How we build our cost and permit data

Hometriva covers 572 residential services and publishes cost, permit and project information across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Every service is built toward one research standard — cost, permit, timeline, local factors and calculators — and we deepen coverage continuously, starting with the projects homeowners plan most.

Every project carries a national baseline range (low, typical, high) plus a unit price. A location applies two multipliers: a cost index derived from regional labor and material pricing, and a permit index derived from local fee schedules. Local cost = baseline × cost index, rounded to a sensible increment. We show the resulting percentage difference against the national baseline on each page so the adjustment is visible rather than hidden. Estimates exclude structural surprises, hidden damage, and financing costs.

Building regulation in the United States is layered: a state adopts a model code, local governments amend it, and the department that issues the permit is sometimes the city and sometimes the county. We store the state-level basis once, let jurisdiction pages inherit it, and record the issuing department separately for each place we cover. A local amendment can add requirements but cannot fall below the state minimum, so where we have not confirmed a local amendment we present the state-level rule and link the jurisdiction's own building department rather than assert a local one. Some states — such as Florida with the 8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code — enforce a single statewide code; others leave adoption largely to local governments, and our coverage depth reflects that difference.

• • Cost models reviewed quarterly; current model vintage is August 2026.
• • State code basis reviewed when a state adopts a new edition. Local amendments are only shown where we have recorded them from the jurisdiction itself.
• • Building department links re-checked when a page is edited.
• • Calculator formulas are published on the calculator page so you can verify the math yourself.

• • Invent contractor quotes, review counts, ratings or testimonials.
• • Present a modeled number as a verified quote.
• • Replace your building department — always confirm before you apply.

If a fee schedule, permit rule or department link is wrong, we want to fix it. Start from the State hubs to find the jurisdiction page in question, then use the official source links there to confirm the current rule.