Luis Boza Architect
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Tool
Hard costs vs. soft costs.

Every construction budget splits into two kinds of spending: the physical building, and everything that has to happen for the building to legally and safely exist. Move the slider to see how a typical budget divides.

Your total project budget
$150,000
$25k$750k
Hard costs$0
Soft costs$0
Materials, labor, and finishes$0
Contractor overhead and profit$0
Design fees$0
Permit and code compliance$0
Contingency (recommended reserve)$0

Illustrative, based on typical residential renovation splits in the DC/MD/VA market. Every project's actual split depends on scope, site conditions, and finish level - this shows the shape of where money goes, not a quote for your project.

Next step

Curious what permit fees specifically run against a budget like this?

Estimate permit fees →