All tools / Turnover costs / Knoxville, TN
Apartment turnover cost in Knoxville, TN
A typical 2-bedroom apartment turnover in Knoxville runs about $1,007–$3,312 (expected $1,720). That is 12% below the national figure of $1,960.
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- Same scenario, nationally
- $1,960
- Tennessee median
- $1,715
- Data
- BLS OEWS May 2025
What a turnover costs in Knoxville, 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 | $697 | $1,242$688 to $2,504 | $3,472 |
| 1 bedroom1 bath | $697 | $1,425$821 to $2,821 | $4,445 |
| 2 bedroom1 bath | $746 | $1,720$1,007 to $3,312 | $5,559 |
| 3 bedroom2 bath | $842 | $2,139$1,269 to $4,057 | $6,935 |
| 3 bedroom house2 bath | $884 | $2,427$1,470 to $4,592 | $8,055 |
- 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 below the national median in Knoxville: 13 of 13 run cheaper, from 18% below for painting to 4% below for appliance repair.
Cheaper than national
- Painting18% below
- Cleaning15% below
- Window glass13% below
Pricier than national
No trade is above the national median in Knoxville.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Appliance repairappliance repair and install | 0.96 | 4% below |
| Plumbinglicensed plumbing work | 0.94 | 6% below |
| Electricallicensed electrical work | 0.93 | 7% below |
| HVACservice visits | 0.93 | 7% below |
| Handyman and maintenancesmall repairs, blinds, alarms, final walk | 0.93 | 7% below |
| Hauling and trash-outtrash-out and bulky items | 0.93 | 7% below |
| Pest controlinspection and treatment | 0.92 | 8% below |
| Yard and landscapingmowing and yard cleanup | 0.92 | 8% below |
| Flooringcarpet and plank installation | 0.91 | 9% below |
| Locksmithrekeying and keys | 0.91 | 9% below |
| Window glassglass replacement | 0.87 | 13% below |
| Cleaningturn cleans and carpet cleaning | 0.85 | 15% below |
| Paintingrepaints and touch-up | 0.82 | 18% below |
| Drywalldrywall visit charges | 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 Knoxville
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 | $0.47 | $0.72 | $1.19 |
| Carpet replacement with padper sq ft | $2.16 | $3.12 | $4.80 |
| Standard turn clean, kitchen and living areasper unit | $47.16 | $68.60 | $102.90 |
| Rekey a lock cylinderper cylinder | $13.65 | $22.75 | $40.95 |
| Trash-out and haul-awayper cu yd | $27.90 | $37.20 | $55.80 |
| Drywall patch, doorknob-size holeeach | $55.80 | $102.30 | $186.00 |
| Replace window blindseach | $16.41 | $34.74 | $91.68 |
| Replace a smoke alarmeach | $21.07 | $34.83 | $81.99 |
| Replace an HVAC filtereach | $9.11 | $17.95 | $38.83 |
How Knoxville compares
It ranks 7th of 14 areas in Tennessee by cost (1 is the most expensive). A typical 2-bedroom turn there ranges from $1,652 in North Central Tennessee to $1,878 in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, with a median of $1,715. Knoxville sits at that median. Nationally the same scenario comes to $1,960.
| Area | Typical 2 bedroom | Versus national |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $1,878 | -4% |
| 1 more area not shown | ||
| Memphis | $1,811 | -8% |
| Jackson | $1,787 | -9% |
| Clarksville | $1,777 | -9% |
| Morristown | $1,743 | -11% |
| Knoxville | $1,720 | -12% |
| East Tennesseenonmetropolitan area | $1,710 | -13% |
| South Central Tennesseenonmetropolitan area | $1,704 | -13% |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $1,704 | -13% |
| West Tennesseenonmetropolitan area | $1,697 | -13% |
| 2 more areas not shown | ||
| North Central Tennesseenonmetropolitan area | $1,652 | -16% |
| National figure | $1,960 | baseline |
Typical 2-bedroom turn, expected cost. Areas are ordered from most to least expensive within the state.
Notes for Knoxville
- 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 $902 in Knoxville, taking the expected total from $1,720 to $2,622. Enter the year built in the estimator to include it.
- ZIP codes. The estimator maps ZIP prefixes 377xx, 379xx to this area. ZIP lookup works at the 3-digit level, so a ZIP at the edge of Knoxville 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 Knoxville 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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