How much do common home repairs cost?
Big-ticket repairs are where a home purchase quietly gains or loses you tens of thousands of dollars. Here are typical 2026 ranges — and why the number for your house can land anywhere inside them.
Typical repair cost ranges
| Repair | Typical range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement (asphalt) | $8,000–$25,000 | Square footage, pitch, layers, material |
| Foundation repair | $2,000–$30,000+ | Cracks vs. settlement vs. underpinning |
| Electrical panel replacement | $1,500–$4,000 | Amperage, brand (e.g. fire-risk panels), access |
| HVAC system (furnace + AC) | $6,000–$14,000 | Size, efficiency, ductwork |
| Sewer line replacement | $3,000–$15,000 | Length, depth, trenchless vs. dig |
| Water heater | $1,200–$3,500 | Tank vs. tankless, code upgrades |
| Window replacement (each) | $400–$1,200 | Size, frame, count |
| Mold remediation | $1,500–$6,000 | Area, cause, hidden moisture |
Ranges are national ballparks for 2026; local labor rates and scope shift them a lot.
Why the range is so wide
"Repair the roof" can mean a $900 patch or a $22,000 tear-off. The cost depends on the actual scope an inspector found, your local trade rates, and whether the work triggers code upgrades. A vague estimate is useless in a negotiation; a specific, sourced number is leverage.
Turn ranges into a real number
An Expresstimate prices each defect in your inspection with a region-adjusted range, the code it implicates, and a DIY-vs-pro path — then nets it against time-adjusted comps to suggest a fair offer. That's the difference between "needs work" and "$31,400 of near-term work, here's the math."