About CostRange
CostRange is an independent cost-research site. We publish practical, up-to-date price estimates for the home improvement and auto repair projects people actually search for, and we localize every figure to the city level. The goal is simple: help you walk into a contractor or repair-shop quote already knowing the fair price range for your area, so you can tell a reasonable number from an inflated one.
What we do
Most cost guides give you a single national average and stop there. That number is almost never what you will pay, because the biggest driver of price on nearly every project is local labor, and labor rates swing widely from one metro to the next. CostRange exists to close that gap. For each project we start from a researched national baseline, then adjust it using a city-level cost index so the range you see reflects where you actually live.
How we build our estimates
Every estimate begins with a national low, average, and high figure compiled from published pricing guides, contractor and repair-shop data, and industry cost reporting for the current year. We work in ranges rather than a single number because real projects vary by scope, materials, and condition. Each project is then split into a labor portion and a materials portion. Materials tend to be priced fairly consistently across the country, while labor tracks local wages, so we scale the two differently. Finally, we apply a city cost index (anchored to a national average of 1.00) to produce the localized figures shown on each page. You can read the full process on our methodology page.
Why localized numbers matter
The same water heater, roof, or brake job can cost noticeably more in a high-wage coastal metro than in a lower-cost inland city. Permit fees, contractor demand, climate-driven material choices, and cost of living all feed into the final quote. By weighting local labor rates heavily and refreshing our baseline figures for the current year, we aim to give you a number that is genuinely useful for planning and negotiating, not a generic average that applies to nobody in particular.
Keeping data current
Prices move. We review and update our national baselines on a regular cycle and stamp every page with the date it was last updated, so you always know how fresh the figure is. When readers tell us a number looks off for their area, we investigate, corrections from people on the ground are one of the most valuable inputs we have.
Editorial independence
CostRange is not owned by, affiliated with, or paid by any contractor, manufacturer, repair chain, or lead-generation company. We do not sell your information and we do not perform the services we write about. The site is supported by advertising, which is kept separate from our cost research. Ads never influence the figures we publish.
A note on accuracy
Our figures are informational estimates, not quotes. They are a starting point for your research, not a substitute for a written estimate from a licensed local professional. Always collect two or three local quotes before committing to a project. Please read our disclaimer for the full picture, and feel free to get in touch with questions or corrections.