What Does a Full Home Renovation Actually Cost in Dallas? An Honest Guide

The most common thing we hear from Dallas homeowners who have been through a renovation is some version of the same sentence: I wish someone had told me that earlier.

What they usually mean is the money. Not because the final number was necessarily wrong, but because they did not have a realistic picture of what they were getting into at the beginning. This guide is an attempt to give you that picture honestly.

Material costs, labor costs, and the complexity of permitting in certain Dallas neighborhoods have all shifted significantly. What a kitchen renovation cost in 2019 is not what it costs today. As a general framework, a high-end kitchen renovation in University Park or Highland Park typically runs between $150,000 and $400,000 depending on scope, custom cabinetry, and appliances. A primary bathroom renovation in the same neighborhoods runs between $80,000 and $200,000 at the luxury end. A complete home renovation of a 4,000 square foot home in Preston Hollow can easily reach $500,000 to $1.5 million depending on what is being changed structurally and how much is being done to finishes throughout.

These are not numbers designed to intimidate. They are numbers designed to give you a realistic starting point so you do not begin a process without understanding what it requires.

This surprises many first-time renovation clients. Your interior designer charges a fee for their time and expertise, which is separate from what you pay for materials, furniture, and construction. Design fees in Dallas typically run between 15 and 30 percent of the overall project cost for full service, or some designers charge a flat fee by room or by project scope. Before you sign with a designer, make sure you understand exactly what the design fee covers and what the estimated total project investment looks like with everything included.

Changing a plumbing location after the walls are open costs dramatically more than deciding on it before construction starts. Changing a tile selection after it has been ordered usually means eating the cost of the original order. The homeowners who come in on budget are almost always the ones who made decisions early, in partnership with their designer, before anything was built or ordered. The ones who go over budget are usually the ones who kept changing their minds mid-construction — not because they were difficult, but because they were not fully guided through the decision-making process before the build started.

Ask them to walk you through exactly how decisions get made and when. Ask what happens when something is discontinued or backordered. Ask how changes are handled mid-project and what they cost. Ask whether they have handled projects at your scope and in your neighborhood before. And ask them to be honest with you about whether your budget is realistic for what you are describing. A great designer will tell you the truth. A less experienced one will tell you what you want to hear.

Need help figuring out where to start? Design List Dallas exists for exactly this moment. We can help you understand what your project realistically requires and match you with the professionals who have done it before at your level and in your neighborhood. Download our free guide or tell us about your project and we will help you find the right fit.