Apartment renovation cost per unit: light, medium and full

The three scopes and their ranges

Example one standard unit (850 sq ft, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath) at the national average, DoorWalk rate card version 1.10 (2026-10-28). Each range includes 10% for surprises.

Light, medium and full are not an industry standard, so define them before you compare any two numbers. Here they are defined by the items in them.

What each scope includes

Light refresh

A full interior repaint, walls, ceilings, doors and trim, and six new LED light fixtures with a ceiling fan and light in each bedroom. The unit looks fresh and the kitchen and bath stay as they are.

Medium renovation

Everything in the light refresh, plus luxury vinyl plank flooring throughout, a classic kitchen refresh (painted cabinets, new pulls, laminate counters, a new sink and faucet) and a classic bath refresh (tub reglazed, regrouted and recaulked, a new mirror and accessories).

Full renovation

Everything in the light refresh and the new flooring, plus a premium kitchen (new shaker cabinets, quartz counters, tile backsplash, stainless appliances) and a premium bath (new vanity, toilet, tub surround, shower valve and trim).

None of these cover the bones: a failed water heater, a leaking drain, a bad panel or a roof. Those come from the walk and are priced separately, bones first. The unit walk checklist shows what to look for.

Why the range is so wide

Every price is a low, a middle and a high. The low and high ends use lower and higher material prices and labor rates, and they widen when a quantity is a guess instead of a measurement. These quantities come from the unit type, 850 square feet, not from a tape measure, which is why the ranges are wide. Measure one unit of the floor plan and the range narrows.

The full renovation is the widest because the premium kitchen carries the largest single spread: $7,209 to $18,969 before the 10% for surprises. Appliances and cabinets vary far more by product than paint does.

From one unit to a property budget

Price one unit per floor plan, choose a scope for each group of units, then multiply. A property rarely gets one scope everywhere: vacant, worn units get the full scope, and units that rent well get a light one.

Example a 40 unit property. 10 units get the light refresh, 20 the medium renovation and 10 the full one, at the national average. Each unit's range is rounded to whole dollars before it is multiplied.

Divide by 40 for a budget per door: about $12,750 to $28,131. Add the roof, buildings and site, which are not inside a unit. How to estimate renovation cost per unit shows the method with the roof and site added.

One measured unit per floor plan

You do not need to measure every unit. Measure one typical unit of each floor plan and let it stand in for the others, then walk a few more of that plan to check it is typical. If one is far worse, price it as its own scope. DoorWalk works this way: a quantity from a measured unit of the same floor plan has a narrower range than one guessed from the unit type.

Your city changes the number

These are national numbers. In DoorWalk's cost table only labor changes by city, so a labor-heavy scope moves the most. For one worked city, see what it costs to renovate an apartment unit in New York City. A contractor's bid is the final word, and the guide on comparing contractor bids shows how to check it against your estimate.

How DoorWalk does this

On the Improvements tab, DoorWalk lists these options with a cost for each and shows what each does to your deal numbers once you add a price, rents and a loan rate. Prices come from the cost table, never from AI, and each shows as a range with a confidence level. Open the example property to try it.