BuildPricing started from a single observation: every home improvement cost site online tells you a project costs "$5,000 to $30,000" and then sends your contact information to seven contractors who immediately call you. That's not a research tool — it's a lead funnel. The websites make money when contractors call you. They have no reason to make the cost numbers more useful, because vague numbers drive more "request a quote" clicks.
We do the opposite. Our calculators show you the actual line items: materials at current prices, labor at regional wage rates, permits at city-published fees, dump fees, and a transparent contractor margin. The number that pops out is the same kind of number a contractor would calculate before quoting you — except now you have it, before the conversation.
What makes us different
We don't sell your contact information
Every "free roof estimate" form on competing sites enters your details into a lead-buyer marketplace where 4–7 contractors pay $30–$100 each for your phone number. We don't do that. The optional "match me with contractors" buttons on our calculators link to disclosed affiliate partners (Networx, Modernize, EnergySage), and clicking them is a deliberate user choice, not a default.
The math is real, and we cite our sources
Material rates come from BLS Producer Price Index data and quarterly distributor surveys. Labor rates come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, refreshed each May. Regional multipliers come from RSMeans City Cost Index data. Permit fees come from individual city building department fee schedules. The methodology page documents every input.
We update when prices move
Material prices and labor rates update quarterly. Major changes — like the 2025 R-454B refrigerant transition affecting HVAC pricing — get reflected in calculators within weeks of taking effect. Articles get explicit "updated" dates. Stale 2019 cost data dressed up as current is one of the worst patterns in this industry.
How we make money
Two channels:
- Display advertising (AdSense) — the standard banner and in-article ads you see on most independent publishers. Doesn't bias our content; we don't choose specific advertisers.
- Disclosed affiliate partnerships — when you click the "compare local quotes" buttons after using a calculator, we earn a referral fee from networks like Networx and Modernize if you ultimately request a quote. We disclose these relationships and never auto-fill your information.
What we don't take: kickbacks from specific contractors, payments for editorial coverage, "preferred vendor" sponsorship that influences ranking. The cost figures on this site are the same regardless of who advertises here.
What we cover
Twelve interactive cost calculators, eight long-form cost guides, three homeowner tools (permit lookup, material prices, quote audit), and a methodology page that spells out exactly how each estimate is computed. Every page is reviewed by a contributor with relevant industry experience — licensed electricians for the panel content, IBHS-certified roofers for the roofing content, NATE-certified HVAC techs for the heat pump content.
Who we are
BuildPricing is an independent publishing project. We're not a contractor network, not a lead-generation company, and not affiliated with any specific brand or trade association. We're a small editorial team plus a network of trade-credentialed contributors who help us keep cost figures accurate and current.
If you find a number that looks wrong or have a category we should add, the contact page reaches us directly. We update calculators and guides based on reader corrections — usually within a few business days.