What home projects actually cost, according to permit records
Our cost guides are estimates. Building permits are records of real jobs. We collected 276,780 building permits filed in the last 12 months in Austin, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York City, from each city's official public data site. Of those, 47,249 home-sized permits list a job cost. For each project, the tables show the median (half of jobs listed less, half listed more) and the middle 50%, the range where the middle half of jobs fall. Where a city records it, you can also see which contractors got the most permits.
How to read these numbers: The job cost on a permit is whatever the person filing writes down. It is often lower than the final price, and cities don't check it closely. So treat the medians as a low-side check next to our cost guide ranges, not as quotes. Some trade permits list a cost of $0 or $1 as a placeholder. We count those permits but leave them out of every dollar figure.
Austin, TX
40,349 permits from the last 12 months (City of Austin Issued Construction Permits). See all prices in Austin.
| Project | Permits | Median filed value | Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home addition / ADU | 1,864 | $100,700 | $40,000 – $190,000 |
| Foundation repair | 974 | $12,600 | $7,400 – $16,600 |
| Bathroom remodel | 6,843 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Water heater replacement | 2,657 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| In-ground pool | 2,253 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| HVAC replacement | 1,596 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Kitchen remodel | 1,346 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Electrical panel / service upgrade | 784 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Solar panel installation | 742 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| EV charger installation | 529 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Standby generator | 435 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Siding replacement | 269 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Roof replacement | 153 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Detached garage | 125 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Window replacement | 121 | No data | Too few prices listed |
| Deck | 87 | No data | Too few prices listed |
Contractors with the most permits in Austin
| Contractor | Permits (last 12 months) | Phone on file |
|---|---|---|
| IES RESIDENTIAL, INC | 1,167 | (512) 252-0040 |
| VICTORY PLUMBING COMPANY | 771 | (512) 990-7200 |
| IN CHARGE ELECTRICAL SERVICES, LLC | 755 | (512) 778-6240 |
| RADIANT PLUMBING & AC | 650 | (512) 263-9988 |
| STAN'S HEATING, AIR, PLUMBING, & ELECTRICAL | 605 | (512) 929-9393 |
| RADIANT PLUMBING AND AIR CONDITIONING | 598 | (512) 690-4935 |
| LANDMARK ELECTRIC | 532 | (512) 491-7718 |
| IES RESIDENTIAL INC | 485 | (512) 561-5002 |
| AEI ELECTRIC LLC | 476 | (512) 839-2478 |
| MCCULLOUGH HEATING & AIR | 431 | (512) 280-0011 |
Names and counts come from City of Austin Issued Construction Permits records. They show how busy a contractor is, not whether we recommend them. Texas has no statewide general-contractor license; electricians, plumbers, and HVAC techs are state-licensed. Check any contractor before you hire them: official license lookup.
Chicago, IL
27,318 permits from the last 12 months (City of Chicago Building Permits). See all prices in Chicago.
| Project | Permits | Median filed value | Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical panel / service upgrade | 2,650 | $4,000 | $2,500 – $6,200 |
| Solar panel installation | 1,888 | $20,400 | $14,000 – $27,200 |
| Roof replacement | 1,143 | $21,000 | $13,400 – $30,000 |
| Deck | 899 | $25,000 | $14,000 – $45,000 |
| Detached garage | 759 | $28,900 | $23,000 – $35,000 |
| Home addition / ADU | 609 | $150,000 | $100,000 – $250,000 |
| HVAC replacement | 584 | $12,100 | $5,500 – $20,000 |
| Kitchen remodel | 568 | $25,000 | $22,600 – $65,000 |
| Window replacement | 337 | $10,000 | $5,000 – $20,000 |
| Bathroom remodel | 303 | $22,900 | $13,500 – $40,000 |
| Water heater replacement | 194 | $5,500 | $3,600 – $10,500 |
| EV charger installation | 134 | $3,600 | $2,300 – $4,700 |
| Standby generator | 60 | $13,000 | $11,100 – $15,200 |
Contractors with the most permits in Chicago
| Contractor | Permits (last 12 months) |
|---|---|
| SUNRUN INSTALLATION SERVICES INC | 617 |
| CURRENT COMMUNICATIONS CORP | 185 |
| ROBERT LESNICKI | 165 |
| ALVAREZ ELECTRICAL TECH | 164 |
| BLUE LINE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTO | 163 |
| CHAVEZ ELECTRIC | 154 |
| MARON ELECTRIC COMPANY | 147 |
| KAPITAL ELECTRIC COMPANY | 144 |
| HARTMANN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC | 137 |
| GARAGE 2017 LLC DBA DANLEY'S GARAGE WORLD | 136 |
Names and counts come from City of Chicago Building Permits records. They show how busy a contractor is, not whether we recommend them. Chicago licenses general contractors at the city level. Check any contractor before you hire them: official license lookup.
