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Apartment turnover cost in Massachusetts (nonmetropolitan area)

A typical 2-bedroom apartment turnover in Massachusetts runs about $1,297–$4,158 (expected $2,189). That is 12% above the national figure of $1,960.

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Expected, typical 2 bedroom$2,189
Likely range$1,297 to $4,158
$1,297$4,158
Same scenario, nationally
$1,960
Massachusetts median
$2,105
Data
BLS OEWS May 2025

What a turnover costs in Massachusetts, 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.

UnitLightTypicalHeavy
Studio1 bath$870$1,562$876 to $3,112$4,171
1 bedroom1 bath$870$1,806$1,054 to $3,530$5,329
2 bedroom1 bath$934$2,189$1,297 to $4,158$6,662
3 bedroom2 bath$1,061$2,731$1,639 to $5,108$8,310
3 bedroom house2 bath$1,115$3,105$1,898 to $5,792$9,645
  • 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 Massachusetts: 8 of 8 run higher, from 13% above for hauling and trash-out to 27% above for yard and landscaping. 5 of the 13 trade groups have no published figure for this area and are priced at the national median.

Cheaper than national

No trade is below the national median in Massachusetts.

Pricier than national

  1. Yard and landscaping27% above
  2. Electrical26% above
  3. HVAC19% 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.

TradeIndexVersus national median
Yard and landscapingmowing and yard cleanup1.2727% above
Electricallicensed electrical work1.2626% above
HVACservice visits1.1919% above
Plumbinglicensed plumbing work1.1919% above
Cleaningturn cleans and carpet cleaning1.1616% above
Handyman and maintenancesmall repairs, blinds, alarms, final walk1.1616% above
Paintingrepaints and touch-up1.1414% above
Hauling and trash-outtrash-out and bulky items1.1313% above
Appliance repairappliance repair and install1.00No BLS figure; national median used
Drywalldrywall visit charges1.00No BLS figure; national median used
Flooringcarpet and plank installation1.00No BLS figure; national median used
Locksmithrekeying and keys1.00No BLS figure; national median used
Pest controlinspection and treatment1.00No BLS figure; national median used
Window glassglass replacement1.00No 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 Massachusetts

What one unit of each task costs here, before any vendor visit minimum. Materials are included.

TaskLowExpectedHigh
Repaint all wallsper floor sq ft$0.62$0.95$1.57
Carpet replacement with padper sq ft$2.25$3.25$5.00
Standard turn clean, kitchen and living areasper unit$63.36$92.16$138.24
Rekey a lock cylinderper cylinder$15.00$25.00$45.00
Trash-out and haul-awayper cu yd$33.90$45.20$67.80
Drywall patch, doorknob-size holeeach$69.60$127.60$232.00
Replace window blindseach$18.36$38.88$102.60
Replace a smoke alarmeach$22.81$37.70$88.76
Replace an HVAC filtereach$11.37$22.39$48.43

How Massachusetts compares

It ranks 2nd of 7 areas in Massachusetts by cost (1 is the most expensive). 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. Massachusetts is 4% above it. Nationally the same scenario comes to $1,960.

AreaTypical 2 bedroomVersus 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%
Springfield$2,003+2%
Pittsfield$1,991+2%
National figure$1,960baseline

Typical 2-bedroom turn, expected cost. Areas are ordered from most to least expensive within the state.

Notes for Massachusetts

  • 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 $1,254 in Massachusetts, taking the expected total from $2,189 to $3,443. Enter the year built in the estimator to include it.
  • Nonmetropolitan area. BLS reports every county outside a metro area as one nonmetropolitan area per region. This page covers the Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area: rural and small-town wages, often from smaller samples than a metro's.
  • Trades priced at the national median. BLS suppressed or did not publish wages here for appliance repair, flooring, locksmith, pest control, and window glass. Tasks in those trades use national prices, so they will not reflect Massachusetts conditions.
  • ZIP codes. The estimator maps ZIP prefixes 013xx to this area. ZIP lookup works at the 3-digit level, so a ZIP at the edge of Massachusetts 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.

Nonmetropolitan areas group the counties outside metro areas; see the notes below.

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 Massachusetts nonmetropolitan 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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