Home renovation apps: the best ones, grouped by the job you need done

A renovation needs a few different apps: one to picture the room, one for the budget, one to find a contractor, and something to keep every quote and promise together. This page groups apps that renovators mention often by the job they do. Descriptions are the makers' own, prices are what each maker lists, and the order is alphabetical rather than a verdict.

Most renovation apps help you see the new kitchen before it exists. Far fewer help with the part that costs money later: what the contractor quoted, what changed along the way, and what was promised on a site visit in week three. This page covers both, sorted by job.

Houzz's 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study found that kitchen projects average "9.5 months of planning and 5.8 months of construction," and that kitchens had the highest median spend, $24,000. That's over a year of emails, quotes and changes.

Before the list: this page comes from Equerry, and one entry below is our own app, marked as ours. Nobody paid to appear here, none of the links earn us a commission, and we gain nothing if you choose any of these apps.

How this list was put together

• The jobs come first. Picture it, plan and budget, find and check a contractor, and keep the paper trail. Within each job, the apps are ones that renovation lists and forums name often, plus a few apps already on your iPhone and our own app.
• Each description comes from the maker, quoted or closely paraphrased from its own site, and each price is the one the maker publishes. Apps already on the page were first read on 5 October 2026; Homestyler, RoomSketcher, Havenly, Cedreo and magicplan were added and first read on 17 October 2026, when every entry was checked again. Dollar prices are US prices, and one app is UK-based and priced in pounds. Prices change and may not include tax.
• Alphabetical inside each job, and inside each smaller group of the design section. Position tells you nothing about which app is better, and we haven't tried, rated or compared any of them.

All the apps at a glance

Picture it: design and measuring apps

This is what most people mean by a home renovation app, and it's most of what comes back when you search for a home renovation app or a home improvement app. These apps do four different things, so decide which you need before paying:

• Restyle a photo to agree on a look with your partner or designer.
• Draw a floor plan if the layout is changing: a wall coming out, a new island, a bigger shower.
• Scan or measure to get the room's dimensions on your phone.
• Browse ideas if you don't yet know what you want.

None of them replaces the measurements and drawings your contractor or designer works from.

Restyle a photo of the room

• Remodel AI. "Upload a photo of any room. Pick from 30+ styles. Get a photorealistic redesign in 10 seconds." The last of its three steps is "Show It to Your Contractor." It's a way to agree on a look, not a measured plan. Price: the Free plan includes "3 free designs." Pro is billed at $349 a year (the pricing page shows it as $29 a month on yearly billing).

Draw a floor plan and see it in 3D

• Homestyler. "Easily Design & Visualize Your Dream Home in 3D." Homestyler splits its web version, where you "Build precise floor plans" and "Design complete spaces in 2D & 3D," from its phone app, which it describes as "For 3D design & inspiration on the go." Price: the Basic plan is free. Pro+, the first paid plan, starts from $6.80 a month.
• Planner 5D. "Draw a floor plan and create a 3D home design in 10 minutes using our all-in-one AI-powered home design software." Planner 5D says every plan, including Free, "supports project sharing and shared editing," so a partner or contractor can look at the same design. Price: "The Free plan costs $0. Premium costs $19.99 with monthly billing or $59.99 billed annually."
• RoomSketcher. "Accurate, editable floor plans and polished visuals, powered by AI." It says you can start from "a real room, a rough sketch, a blueprint, or nothing at all," and that changes "update instantly in both 2D and 3D." Price: the Free plan is $0 with "2 Credits to get started." Pro is $12 a month, "Billed as $144 per year". Credits are spent on projects, floor plans and other outputs, and prices exclude sales tax.

Scan and measure

• Measure (Apple). It's already on your iPhone, in the Utilities folder. Apple says "You can use your iPhone camera to measure nearby objects," and says it works on "well-defined objects located 0.5 to 3 meters (2 to 10 feet) from iPhone. (Measurements are approximate.)" Handy for a quick check. Price: no separate price.
• Room Scanner. Room Scanner "turns a LiDAR capture or manually entered dimensions into a 2D floor plan and 3D model." Its site says "LiDAR scanning needs a supported iPhone Pro or iPad Pro," and that you can also create rooms by entering dimensions. Price: "Room Scanner is free to download. Scan up to two rooms, edit the plan and view it in 2D, 3D and AR at no cost." Its App Store listing prices Pro at $5.99 a month or $49.99 a year (there's also a $2.99 weekly option).

Browse ideas

• Houzz. Houzz says it helps you "find inspiration, products and the pros to make it happen — all in one place." In Houzz's own App Store listing, the app lets you "browse more than 20 million high-resolution photos of finished home interiors and exteriors" and save and share them "with friends, family and home professionals." Price: the app is free on the App Store.

Or hire a designer. Havenly is a service, not an app: "Work with a designer online or have one come to your home." "Online design starts at $99 per room. In-Person design starts at $349."

