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Independent Cost Data · 6 Trades · 20 Cities

Your contractor quoted you a number. Is it fair?

We built a cost index from BLS wages, material prices, and real permit fees so you can see what your project should actually cost, before you sign anything. Built for homeowners, not a contractor pricing tool.

6
home-improvement trades
20
US cities
Every quote checked against verified per-city labor, material, and permit data.
Outdoor Living & Hardscapes $3,722 avgPlumbing $2,004 avgHVAC $11,988 avgPainting $9,440 avgBathroom Remodeling $24,101 avgKitchen Remodeling $29,075 avgOutdoor Living & Hardscapes $3,722 avgPlumbing $2,004 avgHVAC $11,988 avgPainting $9,440 avgBathroom Remodeling $24,101 avgKitchen Remodeling $29,075 avg
Proprietary benchmarks · BLS · FRED · Census · Craftsman
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What this is

Kelley Blue Book, for construction.

You can look up what a used Civic is worth in about ten seconds. Figuring out a fair price for a new water heater, a repainted house, or a kitchen remodel is somehow still a guessing game. We fix that. TheFatBook builds the real cost of common home improvement jobs from federal wage data, a licensed cost book, current material prices, and the actual permit fee in your city, then shows you the fair range and the floor a contractor can still do the work for. No lead forms, no kickbacks, no "request a quote" maze. Know the number before you sign, then hire whoever you want.

What Are You Getting Done?

Pick your trade. We'll show you the real numbers.

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Popular Cost Guides

Real numbers on the jobs people ask about.

Expert Review

Who reviewed the methodology.

Every cost figure, and the methodology behind it, is reviewed by Leonard "Chuck" Thompson, LC Thompson Construction Co., Owner (retired) · High-End Residential & Commercial Builder · Jefferson City, MO.

Read the full methodology →
Stop Guessing

You shouldn't need three quotes to know if one quote is fair.

Enter your contractor's number. We'll tell you where it lands against verified cost data for your city, and show you what the job should actually cost, line by line.

Outdoor Living & HardscapesPlumbingHVACPaintingBathroom RemodelingKitchen Remodeling
DO
Cost index built by David Olson, Creator of the Cost Index & Permit Dataset · Methodology reviewed by Leonard "Chuck" Thompson, LC Thompson Construction Co., Owner (retired) · 2026-07-11