Most renovation budgets blow up not because materials cost more than expected, but because the scope of work — and whether it legally requires a permit — was never modeled before the first wall came down. This simulation lets you pick a room, dial up the scope of work from a light refresh to a full gut renovation, and watch the estimated cost, remaining budget and permit requirement update against a house you can orbit in 3D.
In most jurisdictions, cosmetic work like painting or replacing countertops rarely needs a permit, but moving a wall, adding a circuit, or rerouting plumbing almost always does — skipping that step can mean a stop-work order, fines, or trouble reselling the home later.
Pick a room, set the scope of work, and watch a 3D house model plus a live budget tower show where the money goes — and whether the work legally requires a permit.
Renovation cost scales with scope (cosmetic → full gut) and room type, while a contingency reserve is set aside before spending. A permit flag rises automatically for structural additions, any wiring/plumbing/load-bearing work, or a sufficiently invasive gut renovation.
Set your total budget, choose a room, drag the scope slider from cosmetic to full gut, and adjust the contingency reserve. Toggle the structural/wiring/plumbing switch to see how it forces a permit requirement regardless of scope.
Renovation cost overruns most often come from unpermitted structural surprises discovered mid-project — which is exactly why experienced renovators hold back 10–20% of budget as a contingency reserve before work even starts.