How Much Does It Cost to Remodel an Entire House in Melbourne, FL?

We couldn't find any published whole-house remodel prices for Melbourne or Brevard County, so the estimates on this page come from our Florida planning ranges. For an example one-story, 2,000 sq. ft. concrete-block home, a cosmetic refresh comes to about $39,500–$89,500. A full remodel in the same layout with new impact windows comes to about $99,000–$210,000, and a premium remodel with a new kitchen layout about $156,000–$335,000. Those totals leave out the electrical panel, plumbing, air conditioning, the roof, design, permits and a contingency, and any of those can break a whole-house budget.

This page shows the arithmetic, then covers the costs, permits, flood rules and phasing choices specific to a project this size. If your house is several decades old, read how to renovate an older Florida home without costly surprises for what to investigate before you design.

Whole-house remodel cost at a glance

These are illustrative estimates for the example home described below, not quotes. Each one adds up our planning ranges for the rooms and systems listed, then rounds the total.

None of these include a new roof, electrical or plumbing upgrades, air conditioning, design, engineering, permit fees, appliances bought separately or a contingency.

What published figures show

We found no Melbourne-specific or Brevard-specific whole-house remodel figures from contractors, cost-guide websites or any government source. The closest comes from South Florida. One South Florida remodeling company's 2026 guide prices a 2,000 sq. ft. home at about $80,000 for an entry-level remodel, $150,000–$220,000 for mid-range and $280,000 or more for high-end. That's roughly $40 per square foot for entry-level work, $75–$110 for mid-range and $140 or more for high-end. The same guide says South Florida labor rates run 15–25% above the national average.

We found no published comparison of Brevard and South Florida labor rates, so don't assume Space Coast prices are lower by any set amount. Our standard example overlaps much of that guide's mid-range figure but starts lower. Our refresh starts well below its entry level, because a refresh keeps the cabinets, plumbing and windows, and the guide doesn't say what its entry level includes. A figure from a business that sells remodeling, with no stated scope, is a rough cross-check at best. Our page on how we estimate costs explains where our own ranges come from.

The ranges behind the examples

Our examples add up the planning ranges we publish for individual projects. They assume the usual lump-sum contract, where the contractor's price includes Florida sales tax on materials. Appliances you buy separately may have sales tax added on top.

Kitchens

Typical kitchen remodel budgets in Florida

Item	Estimated range	What affects it
Refresh (keep cabinets and layout, update surfaces)	$10,000–$30,000per kitchen	Painted or refaced cabinets, new countertops, backsplash, sink, faucet and lighting.
Mid-range full remodel	$30,000–$65,000per kitchen	New semi-custom cabinets, quartz or granite counters, new lighting, mostly the same layout.
High-end or layout change	$65,000–$150,000per kitchen	Custom cabinetry, wall removal, relocated plumbing, premium appliances. Miami and coastal metros trend higher.

In all three examples, the kitchen costs more than any other single room. For line items such as cabinets and countertops, see kitchen remodel costs in Brevard County, or try the kitchen remodel calculator. If you're weighing countertop materials, see quartz vs. granite in Florida.

Bathrooms

Typical bathroom remodel budgets in Florida (standard 5 × 8 ft hall bathroom)

Item	Estimated range	What affects it
Cosmetic refresh	$7,000–$15,000per bathroom	Same layout. New vanity, toilet, fixtures, lighting and paint, possibly flooring.
Standard full remodel	$15,000–$30,000per bathroom	Gutted to the studs or block. New tile, waterproofing, tub or shower, vanity and fixtures in roughly the same layout.
Primary bath or higher-end remodel	$35,000–$65,000per bathroom	Large tiled shower, premium tile and fixtures, layout changes. Luxury primary suites can exceed this.

The refresh and standard tiers are for a standard 5 × 8 ft hall bathroom. For a larger bathroom, our bathroom calculator multiplies the range by 1.5. Our Melbourne bathroom remodel guide covers slab plumbing and other local factors, and walk-in shower vs. bathtub helps if you're deciding whether to keep a tub.

