All tools / Turnover costs / Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Apartment turnover cost in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
A typical 2-bedroom apartment turnover in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about $1,214–$3,924 (expected $2,075). That is 6% above the national figure of $1,960.
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- Same scenario, nationally
- $1,960
- Iowa median
- $1,925
- Data
- BLS OEWS May 2025
What a turnover costs in Des Moines-West Des Moines, 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 | $816 | $1,458$810 to $2,900 | $4,033 |
| 1 bedroom1 bath | $816 | $1,706$983 to $3,318 | $5,226 |
| 2 bedroom1 bath | $870 | $2,075$1,214 to $3,924 | $6,572 |
| 3 bedroom2 bath | $977 | $2,588$1,534 to $4,823 | $8,230 |
| 3 bedroom house2 bath | $1,027 | $2,954$1,783 to $5,486 | $9,597 |
- 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
Labor is mixed in Des Moines-West Des Moines: 2 trades cost less than the national median and 9 cost more. The widest gap is plumbing, 18% above the national median. 1 more are within 1% of national. 1 of the 13 trade groups have no published figure for this area and are priced at the national median.
Cheaper than national
- Appliance repair15% below
- Cleaning4% below
- Electrical1% below
Pricier than national
- Plumbing18% above
- Painting16% above
- Hauling and trash-out15% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbinglicensed plumbing work | 1.18 | 18% above |
| Paintingrepaints and touch-up | 1.16 | 16% above |
| Hauling and trash-outtrash-out and bulky items | 1.15 | 15% above |
| Yard and landscapingmowing and yard cleanup | 1.15 | 15% above |
| Flooringcarpet and plank installation | 1.12 | 12% above |
| Window glassglass replacement | 1.10 | 10% above |
| Pest controlinspection and treatment | 1.07 | 7% above |
| HVACservice visits | 1.03 | 3% above |
| Handyman and maintenancesmall repairs, blinds, alarms, final walk | 1.02 | 2% above |
| Electricallicensed electrical work | 0.99 | 1% below |
| Cleaningturn cleans and carpet cleaning | 0.96 | 4% below |
| Drywalldrywall visit charges | 0.91 | 9% below * |
| Appliance repairappliance repair and install | 0.85 | 15% below |
| Locksmithrekeying and keys | 1.00 | No BLS figure; national median used |
* 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
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 | $0.62 | $0.97 | $1.59 |
| Carpet replacement with padper sq ft | $2.37 | $3.43 | $5.27 |
| Standard turn clean, kitchen and living areasper unit | $52.91 | $76.96 | $115.44 |
| Rekey a lock cylinderper cylinder | $15.00 | $25.00 | $45.00 |
| Trash-out and haul-awayper cu yd | $34.50 | $46.00 | $69.00 |
| Drywall patch, doorknob-size holeeach | $61.20 | $112.20 | $204.00 |
| Replace window blindseach | $17.17 | $36.36 | $95.95 |
| Replace a smoke alarmeach | $21.75 | $35.95 | $84.64 |
| Replace an HVAC filtereach | $10.00 | $19.69 | $42.59 |
How Des Moines-West Des Moines compares
It is the most expensive of the 12 areas we price in Iowa. A typical 2-bedroom turn there ranges from $1,858 in Iowa City to $2,075 in Des Moines-West Des Moines, with a median of $1,925. Des Moines-West Des Moines is 8% above it. Nationally the same scenario comes to $1,960.
| Area | Typical 2 bedroom | Versus national |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $2,075 | +6% |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $2,047 | +4% |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $1,991 | +2% |
| Sioux City | $1,962 | same |
| Dubuque | $1,944 | -1% |
| 6 more areas not shown | ||
| Iowa City | $1,858 | -5% |
| National figure | $1,960 | baseline |
Typical 2-bedroom turn, expected cost. Areas are ordered from most to least expensive within the state.
Notes for Des Moines-West Des Moines
- 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 $1,276 in Des Moines-West Des Moines, taking the expected total from $2,075 to $3,351. Enter the year built in the estimator to include it.
- Trades priced at the national median. BLS suppressed or did not publish wages here for locksmith. Tasks in those trades use national prices, so they will not reflect Des Moines-West Des Moines conditions.
- ZIP codes. The estimator maps ZIP prefixes 503xx to this area. ZIP lookup works at the 3-digit level, so a ZIP at the edge of Des Moines-West Des Moines 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines 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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