Real Cost Index: what home projects actually cost
Every cost site quotes survey numbers you can't check. We do the opposite: these benchmarks are computed from 3,411,397 real public building permits across 50 U.S. metros in 31 states — the declared construction value homeowners and contractors actually filed with the city.
Data through 1979–2026last verified
Typical cost by trade (all indexed metros)
Median and middle-50% range of declared permit value, pooled across every metro we've indexed. Spread is the top quartile divided by the bottom — higher means prices vary more (and job sizes differ more), so get several quotes.
| Trade | Median | Typical range (P25–P75) | Spread | Permits | Metros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Contractor | $21,500 | $5,200–$127,365 | 24.5× | 1,145,131 | 34 |
| Electrician | $2,700 | $1,000–$8,800 | 8.8× | 486,961 | 25 |
| HVAC Technician | $5,650 | $2,800–$10,590 | 3.8× | 330,437 | 23 |
| Plumber | $3,000 | $1,343–$7,000 | 5.2× | 225,182 | 19 |
| Roofer | $9,500 | $5,000–$17,400 | 3.5× | 74,465 | 14 |
| Gas Technician | $1,500 | $900–$4,300 | 4.8× | 30,057 | 9 |
| Pool Installer | $40,000 | $29,000–$60,000 | 2.1× | 21,747 | 11 |
| Fence Contractor | $2,035 | $1,000–$5,000 | 5× | 14,913 | 7 |
| Window & Door Installer | $5,883 | $2,147–$15,000 | 7× | 13,469 | 7 |
| Fire Protection Contractor | $5,787 | $2,000–$20,000 | 10× | 11,080 | 8 |
| Heat Pump Installer | $6,500 | $2,500–$12,000 | 4.8× | 6,455 | 6 |
| Deck Builder | $8,000 | $3,053–$19,199 | 6.3× | 5,640 | 9 |
| Landscaper | $3,000 | $1,500–$7,913 | 5.3× | 5,635 | 11 |
| Solar Installer | $11,000 | $4,100–$20,000 | 4.9× | 4,613 | 9 |
| Siding Contractor | $7,500 | $3,850–$17,000 | 4.4× | 4,577 | 9 |
| Foundation Repair Contractor | $5,998 | $4,000–$9,681 | 2.4× | 2,564 | 7 |
| Water/Fire/Mold Restoration | $14,107 | $4,500–$50,000 | 11.1× | 1,595 | 7 |
| Concrete Contractor | $9,885 | $3,200–$37,500 | 11.7× | 1,183 | 6 |
| EV Charger Installer | $2,131 | $1,200–$5,000 | 4.2× | 877 | 6 |
| Lead Abatement Contractor | $6,152 | $3,000–$15,000 | 5× | 655 | 3 |
| Insulation Contractor | $7,550 | $3,465–$20,404 | 5.9× | 570 | 5 |
| Gutter Installer | $10,000 | $4,653–$18,403 | 4× | 411 | 6 |
| Water Well Contractor | $7,750 | $2,150–$24,250 | 11.3× | 72 | 3 |
| Tree Service | $5,000 | $2,000–$10,000 | 5× | 59 | 2 |
| Garage Door Company | $3,000 | $1,700–$7,978 | 4.7× | 56 | 4 |
Same job, different city
Median declared permit value across the 8 most-covered metros — all 50 are in the data export. Blanks mean fewer than 30 permits for that trade in that metro, so we make no claim. Want a head-to-head? Compare metro costs →
| Trade | Burlington VT | Baltimore MD | Dallas TX | Cleveland OH | Atlanta GA | Kansas City MO | Cape Coral FL | Providence RI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | $1,500 | $3,500 | $2,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $3,780 | $3,460 | $2,000 |
| Plumber | $1,990 | $4,000 | $2,000 | $7,200 | $6,500 | $3,600 | $4,985 | $3,075 |
| HVAC Technician | $6,000 | $9,000 | $8,800 | $7,000 | $9,800 | $7,555 | $8,384 | $7,000 |
| General Contractor | $10,000 | $6,800 | $72,326 | $8,000 | $140,000 | $55,353 | $380,427 | $9,000 |
| Roofer | $5,800 | $12,268 | $12,156 | $11,450 | $16,493 | — | $17,494 | $7,000 |
| Gas Technician | $3,400 | $2,861 | $1,000 | $2,454 | $8,600 | $1,800 | $4,879 | — |
| Fence Contractor | $3,000 | $6,750 | $5,000 | $4,600 | — | — | — | — |
| Deck Builder | $5,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,445 | — | $10,000 | — | — |
Coverage & method
- Burlington, VT — 24 benchmarks, permits 2001–2026 · browse Burlington pros
- Baltimore, MD — 19 benchmarks, permits 2022–2026 · browse Baltimore pros
- Dallas, TX — 17 benchmarks, permits 2018–2020 · browse Dallas pros
- Cleveland, OH — 15 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Cleveland pros
- Atlanta, GA — 13 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Atlanta pros
- Kansas City, MO — 9 benchmarks, permits 2020–2025 · browse Kansas City pros
- Cape Coral, FL — 8 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Cape Coral pros
- Providence, RI — 8 benchmarks, permits 2016–2020 · browse Providence pros
- Boulder, CO — 7 benchmarks, permits 1979–2026 · browse Boulder pros
- Miami, FL — 7 benchmarks, permits 2012–2026 · browse Miami pros
- Louisville, KY — 6 benchmarks, permits 2003–2019 · browse Louisville pros
- Chicago, IL — 5 benchmarks, permits 2026–2026 · browse Chicago pros
- Las Vegas, NV — 5 benchmarks, permits 2004–2026 · browse Las Vegas pros
