What Does a Whole-House Remodel Cost in Austin?
Published October 21, 2026
A whole-house remodel in Austin costs about $100,000 to $500,000. That range has three tiers: about $100,000 to $150,000, $150,001 to $250,000, and $250,001 to $500,000. How long it takes depends on how much of the house you change, and you get a start date in your written plan. These are estimates, not a quote. Your home's size and your scope set the real number.
What does a whole-house remodel cost in Austin?
Most whole-house remodels in Austin land between $100,000 and $500,000, in three price tiers. Where yours lands depends on how much of the house you change.
| Tier | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Budget | $100,000 to $150,000 |
| Midrange | $150,001 to $250,000 |
| Premium | $250,001 to $500,000 |
"Whole house" covers a lot of ground. For one family it means new floors, paint, kitchen and baths in a house that stays the same shape. For another it means gutting the inside to the studs and moving walls. Those two jobs can both be called a whole-house remodel and still cost very different amounts.
Is $100,000 enough to renovate a house?
It can be. $100,000 is the low end of the budget range, which runs about $100,000 to $150,000. Where your project lands in the full range depends on scope: cosmetic work costs less than moving walls, rewiring or replumbing. An itemized quote shows what your number covers.
How much does it cost to renovate a 1,500 or 2,000 sq ft house?
Size alone cannot price a 1,500 or 2,000 sq ft house. Size sets how much of everything you buy. A bigger house has more floor, more walls to finish, more windows, more lights and more fixtures. If you change every room, a larger home costs more than a smaller one at the same finish level.
But size is only the starting point. A smaller home where you move walls, rewire and replumb can cost more than a larger home where you mostly refinish. Before you compare your house to anyone else's, write down which rooms you are changing and how deep the work goes in each one.
What makes a whole-house remodel cost more?
Scope is what pushes the price: how many rooms, and how deep you go in each. These choices move the price:
- Moving or removing walls. An open plan often means taking out a wall. If it holds up the roof or a floor, it needs a beam. Read about load-bearing wall removal before you plan an open layout.
- New wiring. An older house may need new circuits or a bigger panel to carry today's kitchen, HVAC and lighting.
- New plumbing. Moving a kitchen or bath, or replacing old supply and drain lines, adds a trade to every room it touches.
- Foundation work. If the floors are out of level or the slab has moved, that gets fixed before the finish work goes on top.
- Finish level. Cabinets, counters, tile, flooring and fixtures run from plain to custom, in every room.
- Changes after work starts. Switching materials or moving a wall mid-job ripples through the framing, the trades and the schedule. Changes made after demo cost more than changes made on paper.
What hidden costs show up once the walls are open?
The surprises in a whole-house remodel are usually behind the drywall. Old wiring that has to be replaced, plumbing that was failing out of sight, water damage, mold and rot all tend to show up only once walls come down. Older homes carry more of this risk.
You cannot price what nobody can see yet. So keep a contingency fund on top of your quote, set aside only for what turns up after demo. It is also why an itemized quote matters so much. When each part of the job has its own line, you can see what a surprise changes and what it does not.
How long does a whole-house remodel take?
It depends on your scope. A refresh that keeps every wall where it is moves faster than a gut job that moves walls and replaces the wiring and plumbing. Your written proposal should give you a clear scope and a start date, and you should ask for the key dates in between: demo, rough-in inspections, cabinets and the final walkthrough.
Can I live in my house during a whole-house remodel?
Some families stay, and many move out for part of it. If the work touches the kitchen, the baths, the power or the water all at once, you will likely want to stay somewhere else for those weeks. If you stay, plan for dust, noise and days without a working kitchen or bath.
Can I remodel my house in phases?
Yes. Doing the house in phases lets you spread the cost over time and keep part of the home livable. The tradeoff is planning. Pick your finishes and your layout for the whole house up front, so the rooms you do later match the rooms you do first.
Do I need a permit for a whole-house remodel?
Usually, but which office you deal with, and whether you need one at all, depends on your lot, not your ZIP code. One ZIP around 78737 can hold City of Austin lots, Dripping Springs lots and county lots. Check your address on the county's jurisdiction map first.
City of Austin. Residential Plan Review covers interior remodels and additions. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are separate.
Unincorporated Travis County. A remodel permit needs a site plan, a floor plan, your TCAD legal description and an estimated cost. If your house is on septic, you need a septic permit that supports the remodel. When a builder's work raises your home's square footage or value by 50%, the county requires third-party inspections of the foundation, the framing and mechanical work, and the final.
Unincorporated Hays County. Interior work outside the floodplain does not need a county development permit. Adding square footage may need one, and adding bedrooms can mean a bigger septic system.
What does a real whole-house remodel look like?
The Round Rock French Country Remodel is a full home remodel in Round Rock. The finished home has exposed wood beams, custom millwork, a kitchen with a farmhouse sink and marble countertops, arched doorways and wide-plank hardwood floors. Outside, it got a flagstone patio and French doors to the garden. It shows what "whole house" means when every room and the yard are in the plan.
What is the next step?
Get a number for your house, not an average. You get a free on-site walkthrough, you work directly with the owner on site, and you get an itemized quote with final pricing. Start on the whole-home renovation page. For planning ideas, read about whole-home renovation. Pricing a kitchen or an ADU too? See what a remodel costs in Austin and the Hill Country, project by project.