How much does a general contractor cost?
National median · 1,145,131 real permits · 49 metros
$21,500
Typical range $5,200 – $127,365 (middle 50% of permits)
Price predictability: wide variance — the priciest quarter runs about 24.5× the cheapest, so get multiple quotes; jobs filed under general contractor range widely in size.
These are real declared construction values from public building permits — what homeowners and contractors actually filed with the city for general contractor work, not a survey estimate. Pick your city below for the local number.
Median general contractor permit value went $16,800 → $20,000 (2.5%/yr) across a fixed panel of 10 metros. See cost trends →
General Contractor cost by city
| Metro | Median | Typical range | Permits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, MD | $6,800 | $3,500–$20,000 | 785 |
| Orlando, FL | $7,797 | $2,353–$31,000 | 323,863 |
| Cleveland, OH | $8,000 | $3,000–$16,649 | 2,780 |
| Providence, RI | $9,000 | $4,000–$25,000 | 6,699 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $9,900 | $3,600–$50,000 | 47,784 |
| Burlington, VT | $10,000 | $3,500–$28,500 | 12,945 |
| Miami, FL | $12,000 | $4,500–$36,300 | 141,399 |
| Detroit, MI | $12,538 | $5,000–$25,402 | 5,914 |
| Columbus, OH | $14,650 | $8,166–$30,000 | 11,190 |
| Sacramento, CA | $15,000 | $9,500–$22,793 | 3,234 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $16,666 | $6,002–$71,250 | 312 |
| San Francisco, CA | $19,425 | $8,502–$45,000 | 129,822 |
| Honolulu, HI | $20,000 | $5,200–$42,000 | 216,875 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $20,000 | $7,100–$60,000 | 17,263 |
| Boulder, CO | $20,394 | $5,000–$90,000 | 52,705 |
| Montgomery County, MD | $23,100 | $8,000–$90,000 | 180,167 |
| Greensboro, NC | $23,752 | $6,000–$118,200 | 42,414 |
| Mesa, AZ | $24,225 | $10,000–$58,027 | 4,275 |
| Boise, ID | $30,000 | $6,826–$140,125 | 8,551 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $30,000 | $7,558–$115,500 | 20,413 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $33,000 | $9,000–$150,000 | 1,420 |
| San Diego, CA | $35,910 | $10,000–$138,126 | 102,128 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $40,000 | $12,000–$150,000 | 1,791 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $40,000 | $15,000–$125,000 | 9,933 |
| New Orleans, LA | $40,000 | $16,075–$205,500 | 1,479 |
| Hilton Head, SC | $43,540 | $13,149–$143,365 | 2,117 |
| Chicago, IL | $50,000 | $15,000–$120,000 | 149 |
| Kansas City, MO | $55,353 | $11,809–$201,305 | 13,570 |
| Cary, NC | $59,888 | $22,013–$192,965 | 13,812 |
| Louisville, KY | $62,000 | $18,000–$150,000 | 55,637 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $65,000 | $14,728–$185,730 | 38,386 |
| Buffalo, NY | $70,000 | $20,000–$236,000 | 8,233 |
| Dallas, TX | $72,326 | $14,400–$274,426 | 22,777 |
| Memphis, TN | $75,000 | $14,500–$200,000 | 7,938 |
| Durham, NC | $80,000 | $12,185–$211,794 | 87,704 |
| Boston, MA | $100,000 | $25,493–$550,000 | 2,615 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $119,070 | $16,500–$177,534 | 86,885 |
| Seattle, WA | $126,000 | $34,500–$417,145 | 72 |
| Nashville, TN | $133,384 | $19,033–$347,304 | 5,239 |
| Gilbert, AZ | $137,994 | $89,064–$193,905 | 68,804 |
| Atlanta, GA | $140,000 | $30,000–$250,000 | 1,460 |
| Portland, OR | $151,079 | $94,224–$221,115 | 32,264 |
| Scottsdale, AZ | $168,123 | $52,054–$333,207 | 39,667 |
| Charlotte, NC | $172,000 | $22,000–$250,020 | 3,336 |
| Wilmington, NC | $202,603 | $48,977–$343,112 | 15,202 |
| Charleston, SC | $225,000 | $153,000–$310,691 | 12,486 |
| Utah County, UT | $231,073 | $56,911–$309,371 | 40,145 |
| Cape Coral, FL | $380,427 | $236,268–$469,562 | 3,708 |
| San Antonio, TX | $410,723 | $100,000–$1,600,000 | 6,236 |
Source: real public building permits across 49 metros, 1,145,131 permits. Median + interquartile range. Declared construction value is a public-record proxy for project cost. Data: ProFix Real Cost Index (CC BY 4.0).