CostOfCity

Home Service Costs Across America (2026)

From roof replacements to kitchen remodels, home service costs vary dramatically by city. We track 10 major home improvement categories across 300 US cities using federal data and industry surveys.

10
Service Categories
300
Cities Covered
3,000
City-Service Pages

What Drives Home Service Costs?

Home improvement costs are shaped by four primary factors: local labor rates (which correlate with the city's overall cost index), material availability (shipping distance to supply warehouses), permit and inspection fees (which vary by municipality), and seasonal demand (spring and summer drive prices up 10-20% in most markets).

Unlike many cost-of-living metrics, home service prices can vary 50-200% between cities for identical work. A roof replacement that costs $7,000 in Houston may cost $18,000 in San Francisco — driven not by material differences, but by labor rates, code requirements, and contractor density.

10 Home Service Categories

Where Home Services Cost Most (and Least)

Quick Cost Lookup by City

Click any service to see the full 300-city ranking with detailed cost breakdowns.

CityRoof ReplacementHVACPlumbingElectrical WorkKitchen Remodel
New York$20,688+136%$15,941+120%$646+106%$710+103%$75,281+151%
Los Angeles$16,797+92%$13,643+88%$587+88%$630+80%$57,992+93%
Chicago$10,665+22%$6,777-7%$348+11%$452+29%$32,576+9%
Houston$8,7780%$6,206-14%$327+4%$336-4%$33,182+11%
Phoenix$7,962-9%$6,701-8%$266-15%$395+13%$31,468+5%
Philadelphia$10,586+21%$7,2550%$386+23%$417+19%$25,608-15%
San Antonio$5,806-34%$4,454-39%$279-11%$368+5%$18,676-38%
San Diego$16,778+92%$13,025+80%$491+57%$590+69%$51,420+71%
Dallas$7,640-13%$8,371+15%$288-8%$420+20%$29,694-1%
San Jose$22,298+155%$18,399+154%$657+110%$884+153%$71,804+139%
Austin$8,112-7%$8,604+19%$388+24%$382+9%$33,866+13%
Fort Worth$7,471-15%$7,539+4%$283-10%$263-25%$30,704+2%

About This Data

Data Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Expenditure Survey, Census Bureau American Community Survey, HUD Fair Market Rent data, and regional industry surveys.

Methodology: National average costs are adjusted by each city's cost-of-living index to produce local estimates. Ranges represent the 25th to 75th percentile of typical project costs.

Limitations: These are estimated ranges, not guaranteed quotes. Actual costs depend on project scope, material choices, contractor availability, and local code requirements. Emergency and luxury work may exceed these ranges.

Last Updated: March 2026 · Confidence: Medium — costs are model-derived from national data adjusted by local indices, not direct local surveys.

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