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Preparing to sell · what it costs What might it cost to prepare your home?

Preparation costs vary widely from one home to the next. This guide offers reference ranges for common projects around the Peninsula, along with the factors that can move each price. The right plan is not necessarily the longest list. It is the work that makes sense for your home, your timing, and your goals.

Read this first

Use this as a planning guide—not a to-do list.

Every project should begin with the home itself. Some work may improve the first impression, some may address condition or safety, and some may not be worthwhile before a sale.

These ranges help you understand the scale of possible expenses. They do not replace a contractor’s proposal, an inspection, a specialist assessment, or a written scope of work.

Before spending, I’ll help you sort the possible projects into three groups:

  • Worth considering before the sale.
  • Worth investigating further.
  • Better left for the next owner, or addressed only if a professional recommends it.

The purpose is to make thoughtful decisions—not to improve everything.

Peninsula prices

Nine jobs, on one scale.

Reference ranges for common preparation projects. Each range reflects a particular scope, property size, material choice, and level of finish. Your home may fall outside these examples.

Reference range — the span most jobs of this scope fall within. Typical planning figure — a single number to plan around, not a price. Not a quote — nothing here is an estimate for any particular house.

  • Roof replacement composition shingle, 2,000–2,500 sq ft house
    $15k $25k planning figure $38k
  • Exterior painting 2,500 sq ft house, prep plus two coats
    $11.3k $16.5k planning figure $25k
  • Interior painting whole house, 2,500 sq ft, walls and ceilings, two coats
    $7.5k $13k planning figure $22.5k
  • Hardwood floor refinishing sand and refinish, 2,500 sq ft of floor
    $7.5k $12k planning figure $20k
  • Landscaping refresh roughly 7,000 sq ft lot — clean-up, planting, mulch, irrigation repair
    $1.5k $4.5k planning figure $12k
  • Termite clearance (Section 1) treatment and repair, single-family home
    $800 $4k planning figure $30k
  • Power washing driveway, walkways and house exterior
    $450 $900 planning figure $1.8k
  • Deep clean 2,500 sq ft house, pre-listing standard
    $500 $850 planning figure $1.5k
  • Window cleaning inside and out, typical single-family home
    $250 $525 planning figure $1.2k
Each bar is a reference range; the dot is the typical planning figure inside it. Neither is a quote for any particular house. The scale is logarithmic — these items differ by more than a hundredfold, and on an even scale the six cheapest would be indistinguishable from each other. Both ends of every range are printed, so nothing has to be measured off the page. Sources and dates for each figure are underneath.

What moves each one

The number is never the number.

Every project on this list has two or three variables doing most of the work. Knowing which ones is how you read a proposal.

  • Roof replacement

    composition shingle, 2,000–2,500 sq ft house

    Reference range $15,000 – $38,000 Typical planning figure $25,000 · not a quote

    What the range covers

    A full tear-off and replacement in composition shingle on a 2,000–2,500 square foot house, including disposal and a standard city permit.

    What can move the number

    Material is the biggest driver: concrete or clay tile runs roughly twice composition, standing-seam metal about 1.8 times. After that it is pitch, how many layers have to come off, rotted decking at $75–150 a sheet, and city permit fees, which run $500–$2,000 on the Peninsula.

    What to confirm before budgeting

    Get bids from at least two licensed roofers, ask each to price decking replacement as a unit rate rather than an allowance, and confirm the permit fee with the city. Where a roof still has life in it, a roof inspection can help determine whether replacement is the right scope at all.

    2026 · Bay Area figures · Hamilton Exteriors — Bay Area roof costs , ViewPoint Roofing

  • Interior painting

    whole house, 2,500 sq ft, walls and ceilings, two coats

    Reference range $7,500 – $22,500 Typical planning figure $13,000 · not a quote

    What the range covers

    Walls and ceilings throughout a 2,500 square foot house, two coats, with standard preparation.

    What can move the number

    Sources disagree by about half — $3–6 a square foot across the Bay Area against $5–9 quoted for Palo Alto specifically. Ceilings, wallpaper removal (which can double a job), drywall repair, and whether the house is occupied all move it.

    What to confirm before budgeting

    Ask for a written scope naming which surfaces are included, how wallpaper removal and drywall repair are priced, and whether the estimate assumes an occupied or an empty house.

    2025–26 · Bay Area figures · GreatBuildz — Bay Area painting costs , Homeyou — Palo Alto interior painting

  • Exterior painting

    2,500 sq ft house, prep plus two coats

    Reference range $11,250 – $25,000 Typical planning figure $16,500 · not a quote

    What the range covers

    Preparation plus two coats on the exterior of a 2,500 square foot house.

    What can move the number

    Preparation is most of the cost and most of the variation — scraping, priming bare wood, replacing trim. Stucco, board-and-batten and shingle all price differently, and a second story adds staging time.

