Free US building cost calculator · beta
Plan a US building budget in dollars and square feet.
Proper Job calculates an early range for common residential work from the project, area, state, finish, scope and material cost drivers. It returns a four-part budget breakdown, assumptions, exclusions and items to confirm.
Supported US work
Home additions, whole-home remodels, kitchen and bathroom remodels, attic and garage conversions, basement remodels, detached backyard offices or studios, and new-home construction.
What changes the range
The beta considers floor area, broad state region, finish, scope, access, primary construction and foundation. It can also account for occupied work, structural alterations, HVAC replacement, an electrical service upgrade, known hazardous-material remediation and climate or code requirements.
Where the numbers come from
The new-home baseline comes directly from NAHB's 2024 builder survey: an average construction cost of $428,215 for 2,647 finished square feet, about $162 per square foot, excluding land. Its published construction-stage shares inform the new-home breakdown.
BLS May 2025 construction wages inform the labour side of regional adjustment. BEA 2024 regional price parities provide a state price-level cross-check. Census Survey of Construction data checks new custom-home square-foot prices and regional differences; Census construction-spending data checks the direction of the residential improvement market but is not treated as a project rate.
Federal sources do not publish directly comparable national rates for a particular kitchen, bathroom, addition or conversion. Those categories therefore use wider Proper Job launch assumptions and are marked low-confidence beta rather than being presented as measured official rates.
How uncertainty is handled
The engine asks for the drivers relevant to the selected job. Confirmed access, construction, foundation, occupation, structural, HVAC, electrical, remediation and climate requirements affect the result only where they apply. An unanswered material driver is kept unknown and widens the upper range; it is never silently treated as “no”. The result lists applied drivers, unresolved drivers, evidence confidence, policy version and calculation time.
State pricing still uses broad launch regions. ZIP-to-metro and nonmetro wage calibration and completed-project validation remain to be added, so every result remains an early beta budget rather than a contractor quote.
Questions
Is the US guide price free?
Yes. Proper Job's US Guide Price beta and scenario comparisons are free and repeatable.
What can it price?
The beta supports home additions, whole-home remodels, kitchens, bathrooms, attic and garage conversions, basement remodels, detached backyard studios and new-home construction.
Does it use one national cost per square foot?
No. Project type, size, state region, finish, scope, access, construction, foundation and known risk drivers affect the range.
Are taxes included?
No. Sales and use taxes are excluded because treatment varies by state, locality, contract and item.
Is this a contractor quote?
No. It is an early beta budget range. Local bids and confirmed drawings, specifications, permits and site conditions take precedence.
How do saved projects and drawings work?
Open and manage saved projects through your signed-in Proper Job account in the app or website. The conversation connection calculates from the project details you supply. Where drawing review is supported, your assistant can read attachments and pass structured quantities to Proper Job for checking and pricing.