How we estimate home project costs
Every Costadia figure is a localized projection, not a quote. We start from a researched national price range for each project, then adjust it for the place you actually live — because the same furnace or roof costs very differently in Manhattan than in rural Texas.
How the estimate is calculated
1. National base range
Each project starts with a low–high national cost range anchored to published industry, contractor and manufacturer pricing for the equipment plus typical installation labor.
2. Local labor adjustment (BLS wages + BEA RPP)
The labor share is priced from real metro trade wages — BLS OEWS mean wages for the construction trades (e.g. HVAC mechanics) where available, falling back to the BEA Regional Price Parity index elsewhere. Both are government-published.
3. Climate adjustment (IECC)
Equipment sizing and efficiency expectations shift by climate zone (cold / mixed / hot), so a furnace in a cold zone and an AC in a hot zone are weighted accordingly.
4. Permits & fees
Where a building permit is typically required for the work, an estimated local permit cost is added and called out separately.
5. Incentives — only when real
Federal credits (IRS 25C / 25D) are shown only for projects that genuinely qualify. We never invent city-specific rebate names or amounts.
Where our numbers come from
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — OEWS metro wages
Metro-level mean wages for the construction trades (e.g. HVAC mechanics, 49-9021) — the labor portion of every estimate is priced from real local trade wages.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) — Regional Price Parities
State and metro labor-cost indices that localize every national range to where the work actually happens.
IECC / DOE Climate Zones
Climate-zone classification (cold / mixed / hot) that adjusts equipment sizing and efficiency requirements.
IRS — Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) & Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D)
Federal tax-credit figures, shown only where the project genuinely qualifies (HVAC, insulation, windows, heat-pump water heaters).
DSIRE — Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
Cross-check for the existence of state and utility incentive programs.
Industry cost data
Published contractor and manufacturer pricing used to anchor the national base range for each project.
How Costadia Editorial works
Costadia content is produced and maintained by Costadia Editorial, our in-house research desk. Estimates are generated by a transparent, documented cost model — not hand-typed guesses and not contractor advertising.
Our standards:
- Every figure is a planning estimate, clearly labeled “not a quote.”
- We cite the authoritative data behind each adjustment (BEA, IECC, IRS, DSIRE).
- We never publish fabricated reviews, ratings or fake star scores.
- Pages carry a visible last-updated date and are refreshed as cost data changes.
- We disclose when a project does not qualify for an incentive, rather than implying one exists.
About the editor
Serhat Özçelik
Founder & Editor, Costadia
Serhat Özçelik founded Costadia and designed its cost model. Rather than reprint contractor averages, he built a transparent method that localizes national project costs with BEA Regional Price Parities, BLS metro wage data and IECC climate zones — so every city page shows a real, reproducible estimate with its sources cited.
He reviews the methodology and data sources behind each category and refreshes the figures as the underlying public datasets are updated. Every page is a planning estimate, clearly labeled “not a quote.”
Found something that looks off, or have better local data? Browse cities to see how estimates change across the country — corrections and improvements are a continuous part of how we work.