    What to confirm before budgeting

    Ask what preparation is included and how bare wood, trim replacement and second-storey access are priced. Where paint is failing over bare wood or the substrate looks damaged, a professional assessment can help determine the repair scope before any painting is quoted.

    2026 · Bay Area figures · Facade Colorizer — San Francisco exterior painting 2026 , GreatBuildz — Bay Area painting costs

  • Termite clearance (Section 1)

    treatment and repair, single-family home

    Reference range $800 – $30,000 Typical planning figure $4,000 · not a quote

    What the range covers

    Treatment and the repair work a Section 1 clearance calls for, on a single-family home.

    What can move the number

    The widest range on this page by a distance, and the sources are not close: Bay Area tenting is quoted anywhere from $1,500–$4,000 by local operators to $5,400–$9,200 by statewide guides. Repair is the real variable — minor work runs $600–$3,000, while sill plate, subfloor or joist damage runs $10,000–$30,000 and up. The inspection report itself is a separate cost — see the inspection prices further down this page.

    What to confirm before budgeting

    A wood-destroying-organism report from a licensed inspector is what defines the scope; until you have one, any figure here is a planning range and nothing more. Where sill plates, subfloor or joists are involved, a contractor or structural engineer should assess the repair.

    2026 · Bay Area figures · Termite Treatment Price — California , Custom Home — Bay Area termite repair

  • Landscaping refresh

    roughly 7,000 sq ft lot — clean-up, planting, mulch, irrigation repair

    Reference range $1,500 – $12,000 Typical planning figure $4,500 · not a quote

    What the range covers

    A refresh on roughly a 7,000 square foot lot: clean-up, planting, mulch and irrigation repair.

    What can move the number

    Three different products get called landscaping. A clean-up — cut back, weed, haul away — is $500–$2,500. This refresh tier is the usual listing answer. A redesign with grading, hardscape and new irrigation starts around $15,000 and passes $75,000 without difficulty. Irrigation repair alone is $200–$1,500, and crews bill $50–$100 an hour.

    What to confirm before budgeting

    Ask which tier a proposal is quoting, and whether haul-away, irrigation repair and maintenance through to the close of escrow are included. Tree work may call for an arborist, and several Peninsula cities regulate protected trees.

    2026 · Bay Area figures · Landscape Associates — San Jose landscaping costs

  • Hardwood floor refinishing

    sand and refinish, 2,500 sq ft of floor

    Reference range $7,500 – $20,000 Typical planning figure $12,000 · not a quote

    What the range covers

    Sanding and refinishing 2,500 square feet of hardwood.

    What can move the number

    Two different jobs share the name. A screen-and-recoat is $1.50–$2.50 a square foot; a full sand to bare wood is $3–$8. And most 2,500 square foot Peninsula houses have only 1,500–1,800 square feet of actual hardwood, so the real invoice is usually well under the figure above.

    What to confirm before budgeting

    Measure the actual hardwood area before budgeting, and ask whether a quote is a screen-and-recoat or a full sand to bare wood. Finishes in older houses can contain materials that warrant a specialist assessment before anything is sanded.

    2026 · Bay Area figures · 9Builders — Bay Area hardwood refinishing

  • Deep clean

    2,500 sq ft house, pre-listing standard

    Reference range $500 – $1,500 Typical planning figure $850 · not a quote

    What the range covers

    A pre-listing deep clean of a 2,500 square foot house.

    What can move the number

    A pre-listing clean is closer to a move-out clean than a regular one — inside cabinets, appliances, window tracks, garage. The cheapest quote and the most expensive are usually quoting different scopes.

    What to confirm before budgeting

    Ask for the room-by-room scope — inside cabinets, appliances, window tracks, garage — so two quotes can be compared on the same basis.

    2026 · Bay Area figures · Green Planet — Bay Area house cleaning costs

  • Power washing

    driveway, walkways and house exterior

    Reference range $450 – $1,800 Typical planning figure $900 · not a quote

    What the range covers

    Driveway, walkways and the exterior of a typical single-family home.

    What can move the number

    Concrete, pavers and wood all take different pressure and different time. A driveway on its own is usually a few hundred dollars.

    What to confirm before budgeting

    Ask which surfaces are included and at what pressure. Older paint, wood siding and some pavers can be damaged by the wrong setting, so the contractor should advise on each surface before starting.

    Bay Area data from 2024 — add roughly five to ten percent for 2026.

    2024 · Bay Area figures · HomeBlue — Bay Area pressure washing

  • Window cleaning

    inside and out, typical single-family home

    Reference range $250 – $1,200 Typical planning figure $525 · not a quote

    What the range covers

    Interior and exterior window cleaning at a typical single-family home.

    What can move the number

    Priced per window, $8–$16, with second-story windows at $10–$40 each. Screens and tracks are extra and are usually where a quote grows. Most firms have a $100–$250 minimum.

    What to confirm before budgeting

    Confirm the window count, whether screens and tracks are included, and the company’s minimum charge.

    Regional data from 2024, blended with 2026 national rates.

