All tools / Turnover costs / Portland-South Portland, ME
Apartment turnover cost in Portland-South Portland, ME
A typical 2-bedroom apartment turnover in Portland-South Portland runs about $1,328–$4,241 (expected $2,244). That is 14% above the national figure of $1,960.
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- Same scenario, nationally
- $1,960
- Maine median
- $1,962
- Data
- BLS OEWS May 2025
What a turnover costs in Portland-South Portland, 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 | $887 | $1,578$884 to $3,130 | $4,190 |
| 1 bedroom1 bath | $887 | $1,845$1,075 to $3,586 | $5,397 |
| 2 bedroom1 bath | $946 | $2,244$1,328 to $4,241 | $6,766 |
| 3 bedroom2 bath | $1,065 | $2,801$1,680 to $5,210 | $8,455 |
| 3 bedroom house2 bath | $1,120 | $3,195$1,956 to $5,927 | $9,843 |
- 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 Portland-South Portland: 2 trades cost less than the national median and 9 cost more. The widest gap is painting, 28% 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 repair9% below
- Flooring5% below
Pricier than national
- Painting28% above
- Locksmith20% above
- Yard and landscaping19% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Paintingrepaints and touch-up | 1.28 | 28% above |
| Locksmithrekeying and keys | 1.20 | 20% above |
| Yard and landscapingmowing and yard cleanup | 1.19 | 19% above |
| Electricallicensed electrical work | 1.13 | 13% above |
| Hauling and trash-outtrash-out and bulky items | 1.13 | 13% above |
| Cleaningturn cleans and carpet cleaning | 1.09 | 9% above |
| Pest controlinspection and treatment | 1.07 | 7% above |
| Handyman and maintenancesmall repairs, blinds, alarms, final walk | 1.06 | 6% above |
| HVACservice visits | 1.05 | 5% above |
| Drywalldrywall visit charges | 1.01 | 1% above * |
| Plumbinglicensed plumbing work | 1.01 | 1% above |
| Flooringcarpet and plank installation | 0.95 | 5% below |
| Appliance repairappliance repair and install | 0.91 | 9% below |
| 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 Portland-South Portland
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 | $0.68 | $1.05 | $1.73 |
| Carpet replacement with padper sq ft | $2.20 | $3.18 | $4.89 |
| Standard turn clean, kitchen and living areasper unit | $59.70 | $86.84 | $130.26 |
| 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 | $63.60 | $116.60 | $212.00 |
| Replace window blindseach | $17.51 | $37.08 | $97.85 |
| Replace a smoke alarmeach | $22.05 | $36.45 | $85.82 |
| Replace an HVAC filtereach | $10.39 | $20.46 | $44.26 |
How Portland-South Portland compares
It is the most expensive of the 5 areas we price in Maine. A typical 2-bedroom turn there ranges from $1,949 in Bangor to $2,244 in Portland-South Portland, with a median of $1,962. Portland-South Portland is 14% above it. Nationally the same scenario comes to $1,960.
| Area | Typical 2 bedroom | Versus national |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-South Portland | $2,244 | +14% |
| Northeast Mainenonmetropolitan area | $1,968 | same |
| Lewiston-Auburn | $1,962 | same |
| Southwest Mainenonmetropolitan area | $1,960 | same |
| Bangor | $1,949 | -1% |
| National figure | $1,960 | baseline |
Typical 2-bedroom turn, expected cost. Areas are ordered from most to least expensive within the state.
Notes for Portland-South Portland
- 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 $1,408 in Portland-South Portland, taking the expected total from $2,244 to $3,652. 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 window glass. Tasks in those trades use national prices, so they will not reflect Portland-South Portland conditions.
- ZIP codes. The estimator maps ZIP prefixes 039xx, 040xx, 041xx to this area. ZIP lookup works at the 3-digit level, so a ZIP at the edge of Portland-South Portland 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 Portland-South Portland 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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