Built for contractors, though lists name them

Some names on home renovation app lists are sold to businesses, and their sites and prices say so. Cedreo speaks to builders ("Speed up the sales process by creating conceptual 3D home designs in less than 2 hours"); its Free plan "allows you to create one project," and its paid plans are on its pricing page. magicplan now leads with "Run the whole job from what your crew sees on-site," from $25 a project on a 24-month commitment of 10 projects a month. Houzz Pro belongs here too. If your contractor or designer uses one of these, ask for the plan and any changes as a PDF you can keep.

Plan and budget

In the Houzz study, a kitchen took longer on average to plan than to build. You'll want somewhere to keep the scope, the selections and the running total.

• HomeZada. HomeZada says it "replaces scattered tools with one all-in-one system" for your home. On remodels, its site says it turns "an idea, design image, or AI recommendation into a project plan with a budget, material list, shopping choices, and organized project details," and keeps "your tasks, receipts, bids, photos, warranties, and project documents organized in one place." Price: the free Essentials plan covers home inventory and documents. "Home Remodel Projects" is in the Premium plan, $99 a year "or $15.95 / month."
• Notion. Notion's template gallery has a free collection of renovation plan templates. Notion says a good one includes a project timeline, a budget tracker, a design and materials list, and "Contractor and Communication Logs," described as "a dedicated area to note interactions with contractors and other stakeholders, ensuring all agreements and modifications are documented." Price: the Free plan is "for individuals to organize personal projects and life," with uploads of up to 5 MB per file. Plus is $12 per member a month on monthly billing, or $120 a year ($10 a month) billed yearly.
• Reno (UK). "Reno helps you plan layouts, design finishes, create specifications and turn plans into accurate quotes before work starts." It's UK-based and priced in pounds. Price: on monthly billing, the Room plan is £10 a month "for one room" and the Home plan is £15 a month for "bigger renovations, multiple rooms or a few projects." Yearly billing gives "2 months free."

Or use a spreadsheet in Numbers, Excel or Google Sheets: one row per quote, change and payment, with the date, what it covers, the amount and where the written copy is saved. It's free and nobody else controls it, but it only works if you keep it up to date.

Find and check a contractor

These directories help you find people. Checking them is still up to you, and the most important check isn't done in an app. The Federal Trade Commission advises: "Consider only contractors who are licensed and insured. Check with your state or county government to confirm a contractor's license, and ask the contractor for proof of insurance."

• Angi. Angi's FAQ says "You can use Angi and the Angi app to compare and research local service professionals, book home services, and request project quotes, all for free." Two things Angi itself says are worth knowing. Angi Approved pros, which Angi says pay to advertise and have met its eligibility requirements (including an average rating of 3 stars or higher and, for most businesses, a criminal background check on the owner, a principal or a relevant manager), are "listed above other service providers." And licensing details on a profile are self-reported: "we strongly encourage you to check with the provider and regulatory agencies in your area." Angi also recommends that you "get at least three quotes and pay close attention to bids and contracts." Price: free for homeowners. An optional Angi Key membership adds discounts.
• Houzz. The same app finds pros. Houzz's app page says you can "use the Houzz app to find architects, interior designers and home improvement contractors in your area," and "Read reviews and search through previous projects to find the right professional for your style and budget." Price: free.
• Thumbtack. "Find local pros for repairs, upgrades, and projects big or small — all in one place." It says "No calls or text until you message a pro," and that "If the job isn't done as agreed you could get up to $2,500 back. Terms apply." Price: free; Thumbtack says "it's all here — in one free app."

Keep the paper trail: every quote, change and promise

This job barely shows up on lists of renovation apps, but it's the one that matters when something goes wrong. The tile that was "included." The cabinets that were due "by the 28th." The extra outlet the electrician agreed to on site, which then shows up on the final invoice. Here are the plain ways to keep that record, then our own app.

