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Gut Remodel Cost per Square Foot (2026): A Whole House to the Studs, by Trade

What a whole-house gut remodel costs per square foot in 2026: a 3,100 sq ft house priced line by line, by size and finish level, where the money goes by trade, what published prices measure, the code a gut triggers, and lead and asbestos.

By Clamp ResearchReviewed by Emmanuel ForgePublished Nov 4, 2026✓ Reviewed Nov 2026

Direct answer: A whole-house gut remodel runs $130 to $201 a sq ft ballpark price range, $100 a sq ft in job cost before markup, for a 3,100 sq ft house taken to the studs and rebuilt at mid-grade with a PEX repipe, rewire, furnace, 22 windows and exterior paint ($310,802 job cost before markup in Clamp's catalog). Where the money goes: carpentry 16%, drywall 11%, electrical 11%, supervision and cleanup 10%, paint 10%, plumbing 8%, kitchen cabinets and tops 7%. Demolition alone is $2 to $8 a sq ft.

The assumptions

This model assumes

Interior gutted to the studs; framing, subfloor, roof and foundation sound
Supply repipe only; drains, sewer and ducts reused
Job cost before markup: labor and materials, no markup, tax or permit fees
Prices from Clamp's catalog on November 4, 2026

The model, step by step

1What a gut remodel costs per square foot

Priced through Clamp's catalog on November 4, 2026, job cost before markup. A 3,100 sq ft house gutted to the studs, with a repipe, a rewire, a furnace, 22 windows, exterior paint and mid-grade finishes, is $310,802 job cost before markup, $100 a sq ft. That's a ballpark price range of $130 to $201 a sq ft.

3,100 sq ft gut, mid-grade, ballpark price range

$404,043 to $621,604

$310,802 job cost before markup, $100 a sq ft, about 2,407 labor hours

Permit fees, design, engineering, structural repairs and anything hidden in the walls are on top.

2By house size and finish level

The same gut priced for two houses at three finish levels. Smaller houses cost more a foot: the kitchen, baths and setup don't shrink with the house.

Gut remodel, cost per sq ft
House	Job cost	Ballpark price range
1,800 sq ft, 1 story, builder$184,894 job cost before markup	$103	$134 to $205
1,800 sq ft, 1 story, mid-grade$207,733 job cost before markup	$115	$150 to $231
1,800 sq ft, 1 story, premium$241,509 job cost before markup	$134	$174 to $268
3,100 sq ft, 2 stories, builder$280,001 job cost before markup	$90	$117 to $181
3,100 sq ft, 2 stories, mid-grade$310,802 job cost before markup	$100	$130 to $201
3,100 sq ft, 2 stories, premium$355,201 job cost before markup	$115	$149 to $229

The finish level moves cabinets, tops, appliances, flooring and fixtures. It doesn't move the demolition, rewire, repipe or drywall, so it changes the total less than people expect.

3Where the money goes, by trade

The $310,802 job by trade. Carpentry, drywall, electrical, supervision and paint are more than half of it. The kitchen cabinets and tops are 7%.

The 3,100 sq ft gut by trade, $310,802 job cost before markup
Trade	Cost	Share
Carpentry: windows, trim, doors, stairs, closets$16 a sq ft	$48,780	16%
Drywall$11 a sq ft	$35,213	11%
Electrical: rewire, panel, lights$11 a sq ft	$34,401	11%
Supervision and daily cleanup$10 a sq ft	$30,420	10%
Painting, inside and out$10 a sq ft	$30,034	10%
Plumbing: repipe and fixtures$8 a sq ft	$23,814	8%
Kitchen cabinets and tops$7 a sq ft	$21,435	7%
Flooring$6 a sq ft	$18,881	6%
Demolition and protection$6 a sq ft	$18,516	6%
Everything elseFixtures, insulation, tile, cleanup, appliances, HVAC, exterior trim, site	$49,308	16%

Supervision is a job cost when it's this job alone. Office overhead and profit come from the markup, not these lines.

