Costs to Rehab - Pittsburgh (Help a new guy out)
Member since 2025 · 5 posts · 5 votes
Costs to Rehab - Pittsburgh (Help a new guy out)
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Alex HilemanPro Member
Real Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2023 · 225 posts · 147 votesI would ask a contractor to walk it for you to get a rough estimate. It's impossible to give a rough cost per square foot, but here are some big ticket items to look out for:
Sewer: Most houses in Pittsburgh were built around the early 1900s and have cast iron sewer pipes under the house, and terra cotta sewer pipes from the house to the main tie in. The home owner owns the line from the house to the main tie in, and the main tie in could be in the front of the house, or it could be in the back. Often times, the terra cotta cracks or tree roots grow into it. Getting a $200 sewer inspection can save you $20,000+ in sewer line repairs.
Foundation: A lot of the old foundations were sandstone or other natural stone. If there isn't proper water drainage, the water can wash away or erode the foundation. A home inspector can recognize foundation damage and a waterproofing or foundation contractor can get you a price on foundation repairs. A home inspector can also inspect the supporting beams. You will probably notice if the beams were not spaced out correctly or if someone cut into the beams because it will cause the floor to sag. Also hard to give a price on this one but they charge per beam or per support that they have to put in. Ballpark $8,000 - $16,000.
Roof: A roof repair or replacement will depend on the size, pitch (or slope), and material of the roof. Most roof leaks that I see are from chimney flashing than needs repaired. If a roof leak was left unfixed for a long time, then you'll need to remove drywall and remediate for mold, and the drywall finishing can get expensive. Nothing too crazy, I estimate $800 per wall. Roof replacement would be closer to $10,000.
Full bathroom remodel: around $8,000
Full kitchen: around $25,000 for a basic kitchen. The cabinets are the most expensive part. If you can refinish and paint them you would save a lot. More high end kitchens run $40,000+
Flooring: Carpet is about $800 per bedroom (or $2.50 per sq ft). Vinyl plank is about $7-10 per sq ft depending on how high end you go. Don't get the thin flimsy LVP, it tears when you drag appliances or furniture.
Most basements I have seen have some sort of water intrusion. It could be an easy fix like painting the walls with a waterproofing membrane, or it could require a more serious foundation repair. You can start with checking the drains to make sure the water run off from the roof ins't pouring straight down and is getting diverted away from the house. It may need a drain diverter or a french drain.
Windows: It depends on the size, but these can run $500+ per window.
As for comparable numbers, looking on Zillow or Realtor to see homes that sold or are on the market in the same area is a good start. If you have an agent, they can get you a comparative market analysis.
With foreclosures you usually don't get to have inspection contingencies with your offer, so you would need to get inspections done before you submit an offer.
Hope this helps give you a ballpark of costs. Let me know if you have any other questions!
8 Replies
- 1yNicholas L.Pro MemberFlipper/Rehabber · Pittsburgh · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes
no one can do this. the rehab is what it is. you'll have to estimate it. start with the big ticket items and go from there. per square foot especially for older houses can easily be wildly off.
also, happy to help with your question on comps but i don't know what you're asking.
- 1yZachary DealPro MemberLender · Member since 2023 · 465 posts · 425 votes
Quote from @Nicholas L.:
no one can do this. the rehab is what it is. you'll have to estimate it. start with the big ticket items and go from there. per square foot especially for older houses can easily be wildly off.
also, happy to help with your question on comps but i don't know what you're asking.
Nicholas makes a great point. Each house and property is unique and it depends on the level of renovations you'd like to make and the quality of materials you'll use. I'd recommend walking the property with a contractor to get a good idea of potential budget and timeline. Also be very careful of pre 1950s houses if you're new. Older homes can have fun hidden surprises that can significantly increase rehab costs and I would not recommend taking on a project like that until you have some experience under your belt
- 1yJeremy TaggartBusiness MemberReal Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2014 · 850 posts · 646 votes
@Sireno Mattie Can't really do an accurate cost per square on these old Pittsburgh homes since there are so many variables involved. Typically you are going to run at least $40k if it's just cosmetics, but you can get up into $150-$200k if it's a large gut rehab that needs everything say in city limits.
