Home Remodeling Cost in Metro Detroit (2026)

The single biggest fork is how far you go. A mid-range refresh (new paint, flooring, updated kitchen and baths, lighting, and fixtures without moving walls) often runs $60 to $110 per square foot, or roughly $25,000 to $70,000 for an average home. A full gut, where the house is taken to the studs and the layout, wiring, plumbing, and HVAC are all replaced, climbs to $150 to $200+ per square foot and can pass $150,000 on larger or higher-end homes. Moving walls, relocating plumbing, and structural changes are what push a project from the first category into the second.

Beyond scope, three things move the price most. Finishes are the obvious one: stock cabinets and builder-grade tile cost a fraction of custom millwork and natural stone. The home itself is next. A century-old Birmingham house with knob-and-tube wiring and plaster walls costs more to open up and bring to code than a 2005 Macomb Township build. Finally, the layout: leaving the footprint alone is far cheaper than moving a kitchen or taking out a load-bearing wall, which drags structural, electrical, and plumbing work along with it. A luxury home renovation in Oakland County sits at the top of the range for all three reasons at once.

Two identical-looking remodels can quote differently across town. Permit fees and inspection requirements are set municipality by municipality, so a project in Birmingham or Royal Oak carries different costs than the same work in Warren or Sterling Heights. Older housing stock adds surprises behind the walls (outdated wiring, cast-iron drains, and no insulation) that a newer subdivision home simply doesn’t have. A townhome or condo remodel brings its own layer, since association rules and shared walls affect what can change and when work can happen. A good quote accounts for all of this instead of hiding it as a change order later.