We consider the problem of estimating the unknown variance function υ in a nonparametric regression model. As a basis for our estimators we take estimated residuals which are based on a kernel estimator of the mean vector. Then we form with these residuals a kernel estimator of υ. Main emphasis is on a data-driven choice of the bandwidths involved in the procedure. It is shown that the risk of this estimator attains the uniform convergence rate in Sobolev classes for υ under weak smoothness assumptions on the mean. Moreover, we prove that there is asymptotically no loss due to the estimation of the mean.