Project Contingency Calculator
Safe budget = base × (1 + contingency %). New construction 5%, remodels 10-15%, gut renos 20%+.
Result
Safe budget
$56,000
Base $50,000 + 12% contingency.
- Base estimate$50,000
- Project typeremodel
- Contingency %12%
- Contingency $$6,000
- Safe budget$56,000
Step-by-step
- Contingency = 50000 × 0.1200 = $6,000.
- Safe budget = base + contingency = $56,000.
How to use this calculator
- Enter your base estimate from quotes.
- Pick project type — be honest about complexity.
- Don't share contingency budget with contractors.
- Treat contingency as held aside, not spendable.
About this calculator
Contingency is what stops a project from becoming a personal-finance crisis. Industry rules of thumb: 5% for new construction (everything is unbuilt and visible), 10-15% for remodels (kitchens, baths reveal hidden problems), 20-25% for full gut renos, 30%+ for historic restorations and structures over 75 years old. Contingency lives in your budget, not the contractor's — they don't see it. If you tell the contractor your max is $80k and you have $70k base + $10k contingency, the bid will eat the contingency.
Frequently asked
Pre-1980 homes: lead paint, asbestos, knob-and-tube wiring, undersized supply lines, lath-and-plaster walls. Each can add $5-15k unexpectedly.
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