Across 10 jurisdictions the middle one files a median of $123,470, and 4 of them land within a quarter of that. The gap in the headline is between Seattle and Montgomery County — a difference between cities, not a range to expect inside one.

Within a single city the spread is wider still. Montgomery County runs from $25,000 at the tenth percentile to $352,000 at the ninetieth, 14.1× end to end, while Raleigh is the tightest at 3.0×. That is the number worth carrying into a conversation with a contractor: a quote outside your own city's range is worth asking about, and a quote outside another city's tells you nothing.

8 of these 10 jurisdictions cleared 60 permits, which is the bar this site sets before a city may hold either end of a comparison. The rest are shown because their own page is worth reading, not because they are precise enough to headline.

Full numbers

City	10%	Median	90%	Permits
Seattle, WA	$119,986	$219,202	$640,153	1,195
Everett, WA	$33,000	$175,630	$450,000	97
Corona, CA	$63,667	$166,105	$201,087	88
San Francisco, CA	$35,994	$165,000	$309,999	167
Sacramento, CA	$46,315	$123,470	$211,170	38
Raleigh, NC	$75,333	$113,354	$226,053	69
Los Angeles, CA	$30,000	$100,000	$250,000	4,156
Chicago, IL	$35,000	$94,100	$340,000	53
New York, NY	$33,356	$90,000	$421,152	97
Montgomery County, MD	$25,000	$65,000	$352,000	61

Declared permit values, last 24 months. Updated 2026-09-24. Methodology.