What each job was filed at
"Usual" is the middle permit: half were filed for less, half for more. "Middle half of firms" takes every firm with three or more permits in the trade, finds each firm's usual job, and shows the band the middle 50% of firms sit in; it is the number to hold a quote against. A dash means fewer than eight firms had three or more permits.
| Job | Usual filed value | Middle half of firms | Permits (share priced) | Usual days to final | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | $8,000 | $4,145–$22,500 | 764 (99.7%) | 182 | cost · compare firms |
| Fire sprinkler & alarm | $16,814 | $13,193–$19,584 | 130 (100.0%) | 543 | cost · compare firms |
| Plumbing | $19,227 | $10,000–$37,500 | 352 (99.4%) | 298 | cost · compare firms |
| Heating & cooling | $20,000 | $15,500–$47,500 | 518 (99.4%) | 415 | cost · compare firms |
| Fireplace & hearth | $21,200 | — | 122 (100.0%) | 275 | cost · compare firms |
| Remodel & building | $54,175 | $50,000–$300,000 | 286 (98.3%) | 463 | cost · compare firms |
| Roof replacement | $57,325 | $43,883–$93,460 | 258 (96.9%) | 385 | cost · compare firms |
Days to final run long in Aspen (a remodel usually took 463 days, heating and cooling 415) so read them as how long a permit stayed open, not how long the work took.
What moves the price in Aspen
The home. Each cost page splits firms into thirds by the usual value of the homes they work on (Pitkin County Assessor actual values).
| Job | Firms on the least expensive third | Firms on the most expensive third |
|---|---|---|
| Remodel & building | $17,521 | $200,000 |
| Roof replacement | $42,144 | $127,384 |
| Heating & cooling | $11,000 | $30,000 |
| Electrical | $8,024 | $15,950 |
| Plumbing | $23,000 | $25,000 |
| Fire sprinkler & alarm | $30,000 | $7,845 |
Figures from each cost page, data of 13 October 2026. Remodels jump more than elevenfold and roofs triple; plumbing barely moves, and fire systems run the other way.
The firm. In remodels the ten busiest firms usually file $17,521 a permit, while the 98 firms with fewer than ten permits usually file $142,500 (Aspen remodel cost page). One in ten remodel permits was filed under $10,900 and one in ten over $828,000, 76 times as much. In heating and cooling it is $15,575 for the busiest firms against $28,815 for the 82 smaller ones.
The season. Roofing permits peak in May (index 200, where 100 is an average month) and nearly stop in February (14): roofs here are a snow-free-months job. Electrical permits peak in October (177). We have no prices by month, so this is about crews' calendars, not discounts.
Filed value is not the price
- It is what the applicant wrote down. Some contractors write the contract price, some the permitted part only. Nearly every Aspen permit carries a value (96.9% of roofing, 98.3% of remodels).
- One permit type covers small and large jobs. "Remodel and building" runs from a deck repair to a full gut; heating and cooling from a boiler swap to a whole-house system. Read the cost page's spread before you judge a quote.
- Architects file many permits. About 39% of Aspen building permits are filed by architects or design firms; we leave those unattributed, so the compare pages under-count general contractors.
- Few firms in some trades. Only 9 fire-system firms and 19 roofers have three or more permits.
Check a quote in five minutes
- Find your job in the table and open its cost page.
- Put your quote against the "middle half of firms" band. Inside it is normal for Aspen; above it, ask what the extra covers.
- Open the compare firms page, find the contractor, and read its usual filed value, permit count and finished share.
- Ask whether the price includes the City permit and fees; the City of Aspen's Community Development department publishes them, and we did not read the schedule for this guide.
For one job across many cities, see roof replacement cost and what home projects cost by city.
How we know this
Every row is a trade with an Aspen cost page: City of Aspen building permits on single-family, duplex and multi-family homes (the City's permit map layer) in the window 2023-10 to 2026-09, with home values from the Pitkin County Assessor. Usual = median of the permits that carry a value; middle half of firms = 25th to 75th percentile of the usual value of firms with three or more permits in the trade (shown when at least eight firms qualify); days = median from permit issue to final. The home-value thirds, busiest-firm and spread figures are copied from each job's cost page and dated. Permit fees are left out.
Numbers come from City of Aspen building permits on single-family, duplex and multi-family homes (the City's permit map layer; permits filed by architects or design firms, about 39% of building permits, are left unattributed because those firms aren't the contractor), with home values from the Pitkin County Assessor, data through October 13, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Compare every Aspen roofer by usual job and finished share →
Questions
- How much does roof replacement cost in Aspen?
The usual roofing permit in Aspen was filed at $57,325, across 258 permits, and the middle half of 19 roofers usually file between $43,883 and $93,460. Roofers on the most expensive third of homes usually file $127,384, against $42,144 on the least expensive third (Aspen roofing cost page, data of 13 October 2026).
- How much does a home remodel cost in Aspen?
Remodel and building permits were usually filed at $54,175, but the middle half of 24 firms file anywhere from $50,000 to $300,000, and one in ten permits was over $828,000. Remodels on the most expensive third of homes usually run $200,000, against $17,521 on the least expensive third.
- How much does HVAC work cost in Aspen?
Heating and cooling permits were usually filed at $20,000 (518 permits), with the middle half of 40 firms between $15,500 and $47,500. The ten busiest firms usually file $15,575, the 82 smaller ones $28,815. A boiler swap and a whole-house system share the permit type, so ask which one a quote covers.
- How much does a gas fireplace cost in Aspen?
Fireplace and hearth permits were usually filed at $21,200 across 122 permits. Only 13 firms filed them, too few for a middle-half band; one in ten was under $8,600 and one in ten over $81,500.
- Why are Aspen home improvement costs so high?
The usual single-family home in Aspen is worth about $9,611,000 (Pitkin County Assessor), and jobs scale with the house. Compare an Aspen quote with other Aspen jobs on the cost pages, not with national averages.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Home improvement costs in Cleveland, OH (2026): what 12 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Home improvement costs in Miami, FL (2026): what 13 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Home improvement costs in Saint Paul, MN (2026): what 17 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Busiest months for home projects, by city and trade (2026 data)