Home remodels in Oro Valley and Catalina Foothills typically cost between $125 and $250 per square foot, but pricing depends heavily on the scope of work, the condition of your existing home, and the level of finishes you choose. Our base structural cost starts at $225,000. We require a minimum of 1,800 square feet for whole home remodel projects.
A whole home remodel is fundamentally different from remodeling a single room. You’re updating the entire house as one connected system — structure, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, finishes, and flow — all at once. This is the most complex residential project we do, and it requires detailed planning, experienced coordination, and a realistic budget.
Whole home remodeling is too complex for simple pricing tiers. Instead, your investment is built from a base structural cost plus the specific rooms, features, and finish levels you choose. Here’s how it breaks down.
Every whole home remodel starts with the structure — this is the foundation of everything else. The base structural cost covers the essential work required to bring your home’s bones up to modern standards.
A high end custom remodel includes a complete remodel of the exterior and interior of you home.
On top of the base structural work, each room in your home carries its own cost depending on what’s included:
| Room / Feature | Starting Cost | What Drives the Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Remodel | $55,000+ | Cabinetry (29% of kitchen budget alone), countertops, appliances, backsplash, lighting, plumbing fixtures. See our full kitchen pricing guide. |
| Bathroom Remodel | $35,000+ per bath | Tile, fixtures, vanity, glass enclosure, plumbing, waterproofing. See our full bathroom pricing guide. |
| Master Suite | $65,000–$130,000+ | Bedroom finishes plus full bathroom remodel, walk-in closet, upgraded lighting and flooring. |
| Flooring (whole home) | Varies by material | LVP is most cost-effective; porcelain tile is mid-range; hardwood and natural stone are premium. |
| Interior Paint (whole home) | Varies by scope | Number of colors, trim detail, ceiling treatment, and total square footage. |
| Lighting Design (whole home) | Varies by scope | Basic fixture replacement vs. full custom design with smart controls. |
| Smart Home Integration | Varies | Lighting controls, thermostats, security, audio — depends on scope and systems. |
| Open Concept Conversion | $10,000–$50,000+ | Depends on whether walls are load-bearing, plus flooring/ceiling/HVAC work needed. |
Here’s how costs add up for a typical 2,000 sq. ft. home:
| Component | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Base Structural Work | $225,000 |
| Kitchen Remodel (Complete Transformation) | $85,000 |
| Master Bathroom Remodel | $65,000 |
| Guest Bathroom Remodel | $35,000 |
| Whole-Home Flooring | $20,000–$40,000+ |
| Interior Paint | $8,000–$15,000+ |
| Lighting Throughout | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Estimated Total Range | $593,000–$630,000+ |
This is an illustrative example, not a quote. Your actual cost will be determined by the specific scope, condition of your home, material selections, and design decisions made during the planning process.
Size is the most basic cost driver. More square footage means more materials, more labor, and more time. Our minimum for whole home remodeling is 1,800 square feet — below that, the fixed costs of structural work, permitting, and coordination make a whole home approach less cost-effective than targeted room remodels.
The same room can cost dramatically different amounts depending on materials:
| Element | Standard | Upgraded | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Cabinets | Stock (ProCraft RTA) | Semi-Custom (Diamond) | Custom (Dura Supreme) |
| Countertops | MSI Quartz Level 0-3 | MSI Quartz Level 4-8 | Cambria Quartz |
| Bathroom Tile | Basic Ceramic | Porcelain with Accent | Custom Premium Tile |
| Flooring | LVP Throughout | Porcelain Tile / Carpet Mix | Hardwood / Natural Stone |
| Lighting | Basic Fixtures | Updated with Dimmers | Full Custom with Smart Controls |
| Doors | Standard Interior | Upgraded Panel | Custom Solid-Core |
Older homes (pre-1980s) frequently have conditions that add cost: outdated electrical, galvanized plumbing, asbestos, foundation issues, non-code-compliant framing from past unpermitted work, and block construction that’s common to the area.
