The short answer
A standard renovation of a 1,500-square-foot Seattle house runs about $69,000 to $172,500, and a gut remodel $103,500 to $258,750. Additions cost more per square foot. In Washington, the contractor who works on your home must be registered with the state, bonded for $30,000 and insured, and you can check all of it in one lookup.
What a remodel costs in Seattle
The ranges start from national remodeling data and apply the Seattle construction cost factor of 1.15 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, based on the Tacoma base (1.07) and the Puget Sound bases (1.21). They cover labor, materials and the general contractor's markup for a typical single-family house.
| Job | Seattle (typical range) | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic update, 1,500 sq ft home | $25,850–$69,000 | $22,500–$60,000 |
| Standard renovation, 1,500 sq ft home | $69,000–$172,500 | $60,000–$150,000 |
| Gut renovation, 1,500 sq ft home | $103,500–$258,750 | $90,000–$225,000 |
| Kitchen remodel, mid-range, 150 sq ft | $25,850–$43,150 | $22,500–$37,500 |
| Full bathroom remodel, mid-range | $10,350–$32,200 | $9,000–$28,000 |
| Bedroom or living room refresh | $1,700–$11,500 | $1,500–$10,000 |
| Basement or attic finish | $23,000–$86,250 | $20,000–$75,000 |
| Exterior update | $6,900–$23,000 | $6,000–$20,000 |
| Roof replacement, 2,000 sq ft, asphalt | $8,050–$16,100 | $7,000–$14,000 |
Estimates for 2026, including labor and standard parts. Seattle prices use a construction cost factor of 1.15 (US average = 1.00) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors, based on drawn from Tacoma (1.07) and Puget Sound bases (1.21). Your quote depends on access, materials and the condition of the home.
Local bids often land above these figures. Labor rates in the Puget Sound region run well above national numbers, and permitting and inspection requirements are more involved than in many markets. The housing stock also skews older, so more is hidden behind the walls. Blue Water Design Build, a Seattle firm, puts most full kitchen remodels in the area at $60,000 to $120,000 in 2026, with cosmetic updates that keep the layout at $30,000 to $55,000 and projects that move walls or relocate plumbing at $130,000 to $200,000 or more.
The cost estimator gives a figure based on your ZIP code and scope. National averages by room are in our home remodeling cost guide.
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Additions and conversions per square foot
| Project | What drives the price |
|---|---|
| Ground-floor addition | New foundation, framing, roof tie-in, siding and windows |
| Bump-out of one room | Smaller footing, but the same trades |
| Garage conversion | Insulation, heat, egress and sometimes a new slab |
| Basement finish | Moisture control, egress, ceiling height |
| Second story | Engineering for the existing foundation and walls below |
A second story costs the most per square foot because the house below has to carry the new load. That brings in a structural engineer and usually foundation work. Our guide to designing an addition covers design fees, and structural engineer coordination explains when stamped calculations are needed.
What the general contractor's share pays for
On a large remodel the GC's fee covers scheduling the trades, buying materials, pulling permits, meeting inspectors, carrying insurance and fixing what goes wrong between trades. It is built into the ranges above. On a $120,000 job it is a large part of the total, and it keeps the electrician from starting before the framer finishes.
What a general contractor does, and when you need one
A general contractor runs a project that involves several trades. A typical Seattle kitchen and bath remodel needs demolition, framing, plumbing, electrical, drywall, tile, cabinets and paint. The GC hires and sequences those trades and holds the permits.
Chapter 18.27 RCW requires every contractor to register with the state. The registration comes in two kinds:
- A general contractor registration requires a $30,000 surety bond.
- A specialty contractor registration requires a $15,000 bond.
A homeowner can claim against the bond. It covers unpaid labor, employee benefits, state taxes, materials, equipment rental and breach of contract including improper work. If claims exceed the bond, employee labor is paid first, then homeowner breach of contract claims, then subcontractors and materials, then state taxes.
Hire a registered general contractor for a whole-house remodel, an addition, an ADU or a garage conversion. Hire the specialty trade directly for single-trade work, such as a plumber for a repipe or a flooring contractor for new floors.
What older Seattle houses hide
Once cabinetry and drywall come off, Seattle projects commonly reveal knob and tube wiring, undersized electrical service, galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains, missing insulation, or previous work that was never permitted. Blue Water recommends planning for 10 to 15 percent above the contract amount as contingency in houses built before 1990. On a $150,000 remodel that is $15,000 to $22,500 set aside for what the walls reveal.
Do you need a permit?
For almost any real remodel in the Seattle metro, yes. Each city runs its own building department, and King County or Pierce County handles unincorporated areas.