4By scope: the systems and the shell

The same job by what it buys. The finish package is the interior rebuilt from the studs; the rest are the systems, the windows and the outside.

The gut by scope, job cost before markup
Scope	Cost	A sq ft
Finishes, kitchen and bathsDrywall, paint, trim, doors, floors, kitchen, 2.5 baths, lights	$187,725	$61
Supervision and cleanupAbout 26 weeks, 2 hours a day on site	$34,470	$11
Gut demolitionTo the studs, six 30 yd roll-offs	$22,416	$7
Rewire, walls openNew panel, wire and devices	$21,716	$7
22 windowsVinyl replacement units	$15,978	$5
PEX supply repipe16 fixtures, walls open	$10,029	$3
InsulationOpen walls and the attic to R-49	$8,431	$3
FurnaceGas, ducts reused	$4,770	$2
Exterior paint2,500 sq ft of siding and trim	$5,269	$2

A supply repipe isn't the drains. New drain and vent lines, a sewer line, a water heater or new ductwork are their own lines. For scale, Repipe Specialists quotes $4,500 to $15,000 for a PEX supply repipe in a finished house, through access holes, with wall patching and permits.

5What the published numbers measure

Most gut prices online describe different jobs. The low ones are often the demolition alone.

Published gut prices

Angi, HomeAdvisor$2 to $8 a sq ft on Angi, $2 to $7 on HomeAdvisor's 2022 page. That's demolition and debris, not the rebuild.

HomeGuide$60 to $150 a sq ft for a complete gut renovation; $104 to $165 to tear down and rebuild.

Block Renovation$130 to $200 a sq ft in its June 2026 guide; $100 to $225 for a full gut in its August 2026 one.

Bofran Builders, Chicago$150 to $250 a sq ft with new plumbing, electrical and HVAC.

NAHB, new houseAbout $162 a sq ft to build new in 2024, before the lot, overhead and profit.

Clamp, ballpark price range$130 to $201 a sq ft for the worked 3,100 sq ft house.

Check what a range includes (windows, roof, HVAC, exterior) before comparing it. HomeGuide's gut range includes a new roof and HVAC.

6What opening the walls triggers

A gut needs permits, and the new work has to meet the code your town adopted. The 2021 IRC doesn't make the untouched parts of the house comply, but a gut leaves little untouched.

2021 IRC and IECC

PermitsAlterations and system replacement need a permit (R105.1).

AFCIModified, replaced or extended branch-circuit wiring in the rooms that need AFCI gets AFCI protection (E3902.21, E3902.20).

Smoke and CO alarmsPermitted alterations bring alarms to new-house locations, interconnected (R314.2.2, R315.2.2).

InsulationExposed wall, ceiling and floor cavities get filled with insulation (IECC R503.1.1, exception).

Existing partsAltered work complies without requiring the existing structure to (R102.7.1).

States amend these. Check the edition your town adopted before you price it.

7Lead paint and asbestos before demo

A gut of a house built before 1978 disturbs painted surfaces. EPA's RRP rule applies to anyone paid to do it, and demolition and window replacement never count as minor maintenance.

What EPA says

LeadTest the paint, or assume it's lead and follow RRP: certified firm, trained renovators, containment and cleaning verification.

Asbestos, federalThe NESHAP renovation rules exclude a residential building with four or fewer units, with exceptions.

Asbestos, stateStates and air districts can require a survey anyway. Puget Sound does before any renovation.

Clamp adds RRP work practices when you say the house is pre-1978; the worked example is priced without them. Abatement found in testing is a separate scope.

8The worked example: a 3,100 sq ft gut

A 3,100 sq ft two-story house down to the studs: PEX supply repipe, rewire, new furnace, 22 windows, exterior paint, mid-grade finishes, 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Clamp priced it at $310,802 job cost before markup.