    2024–26 · national figures, adjusted for this market · HomeGuide — window cleaning prices , HomeBlue — San Jose window cleaning

In practice

How I use these numbers with sellers.

I don’t begin with a budget and then look for ways to spend it. I begin with the home.

We’ll consider what buyers are likely to notice, what the property needs, how long the work may take, and how the expense fits your plans. I’ll help you identify a focused scope, sequence the work, and decide where a quote or specialist opinion is needed.

The final plan may include several projects, a few targeted changes, or very little work at all.

  1. 01

    Look at the home

    Assess condition, presentation, layout, and the setting.

  2. 02

    Prioritize the work

    Separate worthwhile improvements from optional or uncertain projects.

  3. 03

    Confirm the numbers

    Obtain quotes and review timing before approving the work.

Before any of it

What it costs to find out whether you need to.

Inspections are not preparation work. They are what tells you whether preparation work is needed — which is a different decision, and a different line in a budget.

InspectionTypicalUp to
General home inspection $855 for 2,001–2,500 sq ft, rising to $1,055 at 4,500 $855 $1,055
Termite / wood-destroying organism report $555 for 2,001–2,500 sq ft, rising to $675 at 4,500 $555 $675
Roof inspection Free if the roofer is bidding competitively for the work $295 flat fee
Sewer lateral camera Waived if the repairs are then ordered $295 flat fee
Natural hazard disclosure report $79 ordered alongside an inspection $99 flat fee
Chimney Not a HomeGuard service; a Level 2 inspection is the upper end $225 $500

Billed prices from the HomeGuard Incorporated — 2026 Bay Area price sheet, covering Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and Sonoma counties. Estimates for reference only; the price at the time of service is the one that applies.

Ordered together

Termite and home inspection, plus one of roof, sewer lateral or pool comes to $1,505 on a 2,001–2,500 sq ft house — against $1,745 bought line by line. $1,425 on the smallest houses, $1,825 at 4,500 square feet.

A report is what turns a possible project into a defined scope, and a defined scope is what a contractor needs before a number means anything. Whether to inspect before you list is its own question, and the answer depends on the house.

One thing that is not on this page

Luxury staging, included in your listing service.

Maggie owns G.Studio, her staging company, and its furniture inventory, and personally designs and directs each home’s staging. Premium furnishings, considered room layouts, and finishing details are brought together specifically for your home. This service is included in her listing commission, without a separate staging fee.

The work above is third-party: roofers, painters, pest companies. Those are the seller’s costs with any agent, which is exactly why they are published and why the fee page names them too.

What the fee covers → What staging costs →

And one that belongs somewhere else

Closing costs are a separate bill.

Everything above is what the trades charge before the house goes on the market. Transfer tax, escrow, title and the state’s withholding at closing are a different set of numbers entirely — and in Palo Alto the transfer tax alone is the one most sellers have never heard of until it appears on a settlement statement.

What closing actually costs → And the tax on the gain →

Why national figures are no use here

Everything on this page costs more here, and nobody agrees how much more.

Estimates of the Bay Area premium over national trade costs range from about 15 percent to about 55 percent, depending who is counting. Turner & Townsend put San Francisco construction labor roughly 55 percent above the North American average in 2025; large renovation platforms say 30 to 50; Bay Area contractors themselves often say 15 to 25.

That is a threefold disagreement, so the sensible reading is a rule of thumb rather than a multiplier: labor-heavy work — painting, landscaping, cleaning, refinishing — runs well above national figures, while material-heavy work like roofing runs closer to them, because materials price nationally and labor does not.

Turner & Townsend — Global Construction Market Intelligence 2025 · Block Renovation — Bay Area renovation costs

Let’s build the right preparation plan for your home.

If you are considering a sale, I can walk through the home with you and help translate these ranges into a practical starting point. We’ll discuss what may be worthwhile, what needs further information, and what you may prefer to leave alone.

Plan a preparation walkthrough

Prefer to text? Text Maggie at 650.709.5588.

Or read what to fix before selling, whether to do any of it — including how the work can be funded without paying until escrow closes — or the rest of preparing your home for sale.

About these figures

  • Compiled September 28, 2026 from published regional cost data. Each item above carries its own year and its own source; where a figure rests on older data, the entry says so.
  • Reference ranges, never quotes. Nothing here is an estimate for any particular house, and no contractor is recommended or named on this page.
  • No return is claimed or implied. Nothing on this page says that any project will raise a sale price, shorten a sale, or pay for itself. Whether a given piece of work is worth doing is a judgment about one house, made with the people qualified to assess it.
  • Construction, permits, structure, insurance and environmental questions belong to professionals. Where an entry above names one, it names the assessment to get — a contractor’s written scope, an inspection, a permit review, an arborist, a structural engineer — rather than answering it here.
  • Where sources disagree, both are shown. Termite clearance and interior painting are the two where the spread is wide enough to matter.

Maggie Ma · DRE #02117367 · Keller Williams Palo Alto

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