Seattle and the Eastside cities
- Bellevue requires permits for remodels even with no structural work, plus ADUs, decks, reroofs and furnace or water heater replacement. Applications go through MyBuildingPermit, and the city offers a Predevelopment Services Review for feedback before you apply.
- Redmond requires a building permit for additions, alterations, remodels, ADUs, garage conversions to living space, decks and accessory structures. A few things are exempt: detached decks no more than 30 inches above grade, one-story detached structures up to 200 square feet, retaining walls up to 4 feet, and replacement windows in existing openings where the size and opening are not altered.
- Kirkland charges a plan review fee equal to 65 percent of the building permit fee. Plumbing and mechanical permits for one- and two-family homes run 8 percent of the building permit fee, and electrical 9.5 percent. A stop work order for building without a permit carries a $252 investigational fee.
- Tacoma requires permits for new construction, remodels, additions and sewer or storm work, and runs applications through the Accela-based Tacoma Permits system. Land use and zoning approvals are a separate process.
- Everett requires a completed residential submittal checklist with the application. On-duty plan reviewers are available by appointment only, and counter appointments are limited to 15 minutes.
- Renton requires a permit before altering, repairing or changing the occupancy of a building, or installing or altering electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems. The city does not offer paid expediting.
Unincorporated King and Pierce County
King County issues permits only for unincorporated areas. Check your address in the county's Parcel Viewer before you apply, because a project inside city limits goes to the city. Electrical inspections are scheduled through Labor and Industries rather than the county. Pierce County requires a permit to construct or renovate a residential structure.
Fees, inspections and deadlines
Permit fees are based on the value of the work, including materials and labor. Redmond's 2026 schedule, for example, charges $138.26 for the first $2,000 of value plus $27.90 for each additional $1,000 up to $25,000, with plan review at 65 percent of the building permit fee, a 4 percent technology surcharge and a $6.50 state building code fee per unit. Redmond also charges a $796.48 fire fee for remodels and additions and a $324.01 planning fee for a residential addition.
Inspections follow the same order everywhere: groundwork before concrete, rough-in after framing once wiring, piping and ducts are in but before they are covered, and a final when the job is done. In Redmond a permit stays valid for 365 days without any inspections, and each passed inspection extends it by another 365 days. The permit card and a set of plans must be on site at all times.
Redmond doubles fees for work begun without a valid permit on the first infraction in a year and charges five times the original fees for the second and each later infraction. Our guide to permit drawings covers the drawings.
Additions, ADUs and garage conversions
Redmond requires sprinklers in new homes and detached ADUs. Renton runs a Permit Ready ADU program with free model base plans for residential owners, which shortens review. Everett offers pre-approved designs certified through its Residential Basics program for new housing. Pierce County publishes predesigned project guides for decks and detached structures that need no engineer or architect.
Before you pay for a design, confirm what your lot allows. Lot coverage, height limits and setbacks vary by city, and a project that pushes past them needs a variance or a smaller plan. Our ADU design guide covers sizes and setbacks, and residential design covers the drawing set.
Asbestos and lead rules that come with an older remodel
Most Seattle-area houses were built before 1990, and many before 1978. Two sets of rules apply once you start opening walls.
Asbestos
Before beginning any renovation project in the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's area, you must check for asbestos. Contractors who remove or handle it must be certified by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Residents who live in and own the single-family house being remodeled may do their own survey; in every other situation an AHERA-certified building inspector must do it. Keep a copy of the survey at the project site.
Friable asbestos must be removed by a certified abatement contractor unless the project is at a single-family house the owner occupies. An Asbestos/Demolition Notification and filing fee go to the agency before friable material is removed, and depending on the size of the project a 10-day waiting period may apply. Notification is not required for projects involving less than 10 linear feet of pipe or 48 square feet of surface area per structure and calendar year.
Lead paint
The federal government banned lead-based paint for residential use in 1978, and about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before then still contain some. Federal law requires that anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in a pre-1978 home be certified and their employees trained in lead-safe practices. Firms must be certified too, and a certified renovator must be assigned to each job.
In Washington, firm certification runs through the Department of Commerce, which charges a $25 application fee, and the firm must hold an active state business license and an LNI contractor license if applicable. EPA recommends hiring a lead-safe certified contractor for any work in a pre-1978 home. Our payment protection guide covers what to put in the contract about both hazards.
Contracts and payments under Washington law
Chapter 18.27 RCW sets rules for contractors. The ones that matter most on a remodel:
- Registration: the contractor must be registered before work starts, and the registration number belongs in the contract.
