How We Collect This Data

Every permit fee in this database is individually researched from the city's published fee schedule. No estimates, no third-party aggregation. We read the actual ordinance, fee table, or rate schedule, then compute the fee using the city's own formula.

When we publish an average: a figure like "the average bathroom remodel permit fee" is the plain mean of the verified fees for that one project scope across every city we track, with the median alongside it on the data pages. We never blend project types into one blanket number, and there is no one-figure national average permit cost here. Fees are set city by city. The honest answer is the per-city table behind each average.

Data Collection Process

Fee Structure Types

Across our 40 cities, we see 35 with separate trade permits, and 2 with hybrid structures. The most common fee calculation methods:

Source Documents by City

Every fee in the database links to its original source document. Click a city to see the full fee breakdown, or click the source to view the original document.

Update Schedule

We re-verify cities on a rolling schedule. If a fee schedule changes between passes, the number may be temporarily out of date. The source URL always points to the current fee schedule so you can verify.

Found an error or a city we're missing? Let us know.