How Much Does a Living Room Remodel Cost? [2024 Data]
Normal range: $2,500 - $15,000
The cost for a living room remodel typically ranges from $2,500 to $15,000, with an average of $8,000. Major layout or design changes can add to the price.
Need a new feel in your living space? Your living room remodel cost can range from as low as $500 for a cosmetic update to upward of $40,000 to gut the space and start over using luxury materials and making major alterations to the room. However, most U.S. homeowners spend an average of $8,000 on their living room remodel. Let’s look at all the cost factors that will influence your budget.
- Average
- $8,000
- Low end
- $500
- high end
- $40,000
Living Room Remodel Cost by Scope
Your house renovation cost always depends on the scope of your project. The same holds true for living room remodeling. Choosing a smaller renovation, such as painting the walls and updating trim work, will generally cost less than a full-scale remodel that may include adding storage, updating electrical components, or installing new floors and windows.
| Living Room Remodeling Task | Average Price Range |
|---|---|
| Painting walls and ceiling | $300–$2,800 |
| Installing storage | $50–$10,000 |
| Electrical upgrades | $50–$2,000 |
| Replacing or updating doors | $450–$4,000 |
| Window installation | $330–$3,600 |
| Replacing flooring | $500–$14,750 |
| Adding window treatments | $50–$2,000 |
Cost to Remodel a Living Room by Size
In addition to the choices you make regarding the scope of the project, the size of your living room can play a pricing role. The larger the space and the more improvements you make, the more it will cost overall.
While the project cost will relate to size for things like painting and flooring installation, some updates, such as window or door replacements, will cost the same per unit, no matter the size of the room.
Additionally, including the cost of a dining room remodel will increase the project price, especially if you're considering creating an open floor plan to incorporate the additional space.
| Living Room Size (Square Feet) | Average Cost Range |
|---|---|
| 150 | $1,500–$9,000 |
| 200 | $2,000–$12,000 |
| 250 | $2,500–$15,000 |
| 300 | $3,000–$18,000 |
| 350 | $3,500–$21,000 |
| 400 | $4,000–$24,000 |
General Contractor Cost
While remodeling a living room can require the services of multiple experts and professionals, your remodel may require more or less of them. Instead of hiring everyone necessary to make the renovation a success, most homeowners opt to hire a general contractor.
Hiring a general contractor will cost between 40% and 50% of the project's price. However, a contractor will supply all of the labor and hiring services your job will need, scheduling requirements, and permit needs, and will handle all of the inspectors that may need to see the work during and after the remodel.
Flooring Specialist Costs
If you want new floors in your living room, you’ll want to lean on the expertise of a flooring professional. The type of floor you choose to install or refinish in your living room remodel, coupled with the size of the space will determine how much you could spend on that aspect of the project.
Carpet flooring costs: $780–$2,810
Wood flooring costs: $2,475–$7,035
Laminate flooring costs: $1,475–$4,635
Tile flooring costs: $800–$3,000
Vinyl flooring costs: $1,000–$4,120
Concrete flooring costs: $3,000–$18,500
Electrician Costs
If you're making significant changes to the layout or functionality of your living room during the remodeling process, you may need the services of an electrician. Electricians cost between $40 and $120 per hour, on average.However, some tasks may have predetermined prices associated with them.
Following are some average individual project costs:
Installing an outlet: $300 each
Adding a light fixture: $500 each
Rewiring: $6,000
Additional Pros to Consider Hiring
Depending on the scope of your living room remodel, you or your general contractor may need to hire additional specialists to make the space your own.
Carpenter: Carpenters may either be specialists in one or several skills or act as generalists, tackling everything from framing and trim work to door installation and refinishing. What you plan to renovate in your living room will determine what type, or types, of carpenters you'll need. Depending on skills and other factors, carpenters cost between $75 and $125 per hour on average. Framing costs $40 to $60 per hour and trim work costs $40 to $75 per hour.
Interior designer: Many homeowners hire an interior designer to help with planning and provide tips and alternatives during a living room remodel. Hiring an interior designer costs between $2,060 and $15,200 for an entire house makeover. However, that cost will be significantly lower when designing a single living room.
