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, so we don't show a band.
| Job | Usual filed value | Middle half of firms | Permits | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical work | $5,000 | $3,000–$20,000 | 50,235 | cost · compare firms |
| Plumbing | $5,000 | $5,000–$25,000 | 26,809 | cost · compare firms |
| Demolition | $10,000 | $8,000–$12,000 | 1,670 | cost · compare firms |
| HVAC & gas | $10,714 | $7,500–$28,500 | 29,714 | cost · compare firms |
| Shed & storage | $12,710 | — | 452 | cost · compare firms |
| Deck | $16,229 | $12,075–$25,818 | 773 | cost · compare firms |
| Garage | $37,309 | $24,150–$81,670 | 769 | cost · compare firms |
| Swimming pool | $100,000 | $83,248–$160,000 | 895 | cost · compare firms |
| Backyard unit (ADU) | $114,788 | $103,120–$127,315 | 407 | cost · compare firms |
| New home | $264,404 | $95,000–$348,538 | 10,208 | cost · compare firms |
Our Nashville file has no roofing, window or remodel trade, so those jobs have no Nashville cost page.
What moves the price in Nashville
The home. Each cost page splits firms into thirds by the usual value of the homes they work on (Davidson County assessor values). The usual single-family value behind the split is $421,000.
| Job | Firms on the least expensive third | Firms on the most expensive third |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical work | $4,500 | $35,375 |
| Plumbing | $5,000 | $50,000 |
| HVAC & gas | $10,000 | $58,500 |
| Garage | $24,150 | $47,865 |
| Deck | $21,994 | $23,884 |
| Swimming pool | $92,937 | $154,700 |
Figures from each cost page, data of 21 September 2026. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC values jump seven- to tenfold on the most expensive third, a sign that one permit type covers both a repair and a whole-house system. Decks barely move.
The firm. The ten busiest electrical firms usually file $5,000 a permit, while the 636 firms with fewer than ten permits usually file $11,000 (Nashville electrical cost page). New homes run the other way: $311,060 for the ten busiest builders, $143,949 for the 2,045 smaller ones (Nashville new-home cost page). The middle half of electricians runs from $3,000 to $20,000, so a quote needs a scope line before it can be compared.
The season. Deck permits peak in July (index 160, where 100 is an average month) and bottom out in January (54). Pool permits peak in July. We have no prices by month, so this tells you when crews are busy, not when they are cheap.
Filed value is not the price
- It is what the applicant wrote down. Some contractors write the contract price, some only the permitted part, and a builder may file one figure for a whole house.
- One permit type covers small and large jobs. An electrical permit is a circuit or a rewire; HVAC and gas is a gas line or two new systems. Read the job's cost page for the spread.
- Two permits for one project. A new house usually comes with separate electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits, and often a demolition permit first (usual $10,000). Add the rows.
- The lot and the finishes. New-home and ADU 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. Inside it is normal for Nashville; 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.
- Check the firm's Tennessee license in our Nashville contractor license lookup guide; it explains the dollar line above which a state license is needed.
Permit rules by job: HVAC, electrical, plumbing, pool, DADU, new home, demolition. For one job across many cities, see HVAC replacement cost, pool installation cost and what home projects cost by city.
How we know this
Every row is a permit type Metro Nashville issued in the window 2023-09 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 to final are not shown for Nashville. The home-value thirds and the busiest-firm figures are copied from each job's cost page and dated. Permit fees are left out; Metro Codes publishes them.
Numbers come from Metro Nashville (Davidson County) building and trade permits, data through September 21, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Compare every Nashville HVAC firm by usual job and finished share →
Questions
- How much does HVAC replacement cost in Nashville?
The usual HVAC and gas permit in Nashville was filed at $10,714, across 29,714 permits, and the middle half of 466 HVAC firms usually file between $7,500 and $28,500. Firms working on the least expensive third of homes usually file $10,000, against $58,500 on the most expensive third (Nashville HVAC cost page, data of 21 September 2026).
- How much does a pool cost in Nashville?
The usual swimming-pool permit was filed at $100,000 (895 permits), and the middle half of pool builders file between $83,248 and $160,000. Builders on the least expensive third of homes usually file $92,937, against $154,700 on the most expensive third.
- How much does it cost to build a house in Nashville?
New-home permits were usually filed at $264,404 across 10,208 permits, and the middle half of builders file between $95,000 and $348,538. That is the construction value on the permit; the lot and any demolition of the old house are not in it.
- How much does a backyard cottage (DADU) cost in Nashville?
The usual ADU permit was filed at $114,788 (407 permits), and the middle half of 28 repeat builders file in a tight band, $103,120 to $127,315. Zoning decides whether a lot can have one at all; see our Nashville DADU rules guide.
- How much does electrical work cost in Nashville?
The usual electrical permit was filed at $5,000 across 50,235 permits, but one permit type covers a single circuit and a whole-house rewire: 1 in 10 is filed under $770 and 1 in 10 over $58,000 (Nashville electrical cost page). Ask what a quote covers before you compare it with the usual figure.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Raleigh contractor license lookup: which board, where to search, and what the permits show
- Nashville contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- Austin contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- Bismarck building permit search: eTRAKiT and the issued permit lists
- Raleigh building permit search: the Permit and Development Portal and records requests
- Home improvement costs in Raleigh, NC (2026): what decks, pools, ADUs and new homes were filed at
For one city
- Hiring a plumber in Nashville: the master plumber's certificate, the permit, and what 27,000 plumbing permits show
- Hiring an electrician in Nashville: the master's certificate, the state license, and what 50,000 electrical permits show
- Nashville building permit search: how to look up permits on an address