HomeTrueCost

HomeTrueCost · Verified estimates

How much does this home project cost where you live?

Ten calculators with itemized, location-priced receipts — labor, materials, permits, plus 10% contingency. Every figure dated, sourced, and linked. Free, no email wall.

calculators
10
calculators
states priced
50
states priced
lines per receipt
4
lines per receipt

Example receipt

Verified 2026-09

Roofing · 2,000 sqft · TX · Mid-grade

Labor$5,580
Materials$4,320
Permits$315
Subtotal + 10% contingency$1,532
Total$16,851
Run your own numbers →

The ledger

Ten projects, priced honestly

Typical totals shown for Texas mid-grade reference specs — yours adjusts by state, size, and tier.

Method in three moves

From project to receipt

  1. 1

    Describe it

    Size, scope, and quality tier — the inputs that actually move contractor bids.

  2. 2

    Price it locally

    BLS trade wages and BEA price parities re-price the base spec for your state.

  3. 3

    Check the math

    Every line cites its source and date. Methodology open, assumptions labeled.

Read the full methodology →

Coming at launch

The Quarterly Cost Index

One report tracking all ten projects across all fifty states — built for journalists, buyers, and anyone timing a renovation. Free, citable, dated.

How we build it
50
states tracked
10
projects
4
updates a year
0
paywalls

Never overpay for timing

Cost alerts, only when prices move

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Straight answers

Asked at every kitchen table

Where do the numbers come from?

BLS occupational wages for labor, BEA regional price parities for materials, and state-indexed permit allowances — computed against a documented base spec per project. Zonda Cost vs Value is used only as a calibration boundary, never reproduced.

Is this a contractor quote?

No. These are planning estimates from public data with stated assumptions — not bids and not professional advice. Always collect three itemized local bids before deciding.

Why does my state change the price so much?

Roofer wages run from 0.82× to 1.28× the national average by state, and permit fees vary even more. Location is the single biggest lever after project size.

Is HomeTrueCost free?

Yes. Every calculator is free with no email wall. Cost alerts are optional and double opt-in.