What Bay Area contractors actually bid for remodels
You get three bids and they are tens of thousands of dollars apart. Which one is normal? Here is what contractors bid 168 Bay Area homeowners for ADUs, kitchens, bathrooms and whole-house remodels, from 201 real bids, with no averages and no guesses.
Key findings
The same job can draw bids 42% apart.
42%
median gap between the highest and lowest bid on the same job (15 jobs)
201
contractor bids on 168 Bay Area jobs, April 2023 to November 2026
23
different contractors behind the bids
In one minute
- On 15 Bay Area jobs where two or three contractors bid the same scope, the highest bid was a median 42% above the lowest, a typical gap of about $34,000.
- The median ADU bid was $279,000 across 116 bids from 13 contractors; ADUs built on site had a median of $378,000 and prefab ADUs $265,000.
- ADU bids per square foot fall as units get bigger: a median of $548 for 400 to 599 sq ft and $331 for 800 to 999 sq ft.
- The median kitchen remodel bid was $75,000 (16 bids, 8 contractors), and the median bathroom ran $34,000 per bathroom (19 bathrooms, 7 contractors).
- The median whole-house or multi-room remodel bid was $219,000, with the middle half from $155,000 to $320,000 (28 bids, 13 contractors).
Source: Renovation Bridge, 2026 Bay Area Remodel Bid Report, 201 bids collected April 2023 to November 2026.
All projects
Typical bids by project.
The median is the middle bid. The middle half is where half of all bids landed, so a bid outside it is not wrong, just worth asking about.
| Project | Median bid | Middle half | Range chart | Bids | Contractors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADU, all | $279K | $245K to $350K | 116 | 13 | |
| Prefab ADUOne prefab builder supplied 85 of these 87 bids, so this row mostly reflects that builder’s pricing. | $265K | $244K to $311K | 87 | 3 | |
| ADU built on site | $378K | $288K to $451K | 29 | 12 | |
| Whole-house or multi-room remodelScopes vary widely, from a condo kitchen and bath to a full rebuild. | $219K | $155K to $320K | 28 | 13 | |
| Kitchen remodel | $75K | $58K to $83K | 16 | 8 | |
| Bathroom remodel, per bathroom19 bathrooms: 10 from bathroom-only bids, 9 priced as their own section inside a larger bid. In 9 of the 19 the homeowner buys the tile, vanity and fixtures separately. | $34K | $30K to $40K | 19 | 7 | |
| Plans and permit drawings onlyOne design-build firm supplied 14 of these 21 bids. | $22K | $16K to $25K | 21 | 6 |
Bars run from $0 to $460K; the shaded band is the middle half of bids and the tick is the median. Download this table (CSV)
ADUs
How much do Bay Area contractors bid for an ADU?
The median ADU bid was $279,000, and the middle half of 116 bids ran from $245,000 to $350,000. How it gets built matters more than where: ADUs built on site had a median of $378,000, prefab ADUs $265,000.
- $378Kbuilt on site, 29 bids, 12 contractors
- $265Kprefab, 87 bids, mostly one builder
Bigger ADUs cost less per square foot
A 450 sq ft ADU still needs a foundation, utility hookups, a kitchen and a bathroom, so those fixed costs spread over fewer feet. In the bids, the median price per square foot falls by about 40% from the smallest size band to the largest one we can publish.
Mostly prefab quotes: one builder supplied 22 of 27, 31 of 33 and 14 of 17 bids in these bands. Units of 1,000 sq ft and up are left out because only two builders bid them. See prefab ADU floor plans for model sizes.
By county
Only four county figures pass our sample rule. ADU bids barely move between these three counties, partly because prefab prices are set by the factory, not the city.
| Project and county | Median bid | Middle half | Bids | Contractors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADU, Alameda County | $278K | $244K to $350K | 41 | 5 |
| ADU, Santa Clara County | $266K | $239K to $302K | 36 | 7 |
| ADU, Contra Costa County | $265K | $246K to $319K | 24 | 5 |
| Kitchen, Contra Costa County | $77K | $57K to $82K | 11 | 6 |
Kitchens
How much do Bay Area contractors bid for a kitchen remodel?
The median kitchen bid was $75,000, with the middle half from $58,000 to $83,000, across 16 bids from 8 contractors on 11 kitchens. The spread is wide at the edges: from $35K for a lighter scope to $269K for a kitchen bundled with new floors and paint through the first floor.
Read what each bid includes before comparing totals. Several kitchen bids here are labor and rough materials only, with the homeowner buying cabinets, counters, tile and appliances. On one Contra Costa kitchen, the lowest of three bids was $45,000 and the highest about $77,000, and neither included the cabinets, counters or appliances.
Bathrooms
How much do Bay Area contractors bid for a bathroom remodel?
Per bathroom, the median bid was $34,000 and the middle half ran from $30,000 to $40,000, across 19 bathrooms bid by 7 contractors.
Ten of these bathrooms come from bathroom-only bids. The other nine were priced as their own section inside a larger bid, and we counted a section only when it covered the whole bathroom (demolition, plumbing, tile and fixtures) at a single price. In 9 of the 19, the homeowner buys the tile, vanity and fixtures separately.
Whole house
How much do Bay Area contractors bid for a whole-house remodel?
