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.
| Job | Usual filed value | Middle half of firms | Permits (share priced) | Usual days to final | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV charger | $1,104 | $1,000–$1,400 | 2,922 (100.0%) | 17 | cost · compare firms |
| Gas line | $1,691 | $1,750–$3,392 | 264 (99.2%) | 27 | cost · compare firms |
| Electrical work | $2,117 | $1,350–$3,900 | 1,455 (99.8%) | 41 | cost · compare firms |
| Water heater | $4,253 | $3,442–$6,000 | 1,519 (100.0%) | 16 | cost · compare firms |
| Plumbing | $5,512 | $4,100–$8,000 | 827 (99.8%) | 10 | cost · compare firms |
| Irrigation | $8,778 | $7,500–$10,863 | 198 (99.5%) | 42 | cost · compare firms |
| HVAC | $9,891 | $7,900–$11,693 | 9,909 (99.8%) | 29 | cost · compare firms |
| Foundation repair | $12,083 | $8,250–$13,123 | 621 (99.5%) | 66 | cost · compare firms |
| Generator | $15,000 | $5,940–$15,750 | 196 (100.0%) | 67 | cost · compare firms |
| Demolition | $21,750 | $18,500–$25,700 | 154 (97.4%) | 73 | cost · compare firms |
| Solar panels | $30,900 | $25,000–$34,365 | 600 (99.2%) | 45 | cost · compare firms |
| Deck, porch & sunroom | $32,500 | $22,245–$53,000 | 1,278 (99.6%) | 75 | cost · compare firms |
| Remodel & repair | $40,000 | $20,000–$65,439 | 1,857 (99.5%) | 84 | cost · compare firms |
| Home addition | $125,000 | $59,100–$210,000 | 303 (99.7%) | 196 | cost · compare firms |
| Swimming pool | $137,000 | $122,316–$170,000 | 204 (99.5%) | 362 | cost · compare firms |
| New home | $359,500 | $333,408–$984,847 | 1,087 (100.0%) | 176 | cost · compare firms |
Cary has no roofing row because roofing is not one of the trades in our Cary data; the roof replacement cost guide covers 16 other cities.
What moves the price in Cary
The home. Each cost page splits firms into thirds by the usual value of the homes they work on (Wake County parcel values). Cary's single-family value figure is $587,000, one of the highest on this site.
| Job | Firms on the least expensive third | Firms on the most expensive third |
|---|---|---|
| Remodel & repair | $22,880 | $40,350 |
| Deck, porch & sunroom | $23,000 | $45,933 |
| Plumbing | $5,000 | $10,500 |
| HVAC | $11,556 | $7,300 |
Figures from each cost page, data of 16 October 2026. Porches and remodels double with home value. HVAC runs the other way: the firms working on the costliest homes usually file less. Home value is not a stand-in for an HVAC quote.
The builder. The new-home band runs from $333,408 to $984,847 across 31 builders. That spread is two kinds of builder, not a price disagreement. Compare a builder's quote with builders of its own kind on the compare page.
The trade's range. EV chargers are tight ($1,000 to $1,400); additions are wide ($59,100 to $210,000). The wider the band, the more a quote depends on the scope you hand over.
What a Cary permit costs
Cary does not charge by job value. The Town's residential fees (FY2026 budget, read 22 October 2026):
| Work | Fee |
|---|---|
| New or relocated dwelling and additions | $0.28 per sq ft, $200 minimum |
| Alterations | $0.28 per sq ft, $100 minimum |
| Deck | $0.28 per sq ft, $100 minimum |
| Trades (plumbing, mechanical, electrical) | $0.10 per sq ft, $100 minimum |
| Equipment change-out (all trades) | $100 minimum |
| Solar panel (all trades) | $150 |
New homes and work by a licensed general contractor also pay a $10 Homeowners Recovery Fund fee; work started without a permit pays double.
Filed value is not the price
- Nothing rides on it. Because Cary's fee follows square footage, the filed value doesn't change the fee. That makes Cary's values a fair picture of job size, but still not a final bill.
- One project, several permits. A kitchen with a new panel and a moved gas line can be a remodel, an electrical and a gas-line permit; add the rows.
- The lot and the upgrades. New-home values are construction only.
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.
- Open compare firms, find the contractor, and read its usual filed value, permit count and finished share.
- Ask whether the permit fee is in the quote; for an HVAC swap it is the $100 change-out minimum.
Single-job guides: HVAC replacement cost, EV charger installation cost, home addition cost.
How we know this
Every row is a permit type the Town of Cary issued in the window 2023-10 to 2026-09 with at least 100 priced permits 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 are copied from each job's cost page and dated. Fees are quoted from the Town's FY2026 fee schedule linked under Sources.
Numbers come from Town of Cary building permit applications (issued permits only), data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Compare every Cary HVAC contractor by usual job and finished share →
Questions
- How much does HVAC replacement cost in Cary?
The usual HVAC permit in Cary was filed at $9,891, across 9,909 permits, and the middle half of 211 HVAC firms usually file between $7,900 and $11,693. The usual HVAC permit reached final in 29 days.
- How much does water heater replacement cost in Cary?
Water-heater permits were usually filed at $4,253, and the middle half of firms file between $3,442 and $6,000. The usual permit closed in 16 days.
- What is the cost of a home renovation in Cary?
Remodel and repair permits were usually filed at $40,000, with the middle half of remodelers between $20,000 and $65,439. Firms working on the most expensive third of homes usually file $40,350, against $22,880 for the least expensive third (Cary remodel cost page). An addition is a separate permit, usually $125,000.
- What is the cost to build a house in Cary?
New-home permits were usually filed at $359,500, but the middle half of builders file from $333,408 to $984,847: production builders and custom builders sit far apart. The lot is not in the figure.
- How much is a permit in Cary?
Cary charges by floor area, not job value: $0.28 per square foot for an alteration ($100 minimum) and $0.10 per square foot for plumbing, mechanical or electrical trades ($100 minimum). A solar permit, all trades included, is $150, and an equipment change-out is a $100 minimum (Town of Cary FY2026 fees).
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 Elk Grove, CA (2026): what 12 kinds of jobs were filed at
- What home projects cost by city: filed permit values in 2026
- Home improvement costs in Palo Alto, CA (2026): what 12 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Cary contractor license lookup: which NC board, where to search, and what the permits show