Methodology

Prototype: 2,000 sq ft heated single-family detached home, 3 bed / 2 bath, 3/4-inch water meter, 400 sq ft garage.

• Every line comes from a document the jurisdiction or its utility publishes. We store the file, its URL, fetch date and SHA-256 hash.
• Rates are applied exactly as printed. Where a fee is computed (for example by square footage) the line is labelled computed and shows the arithmetic.
• Jurisdictions are targeted by 2025 new single-family permits (top 150 across TX, FL, AZ, NC and SC) from the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey place-level annual files. A jurisdiction is published only when its full fee stack is complete.
• A total labelled Partial leaves out fees we have not yet verified (for example fees that vary by service area, or trade permits). It is a floor, not an estimate of the all-in cost.
• Where a fee is a percentage of construction value, we use the valuation method the jurisdiction publishes (for example Raleigh adjusts the ICC Building Valuation Data table by its stated regional factor); the assumed construction type is shown on the line.
• Where a rate varies by service area or zone and the lot location is not known, the headline uses the highest printed rate and the line shows the range. Lines the schedule does not print for the prototype are listed under Not included.
• Figures are not a quote. Confirm with the jurisdiction.