At ContractorNearYou.com, we built our platform on a single, unwavering promise: to empower homeowners with the most accurate, hyper-local, and up-to-date home improvement information possible. Arguably, the most important part of that mandate is around setting contractor cost expectations when homeowners are in market to improve their home.
Relying on outdated “national averages” is a recipe for budget disasters. Our proprietary estimation algorithm actively tracks micro-economic shifts, calculating cost multipliers down to the city and zip code level every single month to ensure you know exactly what to expect, then rolling that up to the city, county, and state levels.
This month, our data revealed some notable upward shifts in several Countys. As labor demand and local economic factors fluctuate, certain areas are seeing the cost of home improvement projects rise faster than the rest of the country.
Here is a look at three examples of the top markets experiencing the largest month-over-month (MoM) cost increases, and what those percentages would actually mean for your wallet.
The Top Increases for Home Improvement Costs in June 2026: Real Dollar Impact
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Towner County, ND (+2.61% MoM)
Taking the top spot for cost increases this month is Towner County, ND, which saw a 2.61% shift in our proprietary data set.
• The Real Dollar Impact: Looking to estimate a Garage Conversion? The recent market shift means you should anticipate paying $127 more than you would have last month. -
Cochran County, TX (+2.25% MoM)
Following closely behind is Cochran County, TX. The market dynamics here have pushed project estimates upward by 2.25% in just a few weeks.
• The Real Dollar Impact: If you are budgeting for a standard Cochran County Garage Conversion, be aware that local market fluctuations just added roughly $110 to your expected expenses. -
Winkler County, TX (+2.01% MoM)
Rounding out our top three is Winkler County, TX. In this market, a 2.01% increase is enough to force a homeowner to rethink their fixture choices and contingency budget.
• The Real Dollar Impact: If you were to calculate a Bathroom Remodeling cost in Winkler County today, this month’s market shift just added roughly $99 to your bottom line.
June 2026 Top 10 Markets for Cost Increases
While those three Counties saw the largest jumps, they weren’t the only ones experiencing a shift. Here is the full list of the top 10 markets that saw the biggest month-over-month increases in project estimation costs:
| Location | State | Total Shift (MoM) |
|---|---|---|
| Towner County | ND | +2.61% |
| Cochran County | TX | +2.25% |
| Winkler County | TX | +2.01% |
| Culberson County | TX | +1.94% |
| Hooker County | NE | +1.84% |
| Washington County | MS | +1.83% |
| Emmons County | ND | +1.78% |
| Doddridge County | WV | +1.78% |
| Lyon County | IA | +1.76% |
| Quitman County | GA | +1.72% |
What Does This Mean For You?
Materials and labor markets are incredibly localized. Just because a town two counties over saw a near 4% increase doesn’t mean yours did—in fact, your local costs could be holding steady. The only way to know for sure is to run the numbers for your specific neighborhood.
Don’t guess with your budget. Head over to our free home improvement calculator today and let our proprietary data and algorithm generate a hyper-local, data-driven cost estimate tailored exactly to your project and today’s market. When you’re ready, we’ll connect you with the perfect top-rated local contractor near you to get the job done right.
Cross posted on LinkedIn
