Across 9 jurisdictions the middle one files a median of $17,000, and 4 of them land within a quarter of that. The gap in the headline is between New York and Los Angeles — a difference between cities, not a range to expect inside one.

Within a single city the spread is wider still. Chicago runs from $4,000 at the tenth percentile to $102,138 at the ninetieth, 25.5× end to end, while Sacramento is the tightest at 8.0×. 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.

7 of these 9 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
New York, NY	$10,000	$47,260	$150,000	587
Marin County, CA	$6,082	$29,185	$80,000	86
New Orleans, LA	$4,030	$20,450	$80,644	464
Chicago, IL	$4,000	$19,150	$102,138	58
San Francisco, CA	$5,000	$17,000	$50,000	1,557
Sacramento, CA	$5,000	$14,750	$40,000	196
Detroit, MI	$3,405	$10,137	$31,268	88
Anaheim, CA	$2,700	$10,000	$25,000	41
Los Angeles, CA	$2,501	$8,000	$40,000	747

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