Across 11 jurisdictions the middle one files a median of $2,892, and 5 of them land within a quarter of that. The gap in the headline is between New York and New Orleans — a difference between cities, not a range to expect inside one.

Within a single city the spread is wider still. Los Angeles runs from $501 at the tenth percentile to $10,000 at the ninetieth, 20.0× end to end, while Kansas City is the tightest at 4.1×. 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.

9 of these 11 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	$4,000	$13,500	$25,500	881
Chicago, IL	$1,500	$6,048	$19,724	309
San Francisco, CA	$1,400	$5,200	$23,250	56
Marin County, CA	$1,570	$3,850	$8,636	278
Sacramento, CA	$1,340	$3,000	$16,316	280
Everett, WA	$1,498	$2,892	$7,500	672
Corona, CA	$900	$2,300	$5,620	100
Kansas City, MO	$1,200	$2,291	$4,900	565
Baton Rouge, LA	$783	$2,200	$4,539	115
New Orleans, LA	$700	$1,800	$10,000	1,733
Los Angeles, CA	$501	$1,000	$10,000	52

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