How this is calculated
- % recouped. The Zonda/JLC 2025 Cost vs Value Report surveys real-estate
professionals across 119 US markets and pairs their resale-value estimates with Verisk/XactRemodel
national cost data for each of dozens of standard project scopes. "% recouped" is the share of a
project's cost that shows up as added home value at resale:
value added = cost × (% recouped ÷ 100). - Net cost.
net cost = cost − value added. For most projects this is positive — you spend more than you get back at sale. For a handful of high-return exterior projects (garage doors, steel entry doors, fiber-cement siding) the value added estimate exceeds the cost, so net cost comes out negative — shown here as an estimated net gain, not clamped to zero. - Value added vs. home value.
% of home value = value added ÷ current home value. This is context only — home value doesn't change the recoup math, it just shows how big the estimated value-add is relative to what your home is worth today.
This is a national average, not your address. The report itself breaks results out by 119 individual metro markets because recoup swings widely by region, home price tier, and how a project compares to the rest of the neighborhood. Treat every number on this page as directional — for a number specific to your ZIP code, ask a local real-estate agent or appraiser.
Two figures on this page are flagged as softer than the rest: the primary suite addition's % recouped is a midpoint we built from a cited range of 32%–60% — secondary sources disagree on the report's own figure for this project, so there's no single consensus number to show; and the bathroom remodel/addition costs are proxied from typical market cost data, not itemized directly from the report excerpt we had access to. Every other figure on this page ties directly to a number printed in the report.
All 13 projects compared
| Project | Typical cost | % recouped | Value added | Net cost |
|---|
* = figure carries a flag noted in the methodology above (proxied cost or synthesized midpoint).
Frequently asked questions
What does "% recouped" mean?
It's the share of a project's cost that a typical home is estimated to gain in resale value. If a $10,000 project recoups 90%, the report estimates the home sells for about $9,000 more than it would have without the project — so the homeowner's net cost is closer to $1,000, not $10,000. Recoup can exceed 100% for a few high-return projects like garage doors and steel entry doors, meaning the estimated value added is larger than the project's cost.
Is this guaranteed?
No. These are national averages from real-estate professionals surveyed for one report, not an appraisal or a resale contract. Your actual recoup depends on your local market, the quality of the work, how the project compares to neighboring homes, and buyer taste at the time you sell. Treat every number here as a directional estimate, not a promise.
Which projects have the best ROI?
In the 2025 report, smaller exterior projects lead: garage door replacement (~268% recouped), steel entry door replacement (~216%), and fiber-cement siding (~114%) all recoup more than they cost, on paper. Large interior projects like primary suite additions and major kitchen remodels typically recoup 50% or less — they can still be worth doing for your own enjoyment, just not as a pure resale investment.
Does location matter?
A great deal. The Cost vs Value Report itself breaks results out by 119 individual US markets because recoup percentages vary widely by region — coastal and high-demand metros often recoup more on interior remodels, while cost-conscious markets favor exterior curb-appeal projects. This calculator uses the national blended average; for your ZIP code, a local real-estate agent or appraiser will have a far more precise number.
This calculator provides estimates only. Actual resale value varies by market, home condition, renovation quality, and buyer preferences — consult a local real-estate professional before relying on these numbers for a financial decision. This is not financial, real-estate, or investment advice, and not an appraisal.