The median whole-house or multi-room bid was $219,000, with the middle half from $155,000 to $320,000, across 28 bids from 13 contractors on 20 homes. These scopes vary more than any other group, from a condo kitchen and bath to rebuilding a house after a fire, so the median says less here than anywhere else in the report.
Same job, different bids
How far apart bids for one job really run.
On 15 jobs, two or three contractors bid the same scope. The highest bid was a median 42% above the lowest, and on 9 of the 15 jobs the gap was 30% or more. Here is every one of them.
Why bids for one job differ
Rarely because one contractor is honest and another is not. Bids differ in what they include: who buys the finishes, whether permits and drawings are in the price, whether a structural beam is priced or left for a change order, and how much is held back for surprises behind the walls. The cheapest total is often the one that leaves the most out. Put bids side by side line by line before you compare the bottom numbers.
Left out
What this report does not show
We publish a figure only when at least 8 bids from at least 3 different contractors stand behind it. These did not make the cut yet:
- Home additions: 4 addition bids plus 1 addition priced inside a larger bid, from 3 contractors.
- ADUs of 1,000 sq ft and up, per square foot: 18 bids, but from only 2 builders.
- ADUs under 400 sq ft, per square foot: 5 bids.
- Every county figure except the four in the By county table above: fewer than 8 bids or 3 contractors per county.
Method
How we built this report
- Where the bids come from
- 334 contractor proposals, estimates and contracts that Bay Area homeowners shared with Renovation Bridge or that contractors sent through our platform, dated April 2023 to November 2026. 84% of the dated bids are from 2025 or 2026. Each document was read in full and its prices recorded line by line.
- What counts as one bid
- One bid per contractor per job. When a contractor revised a bid, the version the homeowner signed counts; otherwise the latest one does. Duplicate copies count once. When a bid printed two either-or options for the same room and added them into one total, we counted one option, not the sum.
- How bids were classified
- By the main scope of the whole bid: ADU (prefab or built on site), kitchen, bathroom, whole-house or multi-room remodel, addition, or plans and permit drawings only. A bathroom priced as its own complete section inside a larger bid also counts as a bathroom data point.
- What we left out
- Bids outside the nine Bay Area counties (kept on file, not counted here), ballpark figures sent as screenshots or emails, estimates with no prices, and bids whose single price also covered unrelated work, such as a bathroom contract that also paid for a pergola and patio.
- How we report it
- Medians and the middle half (25th to 75th percentile), never averages, with the number of bids and contractors behind every figure. Nothing is published with fewer than 8 bids from 3 contractors. Figures are rounded to the nearest $1,000 and are not adjusted for inflation.
- Who this does not represent
- These are bids from contractors in our network for homeowners who came to us, so they lean toward Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties, where most of the bids come from. San Francisco, the Peninsula and Marin are thin. Most prefab ADU bids come from one builder. Many bids are proposals rather than signed contracts, and some leave finish materials, permit fees or engineering to the homeowner. Final project costs often move after demolition.
- Privacy
- No contractor names, homeowner names or addresses appear anywhere in this report or its download.
Cite this report
Renovation Bridge. “2026 Bay Area Remodel Bid Report.” November 9, 2026. www.renovationbridge.com/resources/bay-area-remodel-bid-report
Download the summary (CSV)Questions
Common questions about these bids.
How much do Bay Area contractors bid for an ADU?
In the 201 bids Renovation Bridge collected from April 2023 to November 2026, the median ADU bid was $279,000, and the middle half of 116 ADU bids ran from $245,000 to $350,000. ADUs built on site came in higher (median $378,000, 29 bids from 12 contractors) than prefab ADUs (median $265,000), and most prefab bids came from one builder.
How much do Bay Area contractors bid for a kitchen remodel?
The median kitchen remodel bid was $75,000, with the middle half from $58,000 to $83,000, across 16 bids from 8 contractors on 11 kitchens. Some of those bids leave cabinets, counters and appliances for the homeowner to buy, so read what a bid includes before comparing totals.
How much does a bathroom remodel cost in the Bay Area, based on real bids?
Per bathroom, the median bid was $34,000 and the middle half ran from $30,000 to $40,000, across 19 bathrooms bid by 7 contractors. In 9 of those 19 bathrooms the homeowner buys the tile, vanity and fixtures separately, which adds to the total.
How far apart are contractor bids for the same remodel?
On 15 jobs where two or three contractors bid the same scope, the highest bid was a median 42% above the lowest, and the typical gap was about $34,000. The gap ranged from 4% to 93%, and 9 of the 15 jobs had a gap of 30% or more. That is why it pays to compare more than one bid line by line.
Are these Renovation Bridge’s prices?
No. These are bids from independent contractors. Renovation Bridge is free for homeowners: we match you with vetted contractors who bid your job, and contractors pay us, not you.
Where does the data come from?
From 334 contractor proposals, estimates and contracts that Bay Area homeowners shared with Renovation Bridge or that contractors sent through our platform, dated April 2023 to November 2026. After removing duplicates, revisions and bids outside the nine Bay Area counties, 201 bids on 168 jobs from 23 contractors remain. A figure is shown only when at least 8 bids from at least 3 different contractors stand behind it.
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