About HomeCostLens
HomeCostLens answers one question with unusual honesty: what does a home project actually cost where you live? We publish locally-adjusted cost guides for 13 projects across 6 trades in 100 US metros — every figure built from public, verifiable data rather than lead-generation guesswork.
Why this site exists
Most cost guides quote one national number for every city in America, even though the same roof legitimately costs thousands more in San Francisco than in Dayton. And most of them exist mainly to sell your phone number. We built HomeCostLens to do it differently: start from researched national averages, adjust them with the federal government's own regional price data, layer in local wages, climate, storm risk, housing age, and permit rules — and show our work on every page.
The full method, including every data source we use, is documented on How We Estimate. When we don't have good data for something, we say so rather than fill the gap with filler.
About the founder
Bill Hinson is the founder of Home Cost Lens LLC. The idea for HomeCostLens came from his own experience as a homeowner: getting contractor quotes for the same project that differed by thousands of dollars, with no trustworthy way to know what the job should cost in his city. He builds data-driven consumer research tools — alongside HomeCostLens he runs Lease Lantern, an affordable-housing research site covering 67,000+ properties nationwide, and Showfire Displays. You can find him on LinkedIn.
How we make money
Clearly-labeled display ads, referral fees if you choose to request contractor quotes, and affiliate links on some product mentions. None of it changes the numbers: cost figures come only from the data sources on our methodology page, and our research pages carry no quote forms at all. Estimates are informational — always get multiple written bids from licensed local contractors.
Contact
Corrections, questions, or data requests: editorial@homecostlens.com. Journalists: see our data and republishing terms or write to press@homecostlens.com.