Across 13 jurisdictions the middle one files a median of $65,000, and 3 of them land within a quarter of that. The gap in the headline is between Raleigh and Detroit — a difference between cities, not a range to expect inside one.

Within a single city the spread is wider still. Everett runs from $5,020 at the tenth percentile to $198,500 at the ninetieth, 39.5× end to end, while Detroit is the tightest at 5.1×. 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.

11 of these 13 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
Raleigh, NC	$20,000	$143,537	$406,019	265
San Francisco, CA	$17,778	$108,000	$398,067	285
Sacramento, CA	$12,664	$102,500	$410,000	36
Chicago, IL	$25,000	$100,000	$350,000	1,239
New York, NY	$18,000	$89,390	$335,072	31,352
Montgomery County, MD	$14,757	$84,500	$350,000	90
Baton Rouge, LA	$13,000	$65,000	$400,000	189
Seattle, WA	$10,000	$55,000	$151,400	54
Kansas City, MO	$9,000	$49,700	$300,000	549
New Orleans, LA	$7,500	$44,760	$260,420	1,135
Los Angeles, CA	$10,000	$40,000	$180,000	1,180
Everett, WA	$5,020	$37,500	$198,500	62
Detroit, MI	$6,500	$14,000	$33,220	1,452

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