All tools / Turnover costs / El Centro, CA
Apartment turnover cost in El Centro, CA
A typical 2-bedroom apartment turnover in El Centro runs about $1,245–$3,986 (expected $2,113). That is 8% above the national figure of $1,960.
Estimate your unitAdd your own findings and square footage. Free, no sign-in.
- Same scenario, nationally
- $1,960
- California median
- $2,189
- Data
- BLS OEWS May 2025
What a turnover costs in El Centro, 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 | $832 | $1,490$832 to $2,953 | $4,029 |
| 1 bedroom1 bath | $832 | $1,737$1,009 to $3,375 | $5,189 |
| 2 bedroom1 bath | $890 | $2,113$1,245 to $3,986 | $6,502 |
| 3 bedroom2 bath | $1,007 | $2,640$1,576 to $4,902 | $8,127 |
| 3 bedroom house2 bath | $1,056 | $3,008$1,829 to $5,568 | $9,445 |
- 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 El Centro: 3 trades cost less than the national median and 6 cost more. The widest gap is hvac, 23% above the national median. 4 of the 13 trade groups have no published figure for this area and are priced at the national median.
Cheaper than national
- Hauling and trash-out7% below
- Handyman and maintenance3% below
- Plumbing2% below
Pricier than national
- HVAC23% above
- Electrical18% above
- Painting16% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Drywalldrywall visit charges | 1.32 | 32% above * |
| HVACservice visits | 1.23 | 23% above |
| Electricallicensed electrical work | 1.18 | 18% above |
| Paintingrepaints and touch-up | 1.16 | 16% above |
| Yard and landscapingmowing and yard cleanup | 1.12 | 12% above |
| Cleaningturn cleans and carpet cleaning | 1.09 | 9% above |
| Pest controlinspection and treatment | 1.04 | 4% above |
| Plumbinglicensed plumbing work | 0.98 | 2% below |
| Handyman and maintenancesmall repairs, blinds, alarms, final walk | 0.97 | 3% below |
| Hauling and trash-outtrash-out and bulky items | 0.93 | 7% below |
| Appliance repairappliance repair and install | 1.00 | No BLS figure; national median used |
| Flooringcarpet and plank installation | 1.00 | No BLS figure; national median used |
| Locksmithrekeying and keys | 1.00 | No BLS figure; national median used |
| Window glassglass replacement | 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 El Centro
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 | $2.25 | $3.25 | $5.00 |
| Standard turn clean, kitchen and living areasper unit | $59.70 | $86.84 | $130.26 |
| Rekey a lock cylinderper cylinder | $15.00 | $25.00 | $45.00 |
| Trash-out and haul-awayper cu yd | $27.90 | $37.20 | $55.80 |
| Drywall patch, doorknob-size holeeach | $58.20 | $106.70 | $194.00 |
| Replace window blindseach | $16.75 | $35.46 | $93.58 |
| Replace a smoke alarmeach | $21.37 | $35.33 | $83.17 |
| Replace an HVAC filtereach | $9.51 | $18.72 | $40.50 |
How El Centro compares
It ranks 20th of 28 areas in California by cost (1 is the most expensive). A typical 2-bedroom turn there ranges from $1,878 in Visalia to $2,425 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, with a median of $2,189. El Centro is 4% below it. Nationally the same scenario comes to $1,960.
| Area | Typical 2 bedroom | Versus national |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $2,425 | +24% |
| 14 more areas not shown | ||
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $2,157 | +10% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $2,155 | +10% |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $2,143 | +9% |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $2,127 | +9% |
| El Centro | $2,113 | +8% |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $2,107 | +8% |
| Stockton-Lodi | $2,097 | +7% |
| Modesto | $2,068 | +6% |
| Fresno | $2,061 | +5% |
| 3 more areas not shown | ||
| Visalia | $1,878 | -4% |
| National figure | $1,960 | baseline |
Typical 2-bedroom turn, expected cost. Areas are ordered from most to least expensive within the state.
Notes for El Centro
- 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 El Centro, taking the expected total from $2,113 to $3,389. 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 appliance repair, flooring, locksmith, and window glass. Tasks in those trades use national prices, so they will not reflect El Centro conditions.
- ZIP codes. No 3-digit ZIP prefix maps to El Centro in the estimator, because a neighbouring area holds each prefix that touches it. The figures on this page apply the area's own wage index; the estimator, which looks up your ZIP code, may price a ZIP here at a neighbouring area instead.
- 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 El Centro 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.
Estimate your unitAdd your own findings and square footage. Free, no sign-in.