Remodeling economics · 2025 Cost vs Value
Does an Illinois Remodel Pay Off?
The published resale math behind Chicago remodeling: which projects return more than they cost at resale, which don't - and how Illinois, home to the only Illinois city in the national Cost vs Value report, stacks up against the region and the country.
Top Chicago return · Garage door replacement
302.9%
$4,308 cost → $13,048 resale
Top Chicago return · Entry door replacement · Steel
226.2%
$2,342 cost → $5,298 resale
Top Chicago return · Manufactured stone veneer
207.8%
$10,939 cost → $22,735 resale
Top Chicago return · Siding replacement · Fiber-cement
104.9%
$24,642 cost → $25,838 resale
Source: Remodeling Magazine / National Association of Realtors Cost vs Value report, 2025 (Chicago, East North Central, national). Averages, not bids - and resale return is not the same as living with the project.
Independent - not a remodeling contractor and not an investment adviser.
The pattern worth knowing
The data tells a consistent story. The projects that recoup the most at resale in every geography are the small, visible, curb-appeal fixes - garage doors, entry doors, stone veneer, siding. The projects that recoup the least are the large, expensive additions: primary-suite additions, big bathrooms, upscale kitchens. That is not a comment on how much you will enjoy them; it is how a buyer assigns value per dollar spent.
In Chicago, a minor midrange kitchen remodels recoups about 94% of its cost, while a major midrange kitchen remodels recoups closer to 44%. Every extra dollar you spend tends to return less of itself. That gap is the most reliable predictor of a project's resale payoff.
Resale return estimator
Pick a project to see its published Chicago, regional, and national cost, resale value, and cost recouped side by side.
Chicago, IL
302.9% recouped
- Job cost$4,308
- Resale value$13,048
- Net return+$8,740
East North Central region
282.2% recouped
- Job cost$4,357
- Resale value$12,298
- Net return+$7,941
National average
267.7% recouped
- Job cost$4,672
- Resale value$12,507
- Net return+$7,835
Figures are 2025 Remodeling Magazine / NAR Cost vs Value averages for the Chicago metro, the East North Central region, and the U.S. Cost is the published midrange project cost; "resale value" is the added cash value a typical buyer assigns at resale. They are averages, not a bid.
All projects, sortable
Every project in the 2025 report, ranked by cost recouped. Filter by type or sort by city, regional, or national return.
| Type | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garage door replacement | Curb appeal & exterior | 302.9% | 282.2% | 267.7% |
| Entry door replacement · Steel | Curb appeal & exterior | 226.2% | 235.0% | 216.4% |
| Manufactured stone veneer | Curb appeal & exterior | 207.8% | 190.6% | 207.9% |
| Siding replacement · Fiber-cement | Curb appeal & exterior | 104.9% | 101.2% | 113.7% |
| Deck addition · Wood | Additions & extra space | 98.4% | 92.5% | 94.9% |
| Minor kitchen remodel · Midrange | Kitchens & bathrooms | 94.4% | 101.2% | 112.9% |
| Deck addition · Composite | Additions & extra space | 91.4% | 88.4% | 88.5% |
| Grand entrance · Fiberglass doors | Curb appeal & exterior | 91.0% | 85.0% | 84.7% |
| Backup power generator | Systems & replacements | 90.3% | 90.5% | 95.3% |
| Window replacement · Vinyl | Systems & replacements | 82.0% | 81.3% | 75.5% |
| Basement remodels | Additions & extra space | 80.0% | 78.7% | 71.0% |
| Siding replacement · Vinyl | Curb appeal & exterior | 78.6% | 80.4% | 96.5% |
| Window replacement · Wood | Systems & replacements | 67.2% | 70.1% | 70.1% |
| Roofing replacement · Asphalt shingles | Systems & replacements | 66.9% | 69.2% | 67.5% |
| Bath remodels · Midrange | Kitchens & bathrooms | 66.4% | 70.9% | 80.0% |
| HVAC conversion · Electrification | Systems & replacements | 65.7% | 70.9% | 72.1% |
| Bath remodels · Universal design | Kitchens & bathrooms | 61.1% | 58.2% | 61.2% |
| Backyard patio | Additions & extra space | 48.5% | 45.8% | 46.0% |
| Bathroom addition · Midrange | Additions & extra space | 48.1% | 53.3% | 53.3% |
| Major kitchen remodel · Midrange | Kitchens & bathrooms | 44.2% | 48.2% | 50.9% |
| Roofing replacement · Metal | Systems & replacements | 43.7% | 45.9% | 50.1% |
| Accessory dwelling unit | Additions & extra space | 38.4% | 41.0% | 41.3% |