- Disclosure statement: the contractor must give you one, and it is a prerequisite to filing a lien claim.
- Bond: $30,000 for a general contractor, $15,000 for a specialty contractor, claimable by a homeowner.
- Deadline to sue on the bond: a homeowner suing over breach of contract must file the summons and complaint within two years of when the work was substantially completed or abandoned.
- Attorneys' fees: a homeowner who prevails in a breach of contract action against the contractor and bond is entitled to costs, interest and reasonable attorneys' fees.
- Service on the bond: three copies of the summons and complaint plus a department fee of at least $50 go to the department by registered or certified mail.
A contractor who has a final judgment in a residential single-family case in the past five years may be required to file a bond up to three times the normal amount. Check that before you sign with a company that has a history.
How to check a remodeling contractor before you hire
- Get the registration number and look it up with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Confirm the status is active and the business name matches the contract.
- Confirm the bond is on file at the right amount: $30,000 for a general contractor, $15,000 for a specialty contractor.
- Check that insurance coverage is current. Registration is suspended if coverage lapses.
- Ask whether the company holds RRP firm certification from the Department of Commerce if your house was built before 1978.
- Ask for three local references from similar projects and call them.
- For subcontracted specialty work, check those registrations too.
Every contractor in the GOLDGCP network passes our six-step vetting: state license verification, an insurance check, a business and public-records check, a portfolio review, client reference calls, and onboarding with a quality score.
Areas we cover
GOLDGCP matches homeowners with licensed remodeling contractors across the Seattle metro, including:
- Seattle
- Bellevue and Redmond
- Kirkland and Renton
- Tacoma and Everett
Enter your ZIP code to see local prices and contractors who serve your street.
How GOLDGCP works
- Describe your project online, by phone or on WhatsApp. You see prices for your ZIP code before anyone visits.
- We match you with up to 3 vetted, licensed pros. For projects that need drawings, our in-house architects can prepare the plans for your city's permit desk.
- You compare written bids and choose one.
- You pay in milestones, and you pay each one only after you approve that stage. You can follow the schedule, photos and payments in the client portal.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a general contractor charge in Seattle?
The GC's fee is built into the project ranges. A standard renovation of a 1,500-square-foot Seattle house runs about $69,000 to $172,500, and a gut remodel $103,500 to $258,750. Local labor rates run above national figures, and older houses often add contingency of 10 to 15 percent.
Do I need a registered contractor for a remodel in Washington?
Yes. Chapter 18.27 RCW requires every contractor to register with the state. A general contractor registration carries a $30,000 bond and a specialty registration $15,000. Check the registration and bond before you sign, and keep a copy of the signed contract.
How much can a contractor ask as a down payment in Seattle?
Washington's contractor chapter requires a written disclosure statement and a registered contractor, and it lets a homeowner claim against the bond for breach of contract including improper work. Ask for a milestone schedule and pay for work already done. Our payment protection guide walks through the schedule.
How long does a Seattle-area permit take for an addition?
It depends on the city and the project. Bellevue offers a Predevelopment Services Review before you apply. Redmond and Kirkland publish fee schedules and review timelines. Ask for the current review time before you set a start date, and leave room for a round of plan corrections.
Can I add an ADU to my property in the Seattle metro?
Often, yes. Redmond requires a building permit for an ADU and sprinklers in detached units. Renton offers free model base plans through its Permit Ready ADU program. Check lot coverage and setbacks before you pay for a design.
Does my remodel need an asbestos survey?
Before beginning any renovation in the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's area, you must check for asbestos. Homeowners who live in and own the single-family house may do their own survey; in all other situations an AHERA-certified inspector must do it. A copy of the survey stays at the project site.
Can I cancel a remodeling contract after I sign it in Washington?
Washington's contractor chapter requires a disclosure statement and registration, and it gives homeowners a path to claim against the bond. Read the cancellation terms in your contract before you sign, and do not let work start or permits get pulled until you are sure.
How we calculate these prices
GOLDGCP starts from national price ranges for each job, taken from published 2026 cost guides and checked against local price guides where they exist. To get a local price, we multiply the national range by the construction cost factor for the metro from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors (US average = 1.00). Where that table has no entry for a metro, we use the nearest listed location or the state value. For ZIP codes outside the 50 largest metros, the cost estimator uses the state's price level from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. Ranges include labor and standard materials but not unusual site conditions, so a written quote after an inspection is always the final price.
Sources
About this guide
Written by the GOLDGCP editorial team. Prices come from national cost guides adjusted with official construction cost factors for Seattle; rules and statistics come from the agencies and reports linked in the text. We update this page when prices or codes change.