Floors

Installed flooring cost (per sq. ft., material and installation)

Item	Estimated range	What affects it
Laminate	$3–$7per sq. ft.	Budget-friendly. Not a good choice where water can stand on the floor.
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP / SPC)	$5–$9per sq. ft.	Water resistant and quiet. Laid over Florida's concrete slabs with the right underlayment.
Porcelain or ceramic tile	$7–$15per sq. ft.	The Florida standard. Large-format tile and complex patterns cost more.
Engineered hardwood	$6–$13per sq. ft.	A real wood wear layer on a stable core. Needs a moisture barrier over concrete.
Removing old tile	$2–$7per sq. ft.	Dust-controlled removal costs more. Very old tile or adhesive may need asbestos testing first.

If you're choosing a material, see the best flooring for Florida homes.

Paint, windows and the roof

The other rates come from our other cost guides, and each one is shown where it's used below:

• Interior paint: $2–$4 per sq. ft. of floor area for walls and ceilings, or $2.75–$5 including trim and doors, from our painting calculator.
• Exterior repaint of a stucco or block home up to about 2,000 sq. ft.: $3,500–$7,000. See exterior painting costs in Melbourne.
• Impact windows and doors: $900–$1,800 per standard window, $1,800–$3,800 per large or premium-line window, $2,500–$6,000 for a two-panel slider and $2,500–$5,000 for an entry door. See impact window costs in Brevard, or impact windows vs. hurricane shutters if you're comparing protection options.
• Roof, priced per sq. ft. of roof area. See roof replacement costs in Melbourne.

Example budgets for a Brevard concrete-block home

These scenarios are illustrations, not quotes. Each one multiplies our planning ranges at the low and high end, then rounds the total. Real prices depend on your home's condition, the products you pick and the contractor.

The house we priced

These are assumptions for the example, not a description of a typical Brevard home:

• a one-story, three-bedroom, two-bathroom concrete-block home with a stucco finish, built in the 1980s
• about 2,000 sq. ft. of living area on a concrete slab, on the mainland and outside a flood zone
• two bathrooms close to the 5 × 8 ft size our bathroom tiers assume
• about 1,600 sq. ft. of floor to be refloored, not counting the bathrooms, whose floors are in the bathroom budgets
• 10 standard windows, 1 large window, a two-panel sliding glass door and a front entry door
• no added square footage, no change to the bathroom layouts, and no work on the roof, wiring, pipes or air conditioning

Option 1: cosmetic refresh

The layout, cabinets and windows stay. Surfaces, fixtures and paint are new.

• Kitchen refresh: $10,000–$30,000
• Two bathroom refreshes: 2 × $7,000–$15,000 = $14,000–$30,000
• Luxury vinyl plank: 1,600 sq. ft. × $5–$9 = $8,000–$14,400
• Interior paint, walls and ceilings: 2,000 sq. ft. × $2–$4 = $4,000–$8,000
• Exterior repaint: $3,500–$7,000
• Total: $39,500–$89,400, or an estimated $39,500–$89,500

This assumes the old floors are carpet or vinyl rather than tile; ask whether taking them up is included in the flooring quote. If there's old tile to remove, add $2–$7 per sq. ft., or $3,200–$11,200 across 1,600 sq. ft.

Option 2: standard full remodel

The kitchen and both bathrooms are gutted and rebuilt in roughly the same layout, the old tile comes out, and every window, the slider and the front door are replaced with impact-rated products.

• Mid-range kitchen remodel: $30,000–$65,000
• Two standard full bathroom remodels: 2 × $15,000–$30,000 = $30,000–$60,000
• Removing old tile: 1,600 sq. ft. × $2–$7 = $3,200–$11,200
• New porcelain tile: 1,600 sq. ft. × $7–$15 = $11,200–$24,000
• Interior paint, including trim and doors: 2,000 sq. ft. × $2.75–$5 = $5,500–$10,000
• Exterior repaint: $3,500–$7,000
• Impact windows and doors: (10 × $900) + $1,800 + $2,500 + $2,500 = $15,800 at the low end, and (10 × $1,800) + $3,800 + $6,000 + $5,000 = $32,800 at the high end
• Total: $99,200–$210,000, or an estimated $99,000–$210,000

The kitchen and the two bathrooms together come to $60,000–$125,000, about 60% of the total at both ends of the range. The windows and doors add about another 16%. That's why one per-square-foot figure tells you little about your own house.

