Across 17 jurisdictions the middle one files a median of $82,500, and 6 of them land within a quarter of that. The gap in the headline is between Marin County and Anaheim — a difference between cities, not a range to expect inside one.

Within a single city the spread is wider still. San Francisco runs from $15,000 at the tenth percentile to $525,581 at the ninetieth, 35.0× end to end, while Anaheim is the tightest at 2.4×. 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.

16 of these 17 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
Marin County, CA	$17,028	$188,000	$580,000	91
Chicago, IL	$40,000	$150,000	$450,000	1,168
Seattle, WA	$23,490	$150,000	$427,390	1,197
Austin, TX	$22,200	$125,000	$500,000	68
Montgomery County, MD	$23,000	$110,700	$400,000	851
Baton Rouge, LA	$19,500	$103,000	$500,000	176
Raleigh, NC	$22,529	$88,589	$315,110	417
San Francisco, CA	$15,000	$86,794	$525,581	677
New York, NY	$16,481	$82,500	$495,000	3,370
Sacramento, CA	$14,823	$77,000	$417,200	129
Los Angeles, CA	$20,000	$75,000	$250,000	7,734
Corona, CA	$18,489	$60,000	$150,000	41
New Orleans, LA	$13,848	$59,138	$379,338	816
Kansas City, MO	$15,000	$52,711	$319,000	153
Detroit, MI	$15,000	$48,500	$244,000	163
Everett, WA	$11,900	$40,000	$242,908	110
Anaheim, CA	$12,646	$19,903	$30,000	138

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