8 Home Improvements That Add Value in Oakland County

The home improvements that add value in Oakland County are mostly modest exterior jobs, and a few bigger projects return far less than they cost.

These eight use the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report for the Detroit market to show which projects give the best return on investment, and Michigan law to show which ones can raise your property taxes.

The eight improvements, in short:

1. Replace the garage door
2. Swap in a steel entry door
3. Roof and siding without a tax bump
4. Refresh the kitchen, do not gut it
5. Add a whole-home backup generator
6. Replace failing windows, not good ones
7. Finish the basement, budget for taxes
8. Build a composite deck with a permit

1. Does a new garage door add value to a house in Oakland County?

A new garage door is the remodeling project with the best payback in the Detroit market. The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report from Zonda and JLC put the average job there at $4,527 and the added resale value at $9,714. That is 214.6 percent of the cost recouped, the best of the 28 projects.

A good quote names the door, its insulation and the opener, and includes removal of the old one. In Rochester Hills, where The Delia Group works, Redfin's August 2026 figures show 49.7 percent of homes selling above list price, so buyers compare condition house by house. A dented door is an easy fix.

Treating 214.6 percent as a promise is the trap. Cost vs. Value figures are averages, not a guarantee for one house. A new door on a home with a worn roof will not carry the sale, so fix the bigger problems first.

2. Is replacing the front door worth it before selling in Michigan?

A steel entry door is one of the few projects that recovers more than its cost in the Detroit market. The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report put the average job there at $2,389, with $4,449 of added resale value, or 186.2 percent recouped. The upscale fiberglass grand entrance recouped only 54.4 percent in Detroit, so the simpler door wins.

A good choice is a standard-size steel door in a color that suits the house, with new weatherstripping and hardware. Get the quote in writing with the frame, trim and paint included. If the old door sticks or lets in drafts, that is the one to replace first.

Widening the opening or adding glass sidelights turns a small job into a carpentry project. The Detroit numbers show that bigger entry upgrade returning far less. A contractor who sells the grand version as the better investment is arguing against the report.

3. Will a new roof or new siding raise my property taxes in Michigan?

Not while you own the home. Michigan's Mathieu-Gast Act, part of MCL 211.27, bars assessors from counting the added value of normal repairs and replacements until the home sells. Its list includes repairing or replacing siding, a roof, porches, steps and drives. The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report put an asphalt roof at 67.8 percent recouped in Detroit.

Pair the work with the paperwork. Keep the contract, permit and warranty, since Michigan's Seller Disclosure Statement asks about roof leaks and buyers ask the roof's age. In Detroit, fiber-cement siding recouped 73.8 percent and vinyl 67.2 percent, so pick the siding that fits the street.

Putting off a worn roof because it does not pay back dollar for dollar is the expensive mistake. A buyer's inspector will flag it, and that finding often reopens the price. Remember too that the tax break ends with a sale.

4. Is a kitchen remodel a good investment in Oakland County?

A modest kitchen refresh pays back far better than a full remodel. In the Detroit market, the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report put a midrange minor kitchen remodel at 85.5 percent of cost recouped, against 38.2 percent for a midrange major remodel. The gap comes from scope: the minor job costs $28,109 there and the major one $86,274.

Keep the work cosmetic and the budget near the minor job. Michigan's normal-repair list also covers new floor surfacing and replacing plumbing and light fixtures, so much of a refresh stays off your assessment until you sell. Get two written bids with the same scope so you can compare them.

Spending on a full remodel right before selling is the move the Detroit numbers warn against, since the major job added only $32,961 of resale value. Remodel a kitchen for yourself if you plan to stay, not for the next buyer.

5. Does a whole-home generator add value in Michigan?

A whole-home generator recovers most of its cost and does not raise a Michigan assessment while you own the home. The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report put a backup power generator at 83.9 percent of cost recouped in Detroit. Michigan's Mathieu-Gast Act lists installing, replacing or repairing a whole-home generator as normal maintenance until the home sells.

A good install has a permit, a transfer switch put in by a qualified electrician, and a service plan in writing. Keep those papers for the eventual buyer. Michigan's MIReady guidance says connecting home circuits to a generator calls for a qualified electrician and the right equipment.

A portable generator wired into a dryer outlet is not a whole-home generator, and it is not a selling point. MIReady warns that plugging a generator into a wall outlet endangers utility workers, and a buyer's inspector will note a homemade hookup.

6. Are new windows worth the cost in Oakland County?

New windows recover part of their cost, not all of it. In the Detroit market, the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report put vinyl window replacement at 69.7 percent recouped and wood windows at 72.9 percent. The case for new windows is condition and comfort: replace them when they are failing, not only to lift the sale price.