Option 3: premium remodel with a new layout

The kitchen layout changes, with a wall removed and the sink moved. The primary bath becomes a high-end remodel, and four of the 11 windows are premium-line or specialty units in the same openings.

• High-end kitchen or layout change: $65,000–$150,000
• High-end primary bath: $35,000–$65,000
• Standard hall bath remodel: $15,000–$30,000
• Removing old tile: 1,600 sq. ft. × $2–$7 = $3,200–$11,200
• Porcelain tile in the living areas: 1,000 sq. ft. × $7–$15 = $7,000–$15,000
• Engineered hardwood in the bedrooms: 600 sq. ft. × $6–$13 = $3,600–$7,800
• Interior paint, including trim and doors: 2,000 sq. ft. × $2.75–$5 = $5,500–$10,000
• Exterior repaint: $3,500–$7,000
• Impact windows and doors: 7 standard windows, 4 large or premium-line windows, a two-panel slider and an entry door. Low: (7 × $900) + (4 × $1,800) + $2,500 + $2,500 = $18,500. High: (7 × $1,800) + (4 × $3,800) + $6,000 + $5,000 = $38,800
• Total: $156,300–$334,800, or an estimated $156,000–$335,000

Removing a load-bearing wall needs a permit and usually an engineered beam design, and block walls can be structural. Engineering generally isn't in our ranges. Read load-bearing walls before you price an open plan.

If the roof needs replacing too

If the roof is near the end of its life, replacing it as part of the project protects the new ceilings and floors. We assumed about 2,500 sq. ft. of roof. Our roof calculator multiplies a home's footprint by 1.25 for a typical slope, overhangs included, and we treated the 2,000 sq. ft. of living area as the footprint. An attached garage or a steeper roof would add more.

• Architectural shingles: 2,500 sq. ft. × $4.50–$8 = $11,250–$20,000
• Standing seam metal: 2,500 sq. ft. × $10–$20 = $25,000–$50,000
• Rotted decking, if 10 sheets need replacing: 10 × $50–$130 = $500–$1,300

Adding a shingle roof to Option 2 brings the estimate to about $110,000–$230,000 ($99,200 + $11,250 = $110,450 at the low end, and $210,000 + $20,000 = $230,000 at the high end, rounded).

Need a contractor for this project?Find a Contractor

What the examples leave out

These lines can break a whole-house budget, and we don't publish planning ranges for most of them. Have licensed trades price them before you set the budget. Our older homes guide explains what to check for each one and who does it.

• The electrical panel and wiring. New kitchen circuits, more lighting or a larger air conditioner can call for a bigger or newer panel. Insurers look at it too: Citizens Property Insurance requires a four-point inspection of the electrical system, plumbing, heating and cooling, and roof on homes more than 20 years old.
• Plumbing under the slab. On a slab, moving or replacing a drain line means cutting and patching the floor. Our planning range for moving a single toilet or shower drain is $1,000–$5,000 per fixture. If the floors are coming up anyway, that's the time to deal with old pipes, and a drain camera inspection before demolition shows what's there.
• Air conditioning and ductwork. An older system, or ducts that no longer suit a new layout, may need replacing. Get an HVAC contractor's view during design, not after the drywall is up.
• Asbestos and lead testing. EPA recommends testing suspect materials, such as old vinyl flooring and its adhesive, when a planned renovation will disturb them. In homes built before 1978, paid work that disturbs paint must follow EPA's lead-safe rule. Testing and any abatement are separate costs.
• Design, engineering and permits. Drawings, structural engineering, product approval paperwork and permit fees generally aren't in our ranges, and a whole-house job usually needs several permits, each with its own fees.
• Somewhere to live. With the kitchen and both bathrooms torn out at once, you'll likely need to move out for part of the project. Budget rent, storage and moving as their own lines, and ask your insurance agent how your policy treats a home that's unoccupied during major renovation.