- Lynchburg, VA — 5 benchmarks, permits 2001–2026 · browse Lynchburg pros
- Boston, MA — 4 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Boston pros
- Buffalo, NY — 4 benchmarks, permits 2003–2026 · browse Buffalo pros
- Cary, NC — 4 benchmarks, permits 2019–2026 · browse Cary pros
- Greensboro, NC — 4 benchmarks, permits 2011–2026 · browse Greensboro pros
- Mesa, AZ — 4 benchmarks, permits 2016–2026 · browse Mesa pros
- Orlando, FL — 4 benchmarks, permits 1989–2026 · browse Orlando pros
- Sacramento, CA — 4 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Sacramento pros
- Boise, ID — 3 benchmarks, permits 2019–2026 · browse Boise pros
- Durham, NC — 3 benchmarks, permits 2007–2026 · browse Durham pros
- New Orleans, LA — 3 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse New Orleans pros
- Pittsburgh, PA — 3 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Pittsburgh pros
- Cincinnati, OH — 3 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Cincinnati pros
- Minneapolis, MN — 3 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Minneapolis pros
- Hilton Head, SC — 2 benchmarks, permits 2021–2026
- Nashville, TN — 2 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Nashville pros
- Albuquerque, NM — 2 benchmarks, permits 2009–2024 · browse Albuquerque pros
- Los Angeles, CA — 2 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Los Angeles pros
- Seattle, WA — 2 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Seattle pros
- Charleston, SC — 1 benchmarks, permits 2010–2026 · browse Charleston pros
- Charlotte, NC — 1 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Charlotte pros
- Columbus, OH — 1 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Columbus pros
- Detroit, MI — 1 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Detroit pros
- Fort Worth, TX — 1 benchmarks, permits 2018–2026 · browse Fort Worth pros
- Gilbert, AZ — 1 benchmarks, permits 2002–2026 · browse Gilbert pros
- Honolulu, HI — 1 benchmarks, permits 1999–2025 · browse Honolulu pros
- Memphis, TN — 1 benchmarks, permits 2025–2026 · browse Memphis pros
- Milwaukee, WI — 1 benchmarks, permits 2015–2026 · browse Milwaukee pros
- Montgomery County, MD — 1 benchmarks, permits 2000–2026
- Portland, OR — 1 benchmarks, permits 1994–2026 · browse Portland pros
- San Antonio, TX — 1 benchmarks, permits 2020–2026 · browse San Antonio pros
- San Diego, CA — 1 benchmarks, permits 2003–2024 · browse San Diego pros
- San Francisco, CA — 1 benchmarks, permits 2020–2026 · browse San Francisco pros
- Scottsdale, AZ — 1 benchmarks, permits 1998–2026 · browse Scottsdale pros
- Utah County, UT — 1 benchmarks, permits 2015–2019
- Wilmington, NC — 1 benchmarks, permits 2002–2026 · browse Wilmington pros
- San Jose, CA — 1 benchmarks, permits 2022–2026 · browse San Jose pros
How it's computed. Median + interquartile (P25–P75) declared construction value on real public building permits. Declared valuations are a self-reported public-record proxy for project cost and can run below the out-the-door price; medians and a 30-permit minimum keep each benchmark honest. We exclude values below $100 (fee-only filings) and obvious data-entry errors, segment by trade from the permit type, and publish a benchmark only at 30+ permits. Sources are city/county open-data permit feeds (austin-socrata, chicago-permits, dallas-building-permits, las-vegas-permits, burlington-permits, greensboro-permits, durham-permits, boise-permits, cary-permits, boulder-permits, hilton-head-permits, providence-permits, miami-permits, orlando-permits, san-diego-permits, gilbert-permits, louisville-permits, kansas-city-permits, utah-county-permits, milwaukee-permits, albuquerque-permits, lynchburg-permits, baltimore-permits, county-cuyahoga, county-hamilton, county-franklin, county-dekalb, county-boston, county-sacramento, county-nashville, county-new-orleans, county-minneapolis, county-allegheny, county-seattle, san-francisco-permits, san-antonio-permits, los-angeles-permits, detroit-permits, charlotte-permits, memphis-permits, san-jose-permits, portland-permits, fort-worth-permits, honolulu-permits, charleston-permits, mesa-permits, cape-coral-permits, montgomery-county-md-permits, buffalo-permits, wilmington-nc-permits, scottsdale-permits). Some metros (e.g. Las Vegas) don't separately code roofing, so that trade won't appear there — an honest gap, not a guess.
Updated 2026-06-19. Reuse freely with attribution to ProFix Directory (CC BY 4.0). Permit valuations are a public-record proxy for project cost and can run below the final out-the-door price.