A good bid lists the window count, the product line, the energy ratings, and how the trim and inside finish will be handled. If only a few windows are fogged or rotted, ask about replacing those and leaving the rest. Keep the receipts and warranty for the next owner.

A salesperson who promises new windows will pay for themselves at resale is overselling. The Detroit figures say roughly 70 cents back on the dollar. Energy savings help, but a full house of windows bought only to sell is usually a loss.

7. Does finishing a basement increase property taxes in Michigan?

It can. Finishing a basement creates new living space, and Michigan's Mathieu-Gast list covers repairs and replacements, not work that is part of a structural addition or completion. In the Detroit market, the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report put a basement remodel at $51,502 in cost and 73.1 percent recouped.

Get a permit and a final inspection, and keep the paperwork. Ask your city or township assessor before you build how the finished area will be valued, so the tax change is in your budget. Buyers can then see the space was done to code.

Finishing a basement without a permit to dodge the assessment is the costly shortcut. Unpermitted space can stall a sale when the buyer's inspector or lender asks for records, and permitting it after the fact can mean opening finished walls.

8. Is a new deck worth it, and does it count as an addition?

A deck recovers part of its cost, and the material matters. The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report put a composite deck at 73.8 percent recouped in Detroit and a wood deck at 55.6 percent. A new deck adds structure that was not there before, which Michigan tax law can treat as new construction rather than a repair.

A good deck suits the house, carries a permit and passes final inspection. White Lake Township's 2026 guide to Proposal A, from an Oakland County assessor, shows an addition's value added on top of the capped taxable value. Ask your assessor how a deck will count.

Building a big deck just before selling and expecting the price to cover it is the miss. The Detroit numbers say a wood deck returns about 56 cents on the dollar. Build a deck because you will use it for years, not for a sale.

Detroit Market Cost Recouped, 2025 Cost vs. Value Report

Project	Average job cost	Resale value added	Cost recouped
Garage door replacement	$4,527	$9,714	214.6 percent
Steel entry door replacement	$2,389	$4,449	186.2 percent
Minor kitchen remodel, midrange	$28,109	$24,042	85.5 percent
Backup power generator	$13,536	$11,361	83.9 percent
Composite deck addition	$25,023	$18,479	73.8 percent
Fiber-cement siding replacement	$22,292	$16,457	73.8 percent
Basement remodel	$51,502	$37,662	73.1 percent
Vinyl window replacement	$22,597	$15,742	69.7 percent
Asphalt shingle roof replacement	$33,692	$22,832	67.8 percent
Major kitchen remodel, midrange	$86,274	$32,961	38.2 percent

Detroit market averages from the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report by Zonda and JLC. Averages, not a quote for any one house.

Frequently Asked Questions

What home improvements increase property taxes in Michigan?

Work that adds space or structure, such as a room addition, can be added to taxable value on top of the yearly cap. White Lake Township's 2026 Proposal A guide shows a family room addition handled that way. Normal repairs and replacements on the Mathieu-Gast list, such as a new roof, siding or a same-type furnace, are not counted until the home sells.

Why are my property taxes so high in Michigan?

Often because the home changed hands. Michigan limits yearly growth in taxable value to inflation or 5 percent, whichever is less, but the year after a sale, taxable value uncaps to the state equalized value. A recent buyer can pay much more than a longtime neighbor in a similar house.

How can I reduce my property taxes in Michigan?

Make sure your principal residence exemption is on file, since it removes up to 18 mills of local school operating tax from your home. If you think the assessment is wrong, Michigan law sets the board of review to meet on the second Monday in March, and owners can protest there. Check your assessment notice for the local dates.

What is the cost vs value report?

It is an annual report from Zonda, published with the Journal of Light Construction, that compares the average cost of 28 remodeling projects with the value they keep at resale in 119 U.S. markets. Detroit is one of those markets, and the figures in this article come from its 2025 edition.

Talk to The Delia Group before you remodel to sell

The Delia Group is a Rochester, Michigan real estate team working with buyers and sellers in Rochester, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township and across Oakland County. Owners weighing a project before a sale can talk through which updates nearby buyers respond to. Homeowners comparing Oakland County realtors or the best real estate agents in Rochester can start there.

This article is general information for Michigan homeowners, not legal or tax advice. How an improvement is assessed depends on your assessor's review of the work, and the Mathieu-Gast exemption ends after a sale. Confirm your own situation with a real estate attorney or a tax professional.