Square FootageEnter your home's square footage to begin (min. 1,800 sq ft). |
Cost: $0 |
BathroomsNo bathroom count selected. |
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FlooringLVP flooring is included in the base price. Select tile upgrade if desired. |
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DoorsEnter the number of interior and/or exterior doors. |
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WindowsNo windows selected. |
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Layout ChangesNo layout changes selected. |
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ElectricalNo electrical work selected. |
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PlumbingNo plumbing reconfiguration selected. |
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HVACEnter the number of HVAC systems to replace. |
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InsulationNo insulation upgrade selected. |
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RoofNo roof replacement selected. |
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| Estimated Total | $0 |
Most contractors won’t put numbers on a page for a project this complex. We believe you deserve to plan with real information. This transparency is how we’ve earned trust for three generations.
A whole home remodel can include everything from structural changes to smart home technology. The key to staying on budget is knowing what matters most. Use this tool to organize your priorities, and we’ll use it to build a plan that puts your budget where it counts.
We use a prioritization method called MoSCoW to help homeowners make clear, confident decisions about their remodel:
Help us understand your goals so we can make the most of your consultation — takes about 5 minutes.
We've sent a copy of your priorities to your email. Our team will review your selections and reach out to schedule your consultation.
This planner is the starting point of our design process. When you come in for your consultation, we’ll already know what matters most to you, which means we can spend less time on discovery and more time on solutions. And if your priorities shift as we get deeper into the design process, that’s completely normal — the MoSCoW framework makes it easy to adjust without losing the bigger picture.
Online estimates for whole home remodeling range from $225,000 to over $1 million. Here’s why the range is so extreme — and why your project is unique:
A whole home remodel is fundamentally different from individual room remodels. When you gut a kitchen, you’re updating one space. When you gut an entire house, every system interacts — the electrical serves every room, the HVAC needs to handle the entire layout, plumbing runs through multiple walls and floors. Changes in one area ripple through the rest. This interconnection is why whole home remodels require more planning, more coordination, and more experienced project management than any other residential project.
Every home has a story, and some of those stories include past owners who did unpermitted work, skipped maintenance, or made “creative” modifications that we often discover once we open up the walls.
These aren’t upsells — they’re realities that must be addressed for your safety and the longevity of your remodel.
Two identical 2,000 sq. ft. homes with the same structural scope can have dramatically different total costs based purely on finish selections. The difference between stock cabinets and custom cabinets in a kitchen alone can be $15,000–$30,000. Multiply that kind of variance across every room in the house, and you can see why finish level is the biggest variable after structural scope.
Some homeowners focus their whole home remodel entirely on the interior. Others want a complete transformation inside and out. We’ll help you evaluate whether exterior work should be part of this project or planned as a separate phase.
A whole home remodel is the most complex project a residential contractor can take on. The stakes are higher, the timeline is longer, and the coordination is exponentially more involved. Here’s how to compare quotes fairly:
Many contractors who are excellent at kitchen or bathroom remodels don’t have the systems, team, or experience to manage a full-house renovation. Ask specifically:
A whole home remodel needs tight coordination between design and construction. If you’re hiring a separate architect, engineer, and contractor, you’re managing three relationships — and any miscommunication between them costs you time and money.
Frei Remodel and Design is a design-build firm. One team handles design, engineering, permitting, and construction. One point of accountability. One cohesive process.
With a project this large, scope creep is a real risk. Ask:
At Frei Remodel and Design: We use a detailed scope document and a MoSCoW prioritization framework to align expectations before any work begins. You’ll know exactly what’s included, what’s optional, and what happens if conditions change.
Some contractors quote a low base price but exclude critical items like demolition, permits, drywall, insulation, electrical, HVAC, or project management. For a whole home remodel, these exclusions can represent hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Every Frei Remodel and Design whole home contract includes: Complete remodels of interior finishes, Structural assessment and any required repairs, complete kitchen remodel, complete remodel of bathrooms, new LVP flooring throughout, new insulation and drywall, doors, permits, inspections, and project management as part of the base structural cost. Room-specific finishes are clearly itemized on top.
A whole home remodel typically takes several months. You need a contractor with systems in place for consistent communication across a project that long:
At Frei Remodel and Design: We follow a defined planning and production process that keeps even the most complex projects on track.
We’re confident enough in our work to encourage you to compare. We’ve been remodeling homes in Oro Valley and Catalina Foothills since 1962 — three generations of our family. When homeowners compare us to other contractors on a project this complex, our experience, transparency, and process stand out.
