About CostPrism
CostPrism is a free US cost intelligence platform providing accurate, up-to-date cost estimates for home improvement projects, medical procedures, and business expenses — adjusted for your state and city.
Our Mission
Most cost estimate websites give national averages that are meaningless to someone in Mississippi trying to budget for a roof replacement, or a Californian planning HVAC replacement. CostPrism was built to fix that.
We provide free, localized cost estimates for 49 cost categories — from auto insurance to IVF treatment — adjusted for state-level labor markets, material costs, regulatory environments, and climate factors.
Our calculators cover all 50 US states and 50 major cities. Over 1,150 pages of cost data, all free, no sign-up required.
How We Calculate Costs
CostPrism cost estimates are built from multiple authoritative data sources and adjusted for local conditions. Our methodology:
1. National Baseline Data
We establish national average costs from contractor pricing surveys, trade association data (NRCA, ACCA, NAHB), insurance bureau filings, and publicly available procurement data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
2. State Cost Multipliers
Each state receives a cost multiplier derived from BLS regional wage data, state labor market conditions, cost-of-living indices from the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), and material transportation costs. These multipliers range from 0.72 (Mississippi) to 1.58 (Hawaii).
3. City-Level Adjustments
For our 50-city dataset, metro-area cost adjustments are applied based on city-specific wage data, local material costs, and contractor density. Cities in high-cost metros like San Francisco and New York carry additional urban premiums.
4. Category-Specific Factors
Insurance costs incorporate state regulatory environments, claims history, and carrier competition. Medical costs reflect Medicare reimbursement data and private market surveys. Home improvement costs include material indices, permit fee schedules, and labor productivity data.
5. Annual Updates
All cost data is reviewed and updated annually. The current dataset reflects June 2026 pricing. Year-over-year changes are tracked and shown in our cost trend tables.
Primary Data Sources
- •Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), regional wage data, construction labor rates
- •US Census Bureau — American Housing Survey (AHS), construction cost data, household income by state
- •National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) — Construction cost surveys, material price indices
- •National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) — Roofing cost benchmarks by material and region
- •Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) — HVAC installation cost data
- •National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) — State insurance premium data, market concentration reports
- •US Department of Energy (DOE) — Solar installation cost benchmarks, energy efficiency data
- •Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — Medical procedure cost baselines, geographic cost adjustment factors
- •Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) — Payroll processing cost surveys, HR benchmarking data
- •C2ER Cost of Living Index — State and city cost-of-living multipliers
Important Disclaimer
CostPrism provides cost estimates for informational and budgeting purposes only. Our figures are statistical averages derived from industry data — they are not quotes from contractors or licensed professionals.
Actual costs for your specific project will vary based on your property's unique characteristics, local contractor pricing, material choices, and market conditions at the time of your project. Always obtain at least 3 quotes from licensed, insured contractors before making any financial decision.
Contact & Feedback
We welcome feedback on our cost data, methodology questions, and suggestions for new calculators or data sources. If you believe any of our estimates are materially incorrect, please let us know.