Clear assumptions. Honest ranges.
How Our Estimates Work
RenoTally calculators give you a realistic starting range for early renovation planning—not a quote, valuation, or substitute for advice from a qualified local professional.
Last reviewed: 11 September 2026What goes into an estimate
Each calculator combines the measurements and choices you enter with UK-focused planning assumptions. Depending on the tool, these can include material quantities, wastage, specification, labour, services, structural work and contingency.
- Your measurements: Dimensions determine the working area, quantity or cabinet run.
- Specification and materials: Budget, mid-range and premium choices use different indicative bands.
- Scope: Moving plumbing or electrics and undertaking structural work are priced separately where the calculator asks for them.
- Location: Regional adjustments affect labour-related categories rather than every part of the estimate.
- Contingency: Where offered, this is shown as a separate line so it is not hidden inside the base rate.
Why we show a range
Labour rates, product choices, access, room condition, structural work, disposal and local demand can all change the final price. A range is more honest than a single figure that looks precise but is not.
What may not be included
Unless stated otherwise, do not assume an estimate covers planning or building-control fees, surveys, structural engineering, design, temporary accommodation, finance costs, specialist removal, unusual access or unexpected remedial work.
Regional assumptions
RenoTally currently uses broad planning regions. This is deliberately simpler than pretending a postcode alone can predict a final quote.
| Selection | How it is used |
|---|---|
| UK average / not selected | Baseline planning range |
| London and South East | +25% to kitchen and bathroom labour-related categories; +20% to loft and extension build categories |
| Elsewhere in the UK | Baseline planning range |
Whole-house calculator regional factors: London +24%, South East +13%, South West +4%, Midlands baseline, North of England −6%, Wales −6%, Scotland +3% and Northern Ireland −4%. These broad factors are applied alongside property type, age, finish and access; they do not replace local quotations.
Limitation: Actual prices vary within every region. Island or remote access, city-centre logistics, conservation requirements and local contractor demand can outweigh the regional adjustment. Always compare the result with itemised local quotes.
How the kitchen model is different
The kitchen calculator no longer relies mainly on floor area. Its planning range is built from separate categories:
- Cabinet run and specification for cabinets and units.
- Worktop run and material for surfaces.
- Appliance tier from reuse to premium integrated packages.
- Fitting labour, plumbing and electrics, structural work, finishing and disposal.
- A visible 10%, 15% or 20% contingency.
This produces a category breakdown, not only a headline total. Try the kitchen calculator →
How the bathroom and loft/extension models work
Bathroom estimates separate the suite, tiling, fitting labour, plumbing and electrics, waterproofing, heating/ventilation, room preparation and contingency. The London and South East selection adds 25% only to installation-heavy categories.
Loft and extension estimates start with a project-type and floor-area rate, then separate the structure and shell, labour and site access, internal finish, major fit-out additions, professional costs and contingency. London and the South East adds 20% to construction and installation-heavy categories.
Finish level changes the relevant fit-out allowance rather than inflating every category. Try the bathroom calculator → Try the loft and extension calculator →
How the house renovation and refurbishment calculators work
These whole-property calculators work differently from the room calculators. The renovation calculator covers a cosmetic refresh or a moderate renovation; the refurbishment calculator covers a full refurbishment or a back-to-brick project. Both use the same underlying model: a core rate per square metre of internal floor area, set by the level you choose, then adjusted for property type, property age, region, finish level and site access.
Current baseline core rates: £165/m² for a cosmetic refresh, £350/m² for a moderate renovation, £540/m² for a full refurbishment and £790/m² for a back-to-brick project, before property, regional, finish and access adjustments. These are core-work allowances rather than all-inclusive renovation rates: the major optional packages listed below are added separately.
Kitchen replacement, bathrooms, electrical upgrade, plumbing and heating, new flooring, windows and external doors, roof and external repairs, and structural alterations are separate, optional items. They start unticked and only add to the total when you tick them, so the core rate is not doubled up with work you also price individually. If you already know you want a new kitchen or bathroom priced in detail, use the dedicated kitchen or bathroom calculator instead and add that figure to this tool's core allowance.
VAT and a contingency allowance are shown as their own lines, the same as the other calculators. This tool does not check, and its estimate does not include, whether planning permission, listed building consent or building regulations approval apply to your project — always confirm requirements with your local planning authority before committing to structural, exterior or listed-building work.
Try the house renovation calculator → Try the house refurbishment calculator →
Sources and reference points
Sources guide the structure and broad bands of the calculators; they are not copied as a single universal price list. RenoTally compares published UK guidance with calculator-specific assumptions, then publishes the relevant inputs and limitations.
Trade2Base: Kitchen Renovation Pricing Guide UK (2026)
Used as a reference point for broad budget, mid-range and premium project bands and the main drivers of cost, including cabinets, worktops, appliances, services and structural change.
Houzz: 2026 UK Kitchen Trends Study
Used to sense-check the importance of room size, layout changes, professional involvement and commonly replaced kitchen components.
Trades Checker: UK kitchen renovation costs
Used as a reference for the planning uplift applied to labour-related costs in London and the South East.
Less.co.uk: Kitchen worktop cost guide
Used as a cross-check for the relative price bands of laminate, timber, quartz, granite and premium surfaces.
Checkatrade: New bathroom cost guide (2026)
Used to cross-check whole-project bathroom ranges and the relative impact of fittings, labour and installation scope.
Checkatrade: Loft conversion cost guide (2026)
Used to cross-check project-type and floor-area planning bands for common UK loft conversion types.
Checkatrade: House extension cost guide (2026)
Used to cross-check extension rates, regional variation and separate kitchen or bathroom additions.
Checkatrade: Laminate flooring fitting cost (2026)
Used to cross-check material, fitting, underlay, removal, floor levelling, skirting and door-trimming allowances.
MyBuilder: Flooring Installation Costs (2026)
Used to sense-check UK material and installation bands for carpet, laminate, vinyl, LVT, engineered wood, solid wood and parquet-style floors.
Checkatrade: House refurbishment costs (2026)
Used to cross-check broad UK whole-house refurbishment ranges and the way scope, materials and room-by-room replacements move a project through the published cost bands.
MyBuilder: House Renovation Cost Guide (2026)
Used to sense-check the wider per-square-metre range and the separate allowances for rewiring, plumbing and heating, kitchens, bathrooms, roofing, windows and structural work.
Office for National Statistics: Construction industry
Used as background when reviewing construction and repair-and-maintenance price movement. ONS indices help with review timing; they do not provide a homeowner-specific renovation quote or determine RenoTally's rates on their own.
Source limitations: Published guides use different scopes, dates and definitions. The whole-house calculator therefore does not present an inclusive market headline as its core £/m² rate: kitchens, bathrooms, services and other major packages are added separately when selected. Retailer promotions, VAT treatment, removal, fitting and accessories may vary. RenoTally therefore presents planning ranges and makes its own assumptions visible rather than presenting any source as a guaranteed quote.
Updates and transparency
Pricing assumptions and calculator logic are reviewed as RenoTally develops. We show a review date so you can judge how current the guidance is. Material coverage rates, wastage and cost bands should also be explained on the relevant calculator page.
Your privacy
Calculations run in your browser. RenoTally does not require an account or email address, and the measurements you enter are not saved or shared by RenoTally.