• A mail folder for the job. Mail on the iPhone lets you create new mailboxes and move messages into them. Apple's guide says "You can choose which mailboxes to view, reorder your mailboxes, create new ones, or rename or delete mailboxes." The limit is that a folder holds emails, not the texts, the photos or what was said on site. And finding "what did he say about the tile?" means opening threads one at a time. Our guide on keeping track of important emails covers the flagging and filing systems that hold up.
• A shared album in Photos. "With Shared Albums, you can create albums to share with just the people you choose—and they can add their own photos, videos, and comments for everyone to see." It's a good place for progress photos, including what's behind a wall before the drywall goes up. One setting to leave off: Apple's "Make Album Temporary" option sets an album "to expire after 30 days," which is too short for a renovation.
• Apple Notes for paper. "You can use the Notes app to scan documents and add signatures on your iPhone or iPad." It works for a signed contract, a handwritten quote or a supplier's receipt.
• A recap email after every visit. Not an app, but the habit that makes the rest work. After a site visit or a phone call, send the contractor a few lines: what you agreed, the price difference if there is one, and the date. It turns a conversation into a dated record they can correct while it's fresh.
• The contractor's own portal. Some contractors run the job in software with a client view. In Houzz Pro, for example, change orders can be sent "to clients for approval and online payment." That's useful, but it's the contractor's system. Houzz tells contractors they can "select only the specific files and features you want visible" to each client. So save your own copy of every quote and approved change.
• Equerry (this is our app). A personal assistant on iPhone that keeps what you send it about the job and answers from it later. There's no project to set up. You send it things as they happen:
  • CC it on the contractor's thread, or forward each quote. Your Equerry has its own email address. Forwarding sends a thread as it stands, and only CC keeps later replies arriving, as long as the address stays on the thread. The original stays in your own mailbox, and Equerry never asks for access to your inbox. What Equerry remembered from it is listed in Settings → Your memory, each line marked as from that email, and you can delete any line.
  • Quotes, drawings and photos. Share a quote PDF, a drawing or a photo of the work from another app with the share sheet. If the plumber texted you a date, a screenshot of the text can go in the same way.
  • A voice note after the site visit. Record it in the Equerry app right after the visit: "He said the tile is in the quote, and he's back Thursday for the vanity." Equerry transcribes it. If you already recorded something in Voice Memos, copy its transcript and paste it into a note.
  • Typed notes. Type a note if that's easier. When an answer draws on a note you saved, it carries a source chip: tap it to see the passage Equerry used and open the original.
  • Ask in plain words. "What did he say about the tile?" "When did the cabinet supplier say the doors would ship?" It answers from what you've sent it.
  • A reminder for a date you pick. Set a Reminder for the inspection, the deposit or the return visit, and it sends a push with the text you wrote on that date.
  Price: Pro is $39.99 a month or $329 a year.

What Equerry doesn't do: it doesn't design rooms, estimate costs, find contractors or handle payments, and it doesn't message anyone for you. It doesn't read your inbox, your texts or your calls. Equerry works from what you give it, and from your calendar too if you switch that on. A CC is visible to everyone on the thread, so the contractor will see the address. If that would feel awkward, forward the messages instead. Keep in mind that anything you send is processed so it can be searched and answered from, and that content, along with your calendar details if you turn them on, goes to the outside providers listed on our AI disclosure page. For the searching side, see our guides on finding an old email you can't remember and emailing notes to yourself.

What to get in writing

This is general information from the Federal Trade Commission, not legal advice. The FTC notes that "Contract requirements vary by state," so for the rules where you live, ask your state or local consumer protection office. Its home improvement page says:

• Written estimates. "Get multiple estimates. A written estimate should include a description of the work to be done, materials, completion date, and the price."
• A written contract, even where it isn't required. "Even if your state doesn't require a written agreement, ask for one." The FTC lists what it should include: "the contractor's name, address, phone number, and license number," "an estimated start and completion date," and "any promises made during conversations or calls related to issues such as the scope of work and the cost of labor and materials."
• Your right to cancel. "A written statement of your right to cancel the contract within three business days, if you signed it in your home or at a location other than the seller's permanent place of business." Also, "make sure all blank spaces are filled in."
• Payments. "Don't pay the full amount for the project up front," and "never make the final payment until the work is done and you're satisfied with it."
• Records, if a problem comes up. For disputes, the FTC suggests you "keep notes and copies of letters and documents for your files."

Two more papers matter on most jobs, and the FTC's list doesn't cover them: each change to the work, with its price, agreed in writing before the work changes; and the terms of any warranty the contractor offers.

Putting your renovation apps together

A simple setup: one design app, if you need help picturing the room (start with a free tier). One place for the budget, whether an app or a spreadsheet. One directory to find contractors, plus the licence check with your state or county. And one place where every quote, change and promise ends up, because that's what you'll need in month nine. Start it with the first quote.

Sources: apps already on the page first read 2026-10-05, every source checked again 2026-10-17; dollar prices from the makers' US pages. Added 2026-10-17: Homestyler, home page, mobile app page and pricing. RoomSketcher, home page and pricing. Room Scanner, App Store listing. Havenly, pricing. Cedreo, home page and pricing. magicplan, home page and pricing. HomeZada, home improvement projects. Read on both dates: Houzz, home page, Houzz app page, App Store listing, 11 Things to Know About Home Renovations Today (2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study, 1 May 2026), Houzz Pro Client Dashboard and change orders. Apple Support, Measure dimensions with iPhone, Organize email in mailboxes on iPhone, Create shared albums in Photos on iPhone and How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad. Planner 5D, home page and pricing. Remodel AI, home page and pricing. Room Scanner, home page. HomeZada, home page and homeowner pricing. Notion, renovation plan templates and pricing. Reno, home page and pricing. Angi, home page and FAQ. Thumbtack, home page. Federal Trade Commission, How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam (July 2022). Apps and prices change; if a maker's page says something different from this one, go by the maker's page.

Last updated 2026-10-17.

All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Equerry is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any other product mentioned; comparisons are provided for informational purposes.