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 we don't show that figure: in the firms column, fewer than eight firms had three or more permits, so there is no band; in the days column, too few permits of that type carry a final-inspection date to give a usual figure.
| Job | Usual filed value | Middle half of firms | Permits (share priced) | Usual days to final | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | $3,024 | $2,646–$3,687 | 191 (98.4%) | 58 | cost · compare firms |
| Fireplace & stove | $4,000 | — | 283 (100.0%) | 146 | cost · compare firms |
| Furnace & AC replacement | $4,435 | $1,800–$5,200 | 2,098 (99.8%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| Plumbing | $15,936 | $10,000–$23,000 | 844 (98.8%) | 277 | cost · compare firms |
| HVAC install | $17,500 | $3,600–$19,500 | 751 (99.7%) | 142 | cost · compare firms |
| Remodel & addition | $18,687 | $14,146–$70,000 | 323 (99.1%) | 272 | cost · compare firms |
| New home | $310,726 | $295,185–$390,138 | 708 (98.9%) | 351 | cost · compare firms |
Electrical has a compare page but no cost page: 0.0% of its 1,669 permits carry a value. "HVAC install" and "furnace & AC replacement" are separate permit types here; the install type is usually filed at about four times the replacement figure.
What moves the price in Bismarck
The home. Each cost page splits firms into thirds by the usual value of the homes they work on (Bismarck Assessing 2026 market values). Bismarck's single-family value figure is $346,000.
| Job | Firms on the least expensive third | Firms on the most expensive third |
|---|---|---|
| Remodel & addition | $2,500 | $50,170 |
| Plumbing | $12,500 | $25,000 |
| Furnace & AC replacement | $3,697 | $5,652 |
| HVAC install | $16,365 | $24,500 |
| New home | $262,253 | $310,389 |
| Deck | $2,646 | $3,142 |
Figures from each cost page, data of 14 October 2026. Remodels go from small repairs to $50,170 and plumbing doubles with home value; decks and new homes move little, as you would expect from a valuation set by square foot.
The firm. In HVAC installs the ten busiest firms usually file $24,500 a permit, against $4,000 for the 25 firms with fewer than ten permits (Bismarck HVAC install cost page). In remodels it is $14,146 for the ten busiest against $30,000 for 108 smaller firms (Bismarck remodel cost page).
The season. Deck permits peak in July (index 214, where 100 is an average month) and almost stop in December (6). We have no prices by month.
What a Bismarck permit costs
From the Building Inspections Division's residential permit fee sheet (last revised 1 January 2025; read 23 October 2026). The valuation of new construction is floor area times the City's price per square foot; for an alteration it is the total bid amount:
| Area (new construction) | Value per sq. ft. |
|---|---|
| First floor | $165.67 |
| Second floor | $79.50 |
| Finished basement | $36.75 |
| Garage, or detached shop or garage | $25.00 |
| Covered deck | $22.50 |
| Deck | $15.75 |
| Valuation | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $500 | $40.00 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $67.75 for the first $2,000 plus $8.40 per additional $1,000 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $260.95 for the first $25,000 plus $6.10 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $413.45 for the first $50,000 plus $4.20 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $623.45 for the first $100,000 plus $3.40 per additional $1,000 |
A $20,000 remodel pays $218.95; a new home valued at $300,000 pays $1,303.45.
Filed value is not the price
- The City writes some of these numbers. New construction is valued by area: the usual deck figure, $3,024 on the deck cost page (data of 14 October 2026), is exactly 192 sq. ft. at $15.75, so the deck row tells you deck sizes, not deck prices. New homes are valued the same way.
- Alterations use the bid. Remodel values are the contract amount, so that row is closer to what people paid.
- The lot. New-home values are construction only.
Check a quote in five minutes
- Find your job in the table and open its cost page.
- For remodels, plumbing and HVAC, put your quote against the "middle half of firms" band; for decks and new homes, compare firms on the compare page rather than on value.
- Open compare firms, find the contractor, and read its usual filed value, permit count and finished share.
- Ask whether the price includes the permit fee and the final inspection; the usual remodel permit here took 272 days to reach final.
Single-job guides: HVAC replacement cost, new home construction cost, home remodel cost. To check a North Dakota license, see how to check a contractor's license in North Dakota.
How we know this
Every row is a permit type with a cost page: the City of Bismarck issued at least 100 priced permits of it in the window 2023-10 to 2026-09, making up at least 80% of the type. 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 inspection. Home-value thirds and busiest-firm figures are copied from each job's cost page and dated. Fees and valuation rates are quoted from the City's residential fee sheet linked under Sources.
Numbers come from City of Bismarck TRAKiT building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits on homes, data through October 14, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Compare every Bismarck furnace and AC firm by usual job and finished share →
Questions
- How much does furnace replacement cost in Bismarck?
The usual furnace and AC replacement permit in Bismarck was filed at $4,435, across 2,098 permits, and the middle half of 15 HVAC firms usually file between $1,800 and $5,200. Firms on the most expensive third of homes usually file $5,652, against $3,697 on the least expensive third (Bismarck furnace & AC replacement cost page, data of 14 October 2026).
- What is the cost to build a house in Bismarck?
New-home permits were usually filed at $310,726 across 708 permits, with the middle half of 40 builders between $295,185 and $390,138. Bismarck values new construction from floor area ($165.67 per sq. ft. for a first floor, $79.50 for a second), so read it as the City's valuation, not a builder's price; the lot is not in it.
- How much do plumbers charge in Bismarck?
The usual plumbing permit was filed at $15,936 (844 permits), with the middle half of 30 plumbing firms between $10,000 and $23,000. That is a whole-job figure, not a rate per hour.
- How much does electrical work cost in Bismarck?
The permit file can't say: 0.0% of Bismarck's 1,669 electrical permits carry a job value. The usual one stayed open 233 days. For filed electrical prices in cities that record them, see our electrical work cost guide.
- How much is a building permit in Bismarck?
Bismarck sets the fee from the project valuation: $67.75 for the first $2,000 plus $8.40 per additional $1,000 up to $25,000, and $623.45 for the first $100,000 plus $3.40 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000. A $20,000 remodel pays $218.95 and a $300,000 new home $1,303.45 (City residential fee sheet, revised 1 January 2025).
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Bismarck building permit search: eTRAKiT and the issued permit lists
- Bismarck contractor license lookup: the state license class, City mechanical licenses and the permits
- Home improvement costs in Cincinnati, OH (2026): what 8 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Home improvement costs in Medford, OR (2026): what 7 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Do I need a permit to replace a furnace or AC in Bismarck? Yes, and the fee is set by the job's cost