If you want to post the link to the property or send over to me I'm happy to give a rough estimate on both rehab and ARV. RE agents can run comps really quick so usually that's your best bet to confirm ARV. You can use Zillow or Realtor to at least get in the ballpark though.
DHRE- The Jeremy Taggart Team590 Reviews - Member since 2025 · 5 posts · 5 votes1y
Thanks for the reply, I was basing it off a rough scale provider by another flipper, but he works out of Vegas, so not quite comparable.
$30 per sqft for general up to $60 per sqft for more overhaul jobs.
i was just hoping people familiar with the area might have a better grasp of what a scale like that might look like here.
- 1yPeter MckernanBusiness MemberResidential Real Estate Agent · Irvine, CA · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
Never base any rehab or flip off numbers from someone else or an example of something someone gave you. You need to have boots on the ground numbers to run on that project, or you can have similar projects you have been doing for awhile in the area and then match them but this takes some time for experience.
The McKernan Group4.957 Reviews
- 1yMatt DingusBusiness MemberReal Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2020 · 83 posts · 76 votes
Hey @Sireno Mattie -
From my experience with these types of properties—if it’s anywhere close to a “gut” renovation, you’re realistically in the $70K–$80K+ range at the very least, especially if your end plan is to flip-to-sell. Once you start tackling the big-ticket items, the costs stack up quickly. It’s becoming rare to finish these projects in the $40K–$50K range anymore.
Without more details it’s hard to nail down exact numbers, but I’d make sure you’ve got a healthy buffer built into your budget and that you’re accounting for everything. Best move is having someone on the ground walk it and outline all the work needed—then line that up with comps in the area so you know what scope you’ll need to hit resale numbers.
RealtyCo - Matt Dingus Pittsburgh REI534 Reviews - 1yAlex HilemanPro MemberReal Estate Agent · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2023 · 225 posts · 147 votes
I would ask a contractor to walk it for you to get a rough estimate. It's impossible to give a rough cost per square foot, but here are some big ticket items to look out for:
Sewer: Most houses in Pittsburgh were built around the early 1900s and have cast iron sewer pipes under the house, and terra cotta sewer pipes from the house to the main tie in. The home owner owns the line from the house to the main tie in, and the main tie in could be in the front of the house, or it could be in the back. Often times, the terra cotta cracks or tree roots grow into it. Getting a $200 sewer inspection can save you $20,000+ in sewer line repairs.
Foundation: A lot of the old foundations were sandstone or other natural stone. If there isn't proper water drainage, the water can wash away or erode the foundation. A home inspector can recognize foundation damage and a waterproofing or foundation contractor can get you a price on foundation repairs. A home inspector can also inspect the supporting beams. You will probably notice if the beams were not spaced out correctly or if someone cut into the beams because it will cause the floor to sag. Also hard to give a price on this one but they charge per beam or per support that they have to put in. Ballpark $8,000 - $16,000.
Roof: A roof repair or replacement will depend on the size, pitch (or slope), and material of the roof. Most roof leaks that I see are from chimney flashing than needs repaired. If a roof leak was left unfixed for a long time, then you'll need to remove drywall and remediate for mold, and the drywall finishing can get expensive. Nothing too crazy, I estimate $800 per wall. Roof replacement would be closer to $10,000.
Full bathroom remodel: around $8,000
Full kitchen: around $25,000 for a basic kitchen. The cabinets are the most expensive part. If you can refinish and paint them you would save a lot. More high end kitchens run $40,000+
Flooring: Carpet is about $800 per bedroom (or $2.50 per sq ft). Vinyl plank is about $7-10 per sq ft depending on how high end you go. Don't get the thin flimsy LVP, it tears when you drag appliances or furniture.
Most basements I have seen have some sort of water intrusion. It could be an easy fix like painting the walls with a waterproofing membrane, or it could require a more serious foundation repair. You can start with checking the drains to make sure the water run off from the roof ins't pouring straight down and is getting diverted away from the house. It may need a drain diverter or a french drain.
Windows: It depends on the size, but these can run $500+ per window.
As for comparable numbers, looking on Zillow or Realtor to see homes that sold or are on the market in the same area is a good start. If you have an agent, they can get you a comparative market analysis.
With foreclosures you usually don't get to have inspection contingencies with your offer, so you would need to get inspections done before you submit an offer.
Hope this helps give you a ballpark of costs. Let me know if you have any other questions!
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