US Home Improvement Costs Rise 76% in Decade

A LendingTree analysis found that the inflation-adjusted median cost of a U.S. home-improvement project climbed 76.1% from 2015 to 2025, reaching $2,113, as higher labor and building costs added pressure. Routine maintenance averaged $1,433 a year, but costs were higher for homes built before 1940 and much lower for homes built in 2022–23. Professional projects had a median cost of $4,103, compared with $845 for do-it-yourself work. Some homeowners are choosing renovations over moving, partly to avoid giving up low mortgage rates for more expensive financing.