Methodology and limits
These are two independent real datasets shown together. The cost side reads the state-scope general-contractor benchmark from loadPermitCostIndex(), which is built from real public building-permit declared values. The license side reads licenseVerificationStats(), which counts listings matched to official state-board records and separates verified-active licenses from all matched records.
The sample is only the states where both sources exist: exactly 16 states in this snapshot. This is descriptive, not causal or correlational; cost is shaped by labor markets, project mix, permit disclosure policy, local building rules, and timing, not just supply. No missing state is backfilled, and no state is added by hand.
Source note: Rows use state-scope general-contractor medians from loadPermitCostIndex() and per-state verified-active/matched counts from licenseVerificationStats(); a row appears only when both sources include the same state. Cost index as of 2026-06-19; license overlays latest as of 2026-06-20.
Side-by-side state table
The cost column is one comparable trade: general contractor. The license column is not a market census; it is the number of ProFix records that can be verified as active against a public state board overlay, plus the number matched to any board record.
| State | GC median cost | Cost n | Verified-active licenses | Matched n | License board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArizonaAZ | $137,994 | 68,804permits, 2002-2026 | 45 | 45matched, as of 2026-06-17 | AZ ROCAZ ROC |
| CaliforniaCA | $34,490 | 105,362permits, 2003-2026 | 164,842 | 171,990matched, as of 2026-06-15 | CSLBContractors State License Board |
| ColoradoCO | $20,394 | 52,705permits, 1986-2026 | 63 | 82matched, as of 2026-06-17 | CO DORADept. of Regulatory Agencies |
| FloridaFL | $9,000 | 465,262permits, 1989-2026 | 68 | 93matched, as of 2026-06-16 | FL DBPRDept. of Business & Professional Regulation |
| HawaiiHI | $20,000 | 216,875permits, 1999-2025 | 1,162 | 1,162matched, as of 2026-06-15 | HI DCCADept. of Commerce & Consumer Affairs |
| LouisianaLA | $40,000 | 1,479permits, 2025-2026 | 369 | 375matched, as of 2026-06-17 | LA LSLBCLouisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors |
| MassachusettsMA | $100,000 | 2,615permits, 2025-2026 | 107,563 | 107,563matched, as of 2026-06-20 | MA DPLMA Division of Occupational Licensure (construction supervisor + HVAC/refrigeration + sprinkler/pipefitter; electricians/plumbers verified separately) |
| MinnesotaMN | $33,000 | 1,420permits, 2025-2026 | 25,554 | 49,519matched, as of 2026-06-15 | MN DLIDepartment of Labor & Industry |
| NevadaNV | $20,000 | 17,263permits, 2004-2026 | 473 | 473matched, as of 2026-06-17 | NV NSCBNevada State Contractors Board |
| New YorkNY | $70,000 | 8,233permits, 2004-2026 | 2,730 | 2,730matched, as of 2026-06-16 | NYC DCWPNYC Dept. of Consumer & Worker Protection |
| OhioOH | $14,026 | 15,761permits, 2025-2026 | 7,447 | 7,447matched, as of 2026-06-16 | OCILBOhio Construction Industry Licensing Board |
| OregonOR | $151,079 | 32,264permits, 1994-2026 | 8,359 | 8,359matched, as of 2026-06-15 | OR CCBConstruction Contractors Board |
| TexasTX | $72,240 | 22,785permits, 2018-2026 | 16,509 | 18,088matched, as of 2026-06-15 | TDLR/TSBPETDLR + State Board of Plumbing Examiners |
| VermontVT | $10,000 | 12,945permits, 2001-2026 | 5,479 | 5,479matched, as of 2026-06-20 | VT DFSVermont Division of Fire Safety (electrician + plumber licensing) |
| VirginiaVA | $30,000 | 20,413permits, 2001-2026 | 198 | 198matched, as of 2026-06-17 | VA DPORDept. of Professional & Occupational Regulation |
| WashingtonWA | $126,000 | 72permits, 2025-2026 | 14,467 | 22,188matched, as of 2026-06-15 | WA L&IDepartment of Labor & Industries |
What to take from it
The useful takeaway is narrow: in these 16 states, homeowners and researchers can inspect a permit-derived cost benchmark next to a verified-active license count without either number being converted into a theory. Put simply, this is a transparency comparison, not a claim that one causes the other.