Home Improvement Cost Statistics 2026

Key statistics on what US home projects cost in 2026, drawn from HomeCostLens's locally-adjusted cost dataset (13 projects, 100 metros, built from BEA, BLS, Census, NOAA, FEMA, and EIA data — full method on How We Estimate). Each statistic stands alone and may be cited with credit and a link.

National project costs (2026)

• The average US roof replacement costs $11,000 in 2026, with most homeowners paying $9,000–$18,000.
• Typical roof repairs run $1,150 nationally ($400–$3,000).
• Central AC installation averages $7,500 ($5,000–$12,500).
• A furnace replacement averages $5,500; a full heat-pump installation $6,500.
• Water heater installation averages $1,800; a whole-house repipe $6,000.
• General pest control service averages $400 per treatment plan; termite treatment $1,200.
• A residential solar installation averages $22,000 before incentives; window replacement $9,500 for a typical whole-home project.

Regional differences

• The same home project costs up to 37% more in the most expensive US metro (San Francisco, CA) than the least expensive (McAllen, TX).
• A roof replacement that costs $9,470 in McAllen costs $13,000 in San Francisco — a $3,530 difference for the same project.
• 38 of the 100 largest US metros have home-project costs above the national average.
• San Francisco prices home projects at 118% of the national average; McAllen at 86%. (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023.)

Affordability: cost vs. local income

• Measured against local median household income, a new roof is hardest to afford in Miami, FL, where it costs the equivalent of 9 weeks of income.
• The same roof costs only 4 weeks of income in San Jose, CA — the most affordable big metro relative to earnings.
• 35 of the 100 largest metros require 8+ weeks of median household income to pay for an average roof replacement.
• Full rankings: 2026 Home Project Cost Index.

Solar economics (post-federal-credit)

• The federal 30% residential solar credit (Section 25D) expired December 31, 2025; 2026 buyers pay full price unless state or utility incentives apply.
• A typical 6 kW system pays for itself fastest in Bakersfield, CA (~7 years), driven by 32.54¢/kWh electricity.
• The slowest big-metro payback is Seattle, WA (~29 years), where cheap power (13.11¢/kWh) undercuts the savings.
• The same 6 kW system generates 10,986 kWh/year in the sunniest major metro vs 6,528 kWh/year in the least sunny (NLR PVWatts).

Housing age & repair demand

• The oldest housing stock among major metros is in Buffalo, NY, where the median home was built in 1957 and 66% of homes predate 1970.
• The newest is Austin, TX (median year built 2000).
• 24 of the 100 largest metros have a majority of homes built before 1970 — prime candidates for repipes, rewiring, and roof-deck repairs. (Census ACS.)

Price trends

• Roof replacement costs rose about 3.2% year-over-year into 2026 (BLS PPI-anchored); roof repair ~4%.
• AC installation costs are up ~4.9%, driven by the A2L refrigerant transition and equipment prices.
• Water-heater installation is among the fastest-rising projects at ~9.4% year-over-year.
• Full project-by-project trajectories: 2026 Cost Trends.

Sources & citation

Statistics computed from the HomeCostLens cost model: researched national baselines × BEA Regional Price Parities, with Census ACS incomes and housing age, EIA electricity rates, NLR PVWatts solar production, and BLS PPI trend anchors. Method: How We Estimate. Cite freely with credit — “HomeCostLens” linked to this page. Custom statistics for your market: press@homecostlens.com.