Methodology
Every number here can be traced back to an assumption.
Advistra is a pricing model, not a quote. Here is exactly how it works so you can judge it for yourself.
1. Scope-driven unit costs
Each answer maps to one or more cost specs with a low, expected, and high unit price. Costs are applied per square foot, per fixture, or as a flat allowance depending on how that trade actually bills. Nothing is a percentage of an arbitrary base.
2. Regional adjustment
A single regional factor scales material and labor together. It reflects prevailing trade rates and permit burden, not cost of living generally.
| Northeast metro | ×1.28 | Union trade rates, permit review queues, and building access fees drive the premium. |
| West coast metro | ×1.32 | Licensed trade shortages and strict code upgrades add both labor hours and inspection cycles. |
| Midwest metro | ×1.04 | Balanced trade supply. Material costs track national averages closely. |
| South metro | ×0.96 | Competitive contractor market, though fast-growth areas have tightened labor availability. |
| Mountain west | ×1.12 | Long material lead times and travel time for trades in less dense areas. |
| Rural / small town | ×0.88 | Lower labor rates, but fewer bidders — get more quotes than a metro homeowner would. |
3. Complexity multipliers
Moving plumbing, opening walls, working in older housing stock, and tight access all raise labor hours rather than material cost. These are applied as explicit multipliers on the labor category so you can see what the difficulty is costing you.
4. Category structure
Every estimate resolves into the same categories so bids can be compared against it directly:
DemolitionPlumbingElectricalFlooringTile & WallsFixturesVanity & CabinetryCountertopsLightingFinishesLaborPermits
5. Contingency
Contingency scales with genuine unknowns — home age, structural work, plumbing relocation — between 10% and 20% of the expected total. It sits outside the contract price and belongs to you, not the contractor.
6. What this is not
It is not a bid, not a guarantee, and not tied to any contractor network. Advistra does not sell your project to anyone. Use the range to judge the bids you receive, then let the written scope decide.