Clamp's Generate from description screen with the whole-house gut typed in

The job

The gut estimate in Clamp at $310,802 job cost, by trade

Every trade priced

The job in Clamp, and the estimate it prices: $310,802 at job cost, by trade. Illustration of the Clamp app.

The gut, ballpark price range

$404,043 to $621,604

$310,802 job cost before markup, $130 to $201 a sq ft

Clamp reads a house gut from the words: "down to the studs" with the square footage prices the whole house, and "gut the kitchen" stays a kitchen.

What it means

What to doPrice the gut by trade from the square footage, say what's in it (repipe or drains, rewire and panel, HVAC, windows, exterior), set the finish level, and add supervision for the months it runs.

The 3,100 sq ft gut: $404,043 to $621,604 ballpark price range on $310,802 job cost before markup.

A gut, priced by trade

Clamp reads a whole-house gut from the words, prices the demolition by the floor area and every trade after it, with labor hours on each line.

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A gut price is only as good as the scope behind it. Price every trade, and the per-foot number takes care of itself.

Questions

How much does it cost to gut and remodel a house per square foot?

A 3,100 sq ft gut with new plumbing supply, wiring, a furnace, windows, exterior paint and mid-grade finishes is $100 a sq ft in job cost before markup in Clamp's catalog, a ballpark price range of $130 to $201. Published ranges run from $60 to $150 (HomeGuide) to $130 to $200 (Block Renovation).

How much does it cost to gut a house to the studs?

The demolition alone runs $2 to $8 a sq ft on Angi and HomeGuide ($2 to $7 on HomeAdvisor). Clamp prices a 3,100 sq ft gut demolition at $22,416 job cost before markup, $7 a sq ft, with six 30 yd dumpsters.

What is the biggest cost in a gut renovation?

In Clamp's 3,100 sq ft example, carpentry (windows, trim, doors) is 16%, then drywall 11%, electrical 11%, supervision and daily cleanup 10% and paint 10%. The kitchen cabinets and tops are 7%.

Is it cheaper to gut a house or tear it down and rebuild?

HomeGuide puts a complete gut at $60 to $150 a sq ft and a teardown and rebuild at $104 to $165. NAHB's 2024 survey put building a new house at about $162 a sq ft before the lot, overhead and profit. A rebuild adds the foundation, framing, roof, utilities and tearing the old house down.

Do you have to bring the whole house up to code when you gut it?

Under the 2021 IRC, new work must comply but the existing structure isn't required to (R102.7.1). Permitted alterations do bring smoke and CO alarms to new-house locations (R314.2.2, R315.2.2), replaced wiring gets AFCI protection, and exposed cavities get insulated. States amend these.

Sources & provenance

Clamp's catalog, priced by script Clamp (research)
How much does it cost to remodel or renovate a house? HomeGuide (research)
How much does it cost to gut a house? HomeGuide (research)
How Much Does It Cost to Gut a House? [2025 Data] Angi (research)
How Much Does It Cost to Gut a House in 2025? HomeAdvisor (research)
How Much Does It Cost to Renovate the Whole House? Block Renovation (research)
Remodeling in Chicago Bofran Builders (research)
How Much Does It Cost to Remodel a 2,000 Sq Ft House? Block Renovation (research)
Cost of Constructing a Home, 2024 NAHB (research)
How Much Does It Cost To Repipe With PEX? Repipe Specialists (research)
Contractor Renovation Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (official source)
2021 International Residential Code International Code Council (official source)
2021 International Energy Conservation Code, Chapter 5 (existing buildings) International Code Council (official source)
Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right: EPA's Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program US EPA (official source)
Frequent Questions About Testing for Lead-Based Paint US EPA (official source)
Overview of the Asbestos NESHAP US EPA (official source)

Changes: Nov 4, 2026: Published: a 3,100 sq ft gut priced line by line from Clamp's catalog, by size, finish level, trade and scope; published prices; the code and EPA rules a gut triggers.; Nov 5, 2026: Customer prices labeled as ballpark price ranges; costs labeled as job cost before markup.