Window and door installer: If your living room remodel will include window and interior or exterior door replacements or updating, expect to pay average prices ranging from $360 to $1,955 for any of these tasks per unit. Replacing a window costs $750 each, installing an interior door costs $360 to $1,220, and installing an exterior door (if it leads to your living room) costs $500 to $1,955.
Drywall installer: Depending on the scope of your remodel, you'll likely require some amount of drywall repair or installation. Hiring a drywaller costs between $1.50 and $3 per square foot on average and another $1 to $1.95 per square foot to add a textured finish.
Interior painter: Whether you choose to paint the walls first or install or refinish the floors first matters little in most cases. Your interior designer or contractor can help decide the best sequence. The cost to paint an individual room averages between $2 and $6 per square foot.
Fireplace installer or mason: Professional fireplace installation costs $940 to $4,200.
Additional Cost Factors
While several professionals may be necessary to complete your living room remodel, there are also additional cost factors to consider that will depend on the project's scope.
Demolition and Prep
Before installing new fixtures and features in your living room, some demolition or prep work will likely be necessary. Opening walls and removing existing fixtures will add between $50 and $100 per hour of prep work time to the project price, which will likely be part of your contractor's estimate proposal.
Permits
You may or may not need a permit to renovate your living room. Things like refinishing floors and painting generally don't need permits. Things like an entry door or window replacements might need one, while making structural changes definitely will require a permit. Permit costs vary by the value of the project and can cost anywhere from $50 to $2,000 for living room remodels.
Renovation Insurance
You may choose to purchase home renovation insurance to cover the risks of a major living room remodel. While not mandatory, and your homeowner's insurance may already contain protections for remodeling, purchasing a renovation policy can offer peace of mind and wallet protection.
Financing Cost
For any remodeling project, how you choose to pay for the task can have cost implications. If you're financing your home renovation, remember to include the price of borrowing money to pay for contractors and materials.
Post-Construction Cleanup
Because your living room is a central feature in your home, and remodeling the space can create all kinds of leftover dust and debris, you may find yourself hiring a pro to clean up after the project is complete. Post-construction cleanup costs between $275 and $710 on average.
DIY Living Room Remodeling vs. Hiring a Pro
"Wallpaper works best in lower-traffic rooms that don’t get very much moisture. Rooms like kitchens and bathrooms are not ideal for wallpaper since those are considered high-moisture areas and can cause the paper to peel."
— Gregory Pittman, Director of Commercial Painting Services at Five Star Painting
Some parts of a living room remodel, such as painting or minor drywall repairs, make excellent DIY tasks. However, because of the central location, focal points, and importance of a living room, most homeowners choose to hire a local remodeling company to handle the job.
While hiring a pro to perform the work costs more than doing it yourself, the results are generally worth the price. Additionally, hiring a pro means you'll have more time to spend planning how to use your new living space and less time doing the hard work.
Living Room Remodel vs. Renovate
When planning to update your living room, you can opt for a full remodel, which can include window and door replacements, perhaps changing the floor plan, replacing the flooring, and other major overhauls. Remodeling generally costs more than simple renovations, which could mean changing the furniture or adding window treatments and paint. While remodeling can create an entirely new space, renovations can offer excellent upgrades, usually for much less money if budgeting is a concern.
Ways You Can Save Money While Remodeling Your Living Room
There are several ways to help control costs when updating your living room.
Consider renovating the space instead of opening walls and performing a full remodel.
Choose in-stock and discounted materials where possible instead of relying on special-order products.
Look for energy efficiency rebates and incentives when replacing doors, windows, and insulation.
Does Living Room Remodeling Increase Home Value?
Any updates you make to your home can affect its selling appeal. However, the best way to see an increase in your home's value during a living room remodel is by replacing windows and doors with energy-efficient models. Entry door replacements can realize a return on investment (ROI) of between 50% and 101%.
How Angi Gets Its Cost Data
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to costquotes@angi.com. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bedrooms and living rooms generally cost the least to remodel. Of course, the project price will depend on what you're planning to do to the space and the cost of the materials you choose to incorporate. Prices are typically lower than those of other remodels because major plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work isn't often part of remodeling these rooms.
While bathrooms and kitchens are nearly equal in terms of renovation difficulty, kitchens are the most challenging. Kitchen design, layout, electrical, and plumbing needs all depend on each other for the success of the entire project, and mistakes early in the project can cause trouble later on.