Repair Estimate Without A Site Visit?

A free tool and a complete explanation

Author

Roger Blankenship
October 20, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

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How to Estimate Repairs Without Leaving Your Desk

You don’t need a site visit to get a defensible repair number. Start with the local cost of new construction per square foot and apply a few smart adjustments. This is the logic behind GO’s Default Repair Formula (and it’s the same math used in the free calculator from Flipping America).

🔢 The Formula Explained

Repairs = Multiplier (Size × Local COC × Touch Factor) + Obsolescence + Additions + Weird Stuff

1) Multiplier (what you’ll actually touch):

  • Start with COC = average Cost of new Construction per sq ft in that market.

  • Most renovations touch ~25% of the house (kitchen, baths, primary suite).

  • So default Touch Factor = 0.25. Adjust up/down for condition.

Guidance on the Touch Factor:

  • Light refresh (clean, dated): 0.15–0.20

  • Typical update (kitchen/baths): 0.25

  • Heavy rehab (trashed/layout fixes): 0.30–0.35+

Multiplier = Square Footage × COC × Touch Factor

2) Obsolescence (systems aging):

  • $1,000 per year since last major update (or since build if unknown), capped at $20,000.

  • Captures roof/HVAC/plumbing/electrical life cycles.

3) Additions (new SF you plan to add):

  • Added SF × Local COC (same $/sf baseline as new construction).

4) Weird Stuff (unique problems):

  • Structural, moisture, septic, tree, foundation, odd layout fixes — price individually and add.

🧮 Quick Example

1150 sf house • local COC = $200/sf • needs standard updates (Touch Factor 0.25)

Last major update ~12 years ago • No additions • No weird stuff

Category

Formula

Cost

Multiplier

1150 × $200 × 0.25

$57,500

Obsolescence

12 × $1,000 (cap $20k)

$12,000

Additions

—

$0

Weird Stuff

—

$0

Total Repairs

$69,500

Tip: If comps show high-end finishes, bump the Touch Factor. If the house is clean with newer systems, dial it down.

I started building this tool 15 years ago after about 200 rehabs. Since then, I’ve tweaked and tuned it through more than 1,700 full projects—and I still use it myself every time I evaluate a deal.

-Roger Blankenship

💻 Try the Free Default Repair Calculator

Plug in square footage, your market’s COC, condition (Touch Factor), and age — get an instant repair estimate you can use to screen deals and set offers. You don’t have to understand the math or build your own spreadsheet.

Find it on FlippingAmerica.net (Resources → Free Calculators → Quick Rehab Estimator).

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