"Working with Frei remodeling was an excellent experience for us! It was great working with Joe from start to finish and I wish more business owners were like him. He goes out of his way to make sure you are satisfied with everything you've asked for. I really appreciated his fantastic communication and all of his subcontractors were great. Joe was very accommodating when we realized we needed to adjust our scope of work due to unexpected financial constraints, and we were still able to make our interior remodel a reality."
"Joe Frei's name was given to us and we never looked back. While we were still in Texas, Joe went above and beyond to keep us posted on every step. He asked questions, suggested ideas and also met us at our new home every time we flew back. Joe sent pictures of the progress. My husband has new ideas all the time and Joe was always available to make whatever changes we wanted! The house we purchased in March, was just that—a house, but now it's a home that was remodeled into a beautiful home. Joe, thank you and your crews for making our forever home, forever!"
"Frei Remodeling did a refresh of our master suite. The work was well done and professional. Communications were excellent, and the price was very fair. I will use them for my next project."
A whole home remodel is a big decision — and it starts with a conversation. Schedule a free Zoom discovery call to help you understand what a project like this looks like for your specific home.
A whole home remodel in Oro Valley and Catalina Foothills typically ranges from $125 to $250 per square foot for the overall project. For a complete, down-to-the-studs remodel, our base structural cost starts at $175,000 — this covers demolition, full electrical rewiring, HVAC replacement, plumbing updates, new insulation and drywall, and door replacement.
Exterior work adds approximately $100 per square foot. Room-specific finishes (kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, etc.) are additional and depend on your selections. A full whole home remodel for a 2,000 sq. ft. home with interior and exterior work typically ranges from $500,000 to $700,000+.
We require a minimum of 1,800 square feet for whole home remodel projects. Below that, the fixed costs of structural work, permitting, and project coordination make a whole-home approach less cost-effective — and we’d likely recommend targeted room remodels instead.
It means we remove all interior finishes — drywall, insulation, flooring, fixtures, cabinets — to expose the structural framing (studs) of the home. This allows us to fully inspect and update electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and structural elements before rebuilding the interior with new materials and finishes. It’s the most thorough approach and ensures nothing hidden behind the walls gets overlooked.
Whole home remodels are significant projects with multiple phases:
Total timeline from first consultation to final walkthrough is typically 9–14 months, sometimes longer for larger or more complex homes.
For a full, down-to-the-studs remodel — yes. When all drywall is removed, electrical is rewired, and HVAC is replaced, the home is not livable during construction. We recommend planning for temporary housing for the duration of the construction phase. Some homeowners stay with family, rent a short-term apartment, or use an extended-stay hotel.
Budget for temporary housing as part of your overall project cost. At roughly $150/day or $4,500/month, a 6-month construction phase adds approximately $27,000 in living expenses.
Remodeling is typically 20-30% less expensive than demolishing and rebuilding, according to industry data. Rebuilding requires new foundation work, new permitting, full architectural plans, and significantly more time. A whole home remodel uses your existing foundation and structure as the starting point, which saves both money and time. However, if your home has severe structural issues, we’ll give you an honest assessment of whether remodeling or rebuilding makes more sense.
The biggest difference is coordination and efficiency. When you remodel the whole home at once:
The trade-off is a higher upfront investment and a longer period without your home. But the result is a complete transformation that feels intentional and unified.
MoSCoW is a prioritization framework we use to help homeowners organize their remodeling wish list into four clear categories: Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won’t Have. It ensures we understand your non-negotiables before design begins and gives us a framework for making smart trade-offs if budget pressure requires adjustments. When you fill it out, we send you a copy and use it as the foundation for your consultation.
They will be found — that’s almost a certainty in a whole home remodel, especially in older homes. Here’s how we handle it:
This is exactly why we recommend a 25-30% contingency buffer. Our planning process is designed to catch as much as possible before construction begins, but some conditions only become visible once walls are opened.
Frei Remodel and Design is a design-build firm. We handle design, engineering, permitting, and construction under one contract. You don’t need to hire a separate architect. This is especially valuable for whole home remodels, where tight coordination between design intent and construction execution is essential. Learn more about our design-build approach.
Whole home remodels are the most demanding projects in residential construction. They require a contractor who can manage multiple trades, long timelines, complex budgets, and the inevitable surprises that come with opening up an entire house. Here’s why homeowners trust us:
