Kitchen & Bath Remodel ROI: What Pays Back at Resale

A minor, midrange kitchen remodel is the kitchen or bath project most likely to pay for itself when you sell. In the 2025 Cost vs. Value report, it cost $28,458 on average nationally and added an estimated $32,141 in resale value, a 112.9% return. A midrange bathroom remodel came next at 80.0%. Bigger, more luxurious jobs get back roughly a third to half of what they cost, which is why most homeowners should plan a remodel around how they live, not around a sale that may be years away.

The 2025 Cost vs. Value Numbers for Kitchens and Baths

Zonda's annual Cost vs. Value report compares what common remodeling projects cost with how much value they add at resale. The 2025 edition, published in September 2025, was the most recent one available when we wrote this. Here are its national averages for every kitchen and bathroom project it tracks.

Project (2025 national average)	Job cost	Value at resale	Cost recouped
Minor kitchen remodel, midrange	$28,458	$32,141	112.9%
Bath remodel, midrange	$26,138	$20,915	80.0%
Bath remodel, universal design	$42,183	$25,812	61.2%
Bathroom addition, midrange	$60,645	$32,347	53.3%
Major kitchen remodel, midrange	$82,793	$42,130	50.9%
Bath remodel, upscale	$81,612	$34,000	41.7%
Bathroom addition, upscale	$111,255	$40,526	36.4%
Major kitchen remodel, upscale	$164,104	$58,561	35.7%

The minor kitchen remodel ranked fifth among the report's 28 projects and was the only interior project in the top five. The four ahead of it were all exterior jobs, led by garage door replacement at 268%.

What "Cost Recouped" Actually Measures

Read the fine print before you treat these percentages as a promise. Job costs come from Zonda's work with Verisk's XactRemodel estimating data. Resale values come from surveys of real estate professionals, who estimate how much a project would add to a home's selling price. Cost recouped is simply the resale estimate divided by the job cost. It's an informed opinion, not a record of actual home sales.

Each project also has a fixed scope, and the winners are narrower than most people picture. The minor kitchen remodel keeps the cabinet boxes in a 200-square-foot kitchen but adds new shaker-style doors and drawer fronts with new hardware, an energy-efficient range and refrigerator, laminate countertops, a midpriced sink and faucet, resilient flooring and fresh paint. The midrange bath remodel updates a 5-by-7-foot room with a new tub and ceramic tile surround, toilet, solid-surface vanity top, tile floor and a recessed medicine cabinet with a light. If your plans include new cabinets, stone counters or a new layout, compare them with the major remodel rows instead.

Location moves the numbers, too. The same minor kitchen remodel recouped 129.1% in the report's Pacific region and 109.2% in the South Atlantic region. The midrange bath remodel came in at 91.0% and 75.3% in those same two regions. That's a swing of roughly 15 to 20 points on an identical project, purely from where it was built.

Why Smaller Projects Pay Back More

The pattern in the table is consistent: the less a project costs, the larger the share that comes back. Buyers will pay for a kitchen that looks fresh and works well, but they won't reimburse you dollar for dollar for your taste in tile, cabinets or appliances. Zonda's commentary on the 2025 report makes the same point, noting that large interior remodels can be personally rewarding but are often too subjective in their appeal to earn the same return at sale.

Over-improving is the other trap. Buyers, and the appraisers their lenders hire, size up a house against comparable homes nearby. In our view, if an upscale kitchen lifts your home far above the finish level of the neighborhood, expect much of that spending to pay you back in daily life rather than in offers.

Most People Remodel to Live in the House, Not to Sell It

Resale tables answer a question most homeowners aren't asking. In the 2026 Houzz & Home Renovation Trends Study, which surveyed homeowners about projects completed in 2025, only 8% named planning to sell as a reason they renovated. The top triggers were finally having the time (40%) and being financially ready (36%).

The National Association of Realtors found the same thing in its 2025 Remodeling Impact Report. Only 4% of homeowners said better resale value was the most important result of their project, while 28% pointed to better functionality and livability. After remodeling, 64% said they had a greater desire to be in their home.

Zonda's analysts make a related point: interior projects make the most sense for people who plan to stay in their homes for a long time. If that's you, the return that counts arrives every day. It's a kitchen with room for two cooks, a bathroom that's easy to clean and a shower you can still step into safely at 80.

How to Use Payback Numbers When You Plan

Let your timeline set the strategy.

Selling within a year or two: Think like the minor kitchen remodel. Refresh rather than rebuild: paint, new cabinet fronts or hardware, a new countertop, updated lighting and appliances that work. Fix anything a home inspector would flag before you spend on style.
Staying five years or longer: Design for your household. Spend on what you touch every day, keep the layout if it already works, since moving walls and plumbing adds cost, and pick finishes you won't tire of.
Planning to stay as you age: The report's universal design bathroom, with a curbless shower, a 36-inch door and a comfort-height toilet, recouped 61.2%, well ahead of the upscale bath at 41.7%. Our guide to planning an aging-in-place bathroom covers the dimensions that matter.

National averages are only a starting point. Our kitchen remodel cost guide and bathroom remodel cost guide break down typical price ranges, and comparing several written estimates shows what your specific scope costs where you live.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which kitchen remodel has the best return on investment?

In the 2025 Cost vs. Value report, a minor midrange kitchen remodel recouped 112.9% of its $28,458 national average cost, the best of any kitchen or bath project. It's a cosmetic and appliance update that keeps the existing layout and cabinet boxes. A major midrange kitchen remodel recouped 50.9%, and an upscale one 35.7%.

What bathroom remodel adds the most value?

A midrange bath remodel, which replaces the fixtures, tile and vanity top in an existing 5-by-7-foot bathroom, recouped 80.0% nationally. A universal design remodel recouped 61.2% and an upscale remodel 41.7%. Bathroom additions recouped 53.3% at the midrange level and 36.4% at the upscale level.

Should I remodel my kitchen before selling my house?

Usually not a full remodel. Both major kitchen remodels in the report returned only about a third to half of their cost. If the kitchen is dated, a modest refresh is the easier move to justify, and a local real estate agent can tell you what buyers at your price point expect.

Is a remodel worth it if I won't get my money back?

It can be, if you'll live in the house long enough to enjoy it. Only 8% of homeowners in the 2026 Houzz study renovated because they planned to sell, and in NAR's survey 64% said they wanted to be at home more after remodeling. Treat resale value as a bonus, not the reason.

How accurate are Cost vs. Value percentages?

They're good for comparing projects with one another and less reliable as a prediction for one house. Resale values are estimates from real estate professionals, not recorded sale prices, and each project has a fixed scope that may not match yours. Results also vary by region, so check the figures for your area on the report's website.

Which Kitchen and Bath Remodels Pay Back at Resale?