Across 9 jurisdictions the middle one files a median of $13,860, and 3 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. New Orleans runs from $2,954 at the tenth percentile to $67,206 at the ninetieth, 22.8× end to end, while Baton Rouge 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.

5 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	$50,000	$122,750	366
Chicago, IL	$5,000	$20,000	$107,200	57
New Orleans, LA	$2,954	$17,725	$67,206	88
Baton Rouge, LA	$6,075	$14,496	$24,698	52
San Francisco, CA	$3,160	$13,860	$50,000	289
Seattle, WA	$4,664	$13,515	$54,421	34
Sacramento, CA	$3,931	$10,000	$85,726	29
Detroit, MI	$2,388	$8,242	$23,363	316
Los Angeles, CA	$1,250	$3,500	$18,000	3,474

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