2026 Midwest Construction Cost Benchmarks
What will your home project cost?
Tell us about your home project and we'll share a Good, Better, Best range for construction costs, furniture & accessory budgets, and interior design fees.
Substantial renovation goes beyond a surface finish refresh. For RWDC projects, this typically means reallocating space, coordinating with trades, installing new FF&E, updating lighting and finishes — whether for a single floor or an entire home.
SF
Used to estimate your furnishings budget and interior design fees across the whole project. Construction costs come from the spaces you select below.
Which spaces are part of your project?
Add a quantity for each space you're tackling. Average and Large reflect typical US/Midwest room sizes — Large spaces carry a 10% premium for added size and complexity.
Construction Costs
Your Home
All-in construction costs. These ranges include hard costs (materials & labor), general conditions, and general contractor overhead & profit.
| Space | Good | Better | Best |
|---|
FF&E & Art / Accessories
Furnishing your home
These are product costs — separate from construction costs and design fees. Estimated across your total home square footage.
Interior Design Fees
What does interior design cost?
RWDC uses a hybrid model: a flat fee per square foot for the design phases, with construction administration, procurement, and project management billed hourly.
These are estimates only. Reed Walker Design Collective produces a custom proposal based on each specific project.
Residential interior design fees are typically higher as a percentage than commercial, reflecting the highly personalized nature of the work — selecting each finish, fixture, and piece of furniture for a home that fits how you actually live.
Residential interior design fees are typically higher as a percentage than commercial, reflecting the highly personalized nature of the work — selecting each finish, fixture, and piece of furniture for a home that fits how you actually live.
Architecture, engineering, and construction management are not included in interior design fees and are contracted separately when your project requires them.
Grand Total Estimate
Cost Summary
| Cost Category | Good | Better | Best |
|---|
What's not included: construction management, architecture, engineering (MEP/structural), permitting fees, and site work beyond the selected spaces.