All tools / Turnover costs / Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Apartment turnover cost in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
A typical 2-bedroom apartment turnover in Boston-Cambridge-Newton runs about $1,326–$4,282 (expected $2,256). Boston-Cambridge-Newton is one of the costlier turnover markets, 15% above the national figure of $1,960.
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- Same scenario, nationally
- $1,960
- Massachusetts median
- $2,105
- Data
- BLS OEWS May 2025
What a turnover costs in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, by unit size
Expected cost of a make-ready turn for five common unit types, under three move-out conditions. The typical column also shows the likely range.
| Unit | Light | Typical | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio1 bath | $906 | $1,615$898 to $3,216 | $4,410 |
| 1 bedroom1 bath | $906 | $1,864$1,079 to $3,641 | $5,669 |
| 2 bedroom1 bath | $971 | $2,256$1,326 to $4,282 | $7,106 |
| 3 bedroom2 bath | $1,102 | $2,811$1,674 to $5,253 | $8,881 |
| 3 bedroom house2 bath | $1,158 | $3,195$1,942 to $5,954 | $10,323 |
- LightMove-out in good shape: a few nail holes and scuffs, a dirty range and refrigerator, one bent blind.
- TypicalA full repaint, spot-treated carpet stains, a hole in an interior door, bent blinds, torn screens, dirty grout, range and refrigerator.
- HeavyPet-damaged carpet replaced, many wall holes and a full repaint, heavy-soil cleaning, odor treatment, a trash-out, a replaced door, missing keys and damaged cabinet doors (plus yard debris for the house).
Every scenario also carries the standard turn baseline: cleaning by bedroom and bathroom, HVAC filter, alarm test, bulbs, rekeying the exterior locks, a pest inspection and the final punch walk. Standard profile, property-manager vendor pricing, built in 2005, typical unit sizes assumed.
Local labor by trade
Every trade with local wage data is at or above the national median in Boston-Cambridge-Newton: 12 of 13 run higher, from 13% above for hauling and trash-out to 60% above for window glass. 1 more are within 1% of national.
Cheaper than national
No trade is below the national median in Boston-Cambridge-Newton.
Pricier than national
- Window glass60% above
- Plumbing52% above
- Appliance repair37% above
Index is the local median hourly wage divided by the national median for the same occupations. Only the labor share of each price is scaled; materials are not.
| Trade | Index | Versus national median |
|---|---|---|
| Window glassglass replacement | 1.60 | 60% above (held at the edge of the 0.70 to 1.60 band) |
| Plumbinglicensed plumbing work | 1.52 | 52% above |
| Appliance repairappliance repair and install | 1.37 | 37% above |
| Flooringcarpet and plank installation | 1.36 | 36% above |
| HVACservice visits | 1.29 | 29% above |
| Electricallicensed electrical work | 1.26 | 26% above |
| Yard and landscapingmowing and yard cleanup | 1.25 | 25% above |
| Handyman and maintenancesmall repairs, blinds, alarms, final walk | 1.20 | 20% above |
| Locksmithrekeying and keys | 1.20 | 20% above |
| Cleaningturn cleans and carpet cleaning | 1.19 | 19% above |
| Paintingrepaints and touch-up | 1.17 | 17% above |
| Hauling and trash-outtrash-out and bulky items | 1.13 | 13% above |
| Drywalldrywall visit charges | 1.04 | 4% above * |
| Pest controlinspection and treatment | 1.01 | 1% above |
* Does not scale any task price. It only sets the visit minimum, so it is left out of the comparisons above.
Unit prices for common make-ready tasks in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
What one unit of each task costs here, before any vendor visit minimum. Materials are included.
| Task | Low | Expected | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repaint all wallsper floor sq ft | $0.63 | $0.97 | $1.60 |
| Carpet replacement with padper sq ft | $2.61 | $3.78 | $5.81 |
| Standard turn clean, kitchen and living areasper unit | $64.93 | $94.44 | $141.66 |
| Rekey a lock cylinderper cylinder | $18.00 | $30.00 | $54.00 |
| Trash-out and haul-awayper cu yd | $33.90 | $45.20 | $67.80 |
| Drywall patch, doorknob-size holeeach | $72.00 | $132.00 | $240.00 |
| Replace window blindseach | $18.70 | $39.60 | $104.50 |
| Replace a smoke alarmeach | $23.11 | $38.20 | $89.93 |
| Replace an HVAC filtereach | $11.76 | $23.16 | $50.10 |
How Boston-Cambridge-Newton compares
It is the most expensive of the 7 areas we price in Massachusetts. A typical 2-bedroom turn there ranges from $1,991 in Pittsfield to $2,256 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, with a median of $2,105. Boston-Cambridge-Newton is 7% above it. Nationally the same scenario comes to $1,960.
| Area | Typical 2 bedroom | Versus national |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $2,256 | +15% |
| Massachusettsnonmetropolitan area | $2,189 | +12% |
| Barnstable Town | $2,108 | +8% |
| Worcester | $2,105 | +7% |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $2,091 | +7% |
| 1 more area not shown | ||
| Pittsfield | $1,991 | +2% |
| National figure | $1,960 | baseline |
Typical 2-bedroom turn, expected cost. Areas are ordered from most to least expensive within the state.
Notes for Boston-Cambridge-Newton
- Older buildings. Rental units built before 1978 need lead-safe work practices when paint is disturbed (EPA RRP). For the typical 2-bedroom scenario that adds about $1,287 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, taking the expected total from $2,256 to $3,543. Enter the year built in the estimator to include it.
- Capped indexes. The local wage ratio for window glass fell outside the 0.70 to 1.60 band we allow and was held at the edge, to keep one odd wage sample from distorting a whole estimate.
- ZIP codes. The estimator maps ZIP prefixes 017xx, 018xx, 019xx, 020xx, 021xx, 022xx, 023xx, 024xx to this area. ZIP lookup works at the 3-digit level, so a ZIP at the edge of Boston-Cambridge-Newton may be priced at a neighbouring area.
- Price level. Figures assume a property manager buying turns from local vendors (the estimator's default). A one-off owner hiring a single contractor typically pays more; a portfolio contract pays less.
Method and data
Every figure was computed by the same engine behind the free estimator and the API (ruleset pt-2026.10.3). National unit prices from published cost guides and bids are scaled by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics wage index for the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro area (OEWS May 2025). These are estimate ranges for budgeting, not quotes (read the disclaimer). How the estimate works.
We keep an anonymized record of estimates (ZIP3, unit size, findings and totals; never your notes, address, IP or contact details) to improve accuracy.
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