Budgeting a Beverly Hills Renovation in 2026: What Luxury Actually Costs
Honest benchmarks for what a whole-home luxury renovation costs today in 90210, 90077, and 90265 — with the line items that actually move the number.
Every week, a homeowner asks us the same question: what should I expect a luxury renovation to cost per square foot in Beverly Hills in 2026? The honest answer is a range, not a number — but the range is much narrower than the internet suggests. Below, our team at New Horizon Development shares the benchmarks we use when we scope an early estimate for clients across Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, Trousdale, and the Palisades.
The 2026 benchmark ranges
- Cosmetic refresh (paint, floors, light fixtures, minor bath updates): $250–$450 / sq ft
- Mid-scope renovation (kitchen + baths + systems refresh): $650–$1,100 / sq ft
- Whole-home luxury renovation (gut to studs, new MEP, new finishes): $1,200–$2,200 / sq ft
- Ground-up luxury construction: $1,500–$2,800 / sq ft
- Below-grade excavation and basement build-out: add $650–$1,100 / sq ft of new below-grade area
What moves the number more than square footage
Site access, hillside conditions, permit timelines, and the number of custom millwork pieces are the four line items that move a luxury budget more than the size of the house. A 6,000 sq ft flat lot in the Beverly Hills Flats will cost less to build on than a 4,500 sq ft house on a hillside in Bel Air, every day of the week.
Contingency
Any luxury renovation should carry a 10–15% owner's contingency — separate from the builder's contingency. The best clients we work with treat the contingency as a design opportunity, not a slush fund.
Where clients most often under-budget
- Landscape and hardscape (often 8–12% of the total budget on a luxury build)
- AV, network, and smart-home integration
- FF&E — furniture, fixtures, art, window treatments
- Property taxes and insurance during the build
How our team estimates
New Horizon Development builds early-stage estimates in three tiers — order of magnitude, schematic, and design development — and updates the number at each phase. We share the trade backup and the assumptions with the client every time. If you'd like a real-world benchmark for your property in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Malibu, or Pacific Palisades, we would be glad to walk it with you.
