How Much Does It Really Cost?
Honest, research-backed cost guides for US homeowners. Every guide shows the national average, the real price range, what drives the final bill — and cites the published sources behind every figure. No invented prices. No sponsored rankings.
Why home-service prices are so confusing
Ask three contractors what a job costs and you will hear three different numbers — sometimes thousands of dollars apart. That is not always dishonesty. Home-service pricing genuinely depends on your home's age and layout, your region's labor rates, the materials you choose, local permit rules, and how urgent the job is. A water heater swap in a cramped Ohio basement is a different job than the same swap in a California garage with new earthquake-strap codes.
The problem is that most homeowners walk into that conversation with no anchor at all — no sense of what the job should cost. That is what these guides fix. Each one gives you the national average, the realistic range, the line items inside the quote (labor, materials, permits, disposal), and the questions that separate an honest contractor from an expensive lesson. When you know the numbers before anyone rings your doorbell, you negotiate from strength.
Cost guides by trade
70 in-depth guides across 5 home-service trades. Pick your project below.
Plumbing Costs
Plumbing cost guides for US homeowners: water heaters, sewer lines, repiping, and everyday plumbing jobs — national averages, price ranges, and the factors behind the final bill.…
Typical jobs: $1,347 · $2,400 · $1,350
Browse Plumbing guides →HVAC Costs
Residential HVAC — heating, ventilation, and air conditioning — covers every system that keeps a home's air at livable temperature and quality. On the heating side, that means gas, electric, and oil furnaces, boilers, an…
Typical jobs: $4,800 · $376 · $4,800
Browse HVAC guides →Roofing Costs
Roofing cost guides for US homeowners: full replacements, repairs, and every major roofing material — national averages, per-square-foot pricing, and cost factors.…
Typical jobs: $10,500 · $10,500 · $11,000
Browse Roofing guides →Water Damage Costs
Water damage cost guides for US homeowners: restoration, mold remediation, basement waterproofing, and cleanup — national averages, price ranges, and what drives the bill.…
Typical jobs: $3,000 · $2,200 · $2,368
Browse Water Damage guides →Windows Costs
Window cost guides for US homeowners: full replacement, installation, and repair — national averages, per-window pricing, and material cost factors.…
Typical jobs: $850 per window · $850 per window · $650 per window installed
Browse Windows guides →Most-searched cost guides
The guides US homeowners look up most — start here if you're budgeting a project.
Window Replacement: Complete 2026 Guide
Avg: $850 per window
Water Heater Replacement Cost (2026)
Avg: $1,347
Tankless Water Heater Cost (2026)
Avg: $2,400
Roof Replacement Cost (2026): Full Breakdown
Avg: $10,500
How Much Does a New Roof Cost? (2026)
Avg: $10,500
New Furnace Cost (2026): Installed Guide
Avg: $4,800
New Roof Cost: What a New Roof Costs in 2026
Avg: $11,000
How our cost data works
Four steps stand behind every dollar figure on this site. If a number can't survive all four, it doesn't get published.
Collect published data
We start from contractor surveys and cost databases — Angi, HomeAdvisor, HomeGuide, Fixr, This Old House — never from thin air.
Cross-check conflicts
When sources disagree, we publish the wider range and say so, instead of picking the number that looks tidiest.
Break it into line items
Labor, materials, permits, disposal — shown separately, so you can see exactly where your money goes.
Show regional reality
Every guide includes state-by-state variation, because a national average alone can mislead by thousands.
From guide to quote in one call
Reading a guide tells you what the job should cost. But your home is specific — its age, its layout, your local codes. That's why every guide ends with a free-quote call option: one call connects you with a local, licensed pro who prices your job, not a national average. The call is free, there's no obligation, and you'll know within minutes whether the numbers you read here match your reality. It also keeps this site free — our partners pay us a referral fee when calls come through, which never changes the prices in our guides.
Our commitments to you
- Every figure cited. Sources are listed at the bottom of every guide.
- No invented prices. If published data is thin, we say so and widen the range.
- No paid placements. Contractors can't buy a better review or a lower price on this site.
- Written for homeowners, not algorithms. Real methods, real materials, real processes — trade by trade.