves, solar panels are an investment. The Cost vs. Value Report – which prices 28 real remodeling projects and measures how much of their cost comes back at resale across 119 US markets – keeps proving most of that wisdom wrong. The projects that pay you back are rarely the ones contractors upsell, and the gap between the best and worst use of money is more than 13-to-1.
Here is what the latest national averages show, and the three patterns that explain every number.
The Scoreboard: Best and Worst Projects by Money Recouped
| Best payers | Job cost | Resale value | Cost recouped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garage door replacement | $4,672 | $12,507 | 268% |
| Entry door (steel) | $2,435 | $5,270 | 216% |
| Manufactured stone veneer | $11,702 | $24,328 | 208% |
| Siding, fiber-cement | $21,485 | $24,420 | 114% |
| Minor kitchen remodel (midrange) | $28,458 | $32,141 | 113% |
| Worst payers | Job cost | Resale value | Cost recouped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary suite addition (upscale) | $351,613 | $63,136 | 18% |
| Major kitchen remodel (upscale) | $164,104 | $58,561 | 36% |
| Solar power installation | $55,937 | $16,625 | 30% |
| Bathroom addition (upscale) | $111,255 | $40,526 | 36% |
| Backyard patio | $51,454 | $23,672 | 46% |
Pattern 1: Cheap, Visible, Exterior Wins
The podium is all curb appeal, and it is not close. A garage door replacement costs under $4,700 and returns $12,500 at sale – 268%. A steel entry door costs $2,435 and returns $5,270. Manufactured stone veneer on the front facade triples its cost. The logic is appraisal mechanics: buyers and appraisers price the whole house from the first 30 seconds, and these projects transform that first impression for a few thousand dollars. Nothing inside the house moves the number at this ratio.
Pattern 2: Midrange Beats Upscale – Every Single Time
Wherever the report prices the same project in two tiers, the midrange version wins by a mile:
- Kitchen: minor midrange remodel recoups 113%; a major midrange remodel ($82,793) recoups 51%; the upscale version recoups 36%.
- Bath: midrange remodel recoups 80%; the upscale version recoups 42%.
- Windows: upscale vinyl windows recoup 76%; upscale wood windows 70%.
The reason is consistent: custom and luxury finishes price the house above its neighborhood ceiling, and appraisers value a house against comparables – not against the quality of its faucets. Buyers pay for “updated”, not for “bespoke”. If you remodel, remodel to the level of the street you live on.
Pattern 3: Additions and Big Systems Lose Money by Design
Every project that adds square footage or heavy infrastructure sits at the bottom: bathroom additions (53%), basement remodels (71% – respectable but still a loss), primary suite additions (32-18%), and backyard patios (46%). Solar power recoups just 30% – buyers love cheap electricity, but they discount a system they cannot take with them and often inherit a lease. These projects buy daily quality of life, which is a legitimate reason to do them – just not a financial one.
The Middle Tier, If You Need the Work Anyway
Necessary maintenance projects land mid-pack, which matters when something is already broken: a wood deck addition recoups 95%, a backup generator 95%, asphalt shingle roofing 68% (metal only 50% – the upcharge never returns), and an HVAC electrification conversion 72%. When the roof has to be replaced, the number is what it is; when you are choosing between asphalt and metal purely for resale, the data says keep the difference.
The Bottom Line
If your goal is resale value, the 2020s playbook is unglamorous: fresh garage door, steel front door, stone or new siding on the front face, and a modest midrange kitchen refresh – and stop there. If your goal is living well, build the addition and go solar with your eyes open. The only expensive mistake is paying addition prices while believing you are making an investment.
Working on the shell first? Our guides to weather-resistant siding options and common roofing mistakes cover the exterior projects above, and the home construction primer explains what goes on behind the walls. More resale-side analysis sits in our home design reference section.