Contingency. Our contingency guide suggests setting aside 10% to 20% of the construction budget, and 20% or more for older homes and projects with plumbing changes or wall removal. On Option 2, a 20% reserve takes the estimate to about $119,000–$252,000 ($99,200 × 1.2 = $119,040 and $210,000 × 1.2 = $252,000, rounded). How hidden damage gets priced is covered in change orders and hidden damage.

Permits: expect several, from the right office

A whole-house remodel touches most building systems, so expect more than one permit. Who issues them depends on where the house is, and a Melbourne mailing address doesn't settle it. Our Brevard County permit guide lists each office and how it takes applications.

• Unincorporated Brevard, including Viera, Suntree and Merritt Island: Brevard County Planning and Development. Its Residential Renovation permit covers alterations that add no square footage and don't change the footprint, and asks for plans and an authorization for each subcontractor. The county has separate residential permit types for reroofs, doors, windows and shutters (with Florida product approval and a floor plan showing each opening), plumbing, HVAC/mechanical, demolition and additions, which include converting a garage or porch to living space. We couldn't confirm whether the county wants a whole-house job's plumbing, electrical and mechanical work under the renovation permit or on separate trade permits, so ask the county before your contractor applies.
• City of Melbourne: the Building Section of the Code Compliance Division, through its EnerGov online portal. Fees are set by the city's building permit fee schedule, effective August 7, 2026.
• Palm Bay, West Melbourne and the other cities and towns issue permits inside their own limits.

A few rules apply wherever you are:

• The $7,500 exemption won't fit. Florida's 2026 small-project exemption doesn't cover electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas or structural work, or work in a flood hazard area, and a larger job can't be split to get under the limit. See the $7,500 permit exemption.
• Notice of Commencement. A whole-house contract is far above the $5,000 threshold, so a recorded Notice of Commencement must be filed with the building department before the first inspection.
• Impact fees. Brevard County's impact fee FAQ says remodels and alterations of an existing home don't require additional impact fees. Inside a city, ask the city.
• A new code edition. The 9th Edition (2026) of the Florida Building Code takes effect December 31, 2026, and applications submitted on or after that date must comply with it. If your plans are being drawn now, ask which edition they're designed to.
• HOA review. In a planned community, exterior changes such as windows, roof material and paint color may need architectural approval. Since July 1, 2026, an HOA can't require a building permit before it reviews your application, so you can apply to both at once. See HOA approval in Florida.

Flood zones and the 50% rule

If the home is in a FEMA flood zone, the 50% rule can reshape a whole-house remodel. When the cost of the improvement equals or exceeds 50% of the building's market value before work starts, the whole building generally has to be brought up to current flood requirements. For many older homes, that means elevating the lowest floor, which can cost far more than the remodel. Brevard County's flood-zone permitting guidance says market value may be estimated from the building's tax-assessed value, not counting land or accessory structures, plus about 15–20%. An owner who disputes the figure may hire a state-licensed appraiser.

Here's how that works on our example. Assume the same house sits in a flood zone near the lagoon, with a tax-assessed building value of $200,000. That value is an illustration, not a typical figure.

• Estimated market value: $200,000 plus 15–20% = $230,000–$240,000
• The 50% line: about $115,000–$120,000
• Option 1 ($39,500–$89,500) stays under the line.
• Option 2 ($99,000–$210,000) crosses it across most of its range.
• Option 3 ($156,000–$335,000) crosses it at every point.

Your floodplain administrator decides which costs count toward the total, so ask for that list before you design. In unincorporated Brevard, that's the county's Floodplain Administration; cities have their own floodplain staff and may calculate differently. Never understate costs on a permit application to stay under the line. Our guide to the 50% rule explains how related permits are counted.