Seattle, WA
4,970 permits from the last 12 months (City of Seattle Building Permits). See all prices in Seattle.
| Project | Permits | Median filed value | Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home addition / ADU | 3,009 | $100,000 | $50,000 – $211,800 |
| Roof replacement | 144 | $19,700 | $13,900 – $27,000 |
| Kitchen remodel | 79 | $50,000 | $30,000 – $90,000 |
| Bathroom remodel | 67 | $25,000 | $15,000 – $45,000 |
| Detached garage | 53 | No data | Too few prices listed |
Contractors with the most permits in Seattle
| Contractor | Permits (last 12 months) |
|---|---|
| VALENTINE ROOFING | 163 |
| STATE ROOFING INC | 25 |
| CHINOOK BUILDING EVNELOPE SERVICES | 23 |
Names and counts come from City of Seattle Building Permits records. They show how busy a contractor is, not whether we recommend them. Washington requires contractors to register with L&I and carry a bond. Check any contractor before you hire them: official license lookup.
Los Angeles, CA
47,546 permits from the last 12 months (LADBS Building Permits Issued (2020–present)). See all prices in Los Angeles.
| Project | Permits | Median filed value | Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home addition / ADU | 10,982 | $80,300 | $50,000 – $150,000 |
| Roof replacement | 10,817 | $5,700 | $4,400 – $8,000 |
| In-ground pool | 3,798 | $35,000 | $25,000 – $50,000 |
| Kitchen remodel | 2,217 | $21,000 | $10,000 – $40,500 |
| Bathroom remodel | 1,985 | $10,000 | $7,000 – $20,800 |
| Detached garage | 752 | $20,000 | $10,000 – $39,800 |
| Deck | 424 | $10,000 | $5,000 – $20,000 |
| Siding replacement | 209 | $10,000 | $5,800 – $19,600 |
| HVAC replacement | 199 | $10,900 | $6,300 – $18,000 |
| Solar panel installation | 144 | $22,000 | $11,000 – $38,000 |
| Foundation repair | 143 | $11,000 | $5,000 – $22,000 |
| Water heater replacement | 39 | $2,000 | $500 – $2,500 |
New York City, NY
156,597 permits from the last 12 months (NYC DOB NOW Job Application Filings). See all prices in New York City.
| Project | Permits | Median filed value | Middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar panel installation | 7,262 | $37,800 | $26,600 – $52,600 |
| HVAC replacement | 5,106 | $23,000 | $13,500 – $32,000 |
| Kitchen remodel | 3,379 | $40,000 | $20,000 – $77,500 |
| Water heater replacement | 1,774 | $10,000 | $7,000 – $15,000 |
| Bathroom remodel | 1,380 | $25,000 | $12,000 – $45,000 |
| Home addition / ADU | 1,324 | $120,000 | $56,300 – $300,000 |
| Deck | 773 | $21,000 | $12,000 – $41,000 |
| Foundation repair | 509 | $29,900 | $15,000 – $50,000 |
| Roof replacement | 472 | $32,400 | $15,900 – $50,000 |
| Standby generator | 433 | $11,500 | $8,000 – $35,000 |
| Window replacement | 291 | $24,200 | $18,100 – $45,000 |
| Detached garage | 157 | $20,000 | $15,000 – $57,100 |
| In-ground pool | 106 | $50,000 | $27,000 – $91,000 |
| Siding replacement | 82 | $33,500 | $15,000 – $62,500 |
Where these numbers come from
Each city posts every building permit it issues on its official public data site. We take the last 12 months (since October 1, 2025) and keep permits for homes. We sort each permit by project type using its work description. For example, a solar permit that mentions the roof counts as solar, not as a new roof. We also leave out job costs too big for a home, so a 12,000 sq ft commercial roof doesn't throw off a home median. We only show dollar figures where at least 25 permits list a price. Contractor counts include the placeholder permits. For each project, we only count contractors in the trade that does that work. Sources: City of Austin Issued Construction Permits , City of Chicago Building Permits , City of Seattle Building Permits , LADBS Building Permits Issued (2020–present) , NYC DOB NOW Job Application Filings . See how we get our numbers.
Free to use: You can republish these figures. Please link back to this page. For the rest of the picture, see our material price tracker and labor cost by state, or read the 2026 Construction Cost Report.