| Bath remodels · Upscale | Kitchens & bathrooms | 34.2% | 36.4% | 41.7% |
| Bathroom addition · Upscale | Additions & extra space | 30.7% | 33.4% | 36.4% |
| Major kitchen remodel · Upscale | Kitchens & bathrooms | 30.6% | 34.4% | 35.7% |
| Solar power installation | Systems & replacements | 30.4% | 31.0% | 29.7% |
| Primary suite addition · Midrange | Additions & extra space | 28.8% | 33.9% | 32.3% |
| Primary suite addition · Upscale | Additions & extra space | 17.2% | 19.8% | 18.0% |
"Cost recouped" is the resale value as a share of job cost. Above 100% the project is expected to return more than it cost at resale; below 100% it does not. Sort by any column to re-rank.
Why the table is not your decision
Resale value is only one reason to remodel - and for many projects it is not the most important one. A basement remodels that recoups 80% at resale still gives you a finished room for years. An efficient HVAC system that recoups 66% of its cost saves you money every month before you ever sell. Cost vs Value measures the resale check, not the enjoyment or the energy bill.
It is also geography. The report lists Chicago; the rest of Illinois is rural and smaller-metro markets where the same project can recoup differently. Pair these figures with your county's home value trend, the wages the trades actually earn in your area, and the material price indexesbefore you commit to a number.
Method and limits
- Source
- Remodeling Magazine / National Association of Realtors Cost vs Value report, 2025 (Chicago, East North Central, national), published by Remodeling Magazine and the National Association of Realtors. See the Chicago Cost vs Value page.
- Geography
- The report's only Illinois city is Chicago. "Region" is the East North Central division (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin); "national" is the U.S. average across 119 markets.
- What resale value is
- The cash a typical buyer is expected to assign to the project at resale, drawn from appraisers' and agents' valuations - not a guaranteed offer and not the project's cost.
- What it excludes
- Financing, interest, maintenance over time, your time, and the market climate. It assumes a resale at the prevailing home-price conditions behind the report.
- Refresh
- Cost vs Value is published once a year. This page is rebuilt with the newest edition annually; it always states which report year the figures come from.
Questions about the numbers
Which Illinois projects pay off best at resale?
In the 2025 report, the Chicago projects that recoup the most are the small, visible, curb-appeal items: garage door replacement (about 303% of cost recouped), a steel entry door (about 226%), and manufactured stone veneer (about 208%). These cost less than whole-room renovations and are the first thing a buyer sees.
Is cost recouped the same as the project making me money?
No. Cost recouped compares the project's average cost to the added resale value a buyer assigns at sale. A project that recoups 100% returns its cost on paper at resale - it does not cover financing, your time, or the years you lived in it. And a project you run for years (a basement, a bath, an efficient HVAC system) can be worth more in daily use than its resale number suggests.
Are these numbers for my county?
The Cost vs Value report publishes one Illinois city, Chicago, plus the surrounding East North Central region. Resale value does vary by county - a high-end kitchen recoups differently in Lake County than in rural southern Illinois. Use the Chicago and regional figures as a baseline, then compare your county's home-value trend with the site's home value data before deciding.
Why do additions recoup so much less than replacements?
Additions cost more per square foot than the value they add at resale. The 2025 report shows a midrange primary suite addition recouping roughly one-third of its cost in Chicago, and upscale additions usually less - because a large, expensive addition can out-value the surrounding homes in its neighborhood.
How current is this, and when does it update?
These are the 2025 Cost vs Value figures, published each year by Remodeling Magazine with the National Association of Realtors. Illinois RDN refreshes this page annually when the new report is released, so the numbers always reflect the latest published edition.