On an oceanfront lot, also check the state's coastal construction control line, which in Brevard runs along the Atlantic coast from Port Canaveral Inlet to Sebastian Inlet. Seaward of the line, work generally needs Florida Department of Environmental Protection approval on top of the local permit, with certain exceptions. See CCCL permits in Florida.

Remodel or rebuild?

When a premium remodel approaches the cost of a new house, compare the two. The only Melbourne new-construction figure we found, on one national cost-guide website's undated Melbourne page, is about $120–$210 per square foot, excluding site work and land. At that rate, a new 2,000 sq. ft. home would cost about $240,000–$420,000, plus demolishing the old house. We couldn't confirm whether design, permits or utility work are included.

Brevard County's impact fee FAQ says replacing a home with one of the same type, such as single-family for single-family, is exempt from additional residential impact fees. In a flood zone, a new home has to meet current flood rules from the start, which can mean building it higher. If you're weighing this, ask a designer and a builder to price both routes on the same lot.

All at once or in phases

There's no single right answer. It depends on your cash, whether you can live elsewhere, and the flood zone.

All at once means one round of demolition and dust and floors laid once through the whole house, but it usually means moving out and paying for everything in one go. In phases lets you stay and spread the cost, but each phase generally needs its own permits, prices can change in between, and some work gets repeated. If you phase, a sensible order is:

1. The outside first. Roof, then windows and doors, then exterior paint and stucco patching around the new openings. Try to finish roof work before hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30. Once the roof and openings are done, a wind mitigation inspection documents them for your insurer; ask your agent which features earn credits.
2. Systems and wet rooms. Electrical, plumbing and air conditioning work, then the kitchen and bathrooms.
3. Floors and interior paint last, so the messy work doesn't damage new finishes.

Phasing isn't a way around the rules. A job can't be split to qualify for the $7,500 exemption, and in a flood zone, ask your floodplain administrator how it treats separate but related permits before you plan your phases. Our renovation timelines guide explains where the time goes on larger projects.

Hiring and contracts for a big remodel

A full or premium whole-house remodel usually calls for a licensed general, building or residential contractor to coordinate the trades and any structural work; see general contractor vs. trades. Check every bidder's state license on MyFloridaLicense.com and their record on Brevard County's Licensed Contractor Search; our Melbourne contractor hiring guide explains both checks and the rest of the steps. If you're thinking of running the job yourself, read owner-builder permits first.

On a contract this size, the deposit matters. Under section 489.126 of the Florida Statutes, a contractor who takes more than 10% of the price as a first payment must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after they're issued, unless there's just cause or you agree in writing to more time. Tie later payments to completed work and passed inspections. See contractor deposits in Florida and our renovation contract checklist.

Common mistakes

• Budgeting from a per-square-foot number. It hides the kitchen, the bathrooms and the windows, which drive most of the cost. Build the budget room by room and system by system.
• Leaving the systems out. The panel, wiring, pipes, ducts and roof aren't in most headline figures, and they're cheapest to fix while walls and floors are open.
• Designing before checking the flood zone. Find your zone and assessed building value first. A remodel that crosses the 50% line is a different project.
• Comparing quotes with different scopes. Ask every bidder to price the same plans and to list permits, design, demolition, disposal and allowances separately. See why contractor quotes differ.
• Treating living costs as contingency. Rent, storage and moving are predictable. Plan them as their own lines.
• Finishing the inside before the outside. New floors and drywall under an old roof or leaky windows are at risk.

Next steps

1. Confirm your permitting office and look up your flood zone and your building's tax-assessed value.
2. Get the systems checked. Ask an electrician, a plumber and an HVAC contractor to inspect before design, and ask a roofer how much life the roof has left.
3. Decide what's in scope, room by room, and price it with our ranges, the kitchen calculator and the bathroom calculator.
4. Add the lines our examples leave out: design, permits, testing, living costs and a contingency of 20% or more on an older home.
5. Get plans, then written, line-item quotes from licensed contractors, all based on the same drawings. If you're also adding space, see home addition costs in Brevard County.