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Independent Cost Data · 6 Trades · 25 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.

See if a contractor’s quote is fair for your city.

or browse all 6 trades ↓
Outdoor Living & Hardscapes $3,726 avgPlumbing $1,658 avgHVAC $10,563 avgPainting $9,899 avgBathroom Remodeling $24,388 avgKitchen Remodeling $30,362 avgOutdoor Living & Hardscapes $3,726 avgPlumbing $1,658 avgHVAC $10,563 avgPainting $9,899 avgBathroom Remodeling $24,388 avgKitchen Remodeling $30,362 avg
Trades
Real cost ranges for 6 home-improvement trades.
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Cities
Local labor, material, and permit pricing by city.
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Calculators
Build a true-cost estimate for your job, line by line.
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Contractor Directory
Vetted local pros in the Better Builders Network.
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Proprietary benchmarks · BLS · FRED · Census · Craftsman
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.

Browse By City

Your city. Every trade.

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
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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) · 2026-07-21