The Remodels That Actually Pay You Back: What the Cost vs. Value Data Shows
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% |