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) | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical work | $2,655 | $1,690–$4,500 | 4,618 (99.7%) | cost · compare firms |
| HVAC | $7,829 | $5,700–$12,450 | 1,718 (99.8%) | cost · compare firms |
| Remodel, windows & alteration | $12,500 | $8,400–$30,000 | 1,902 (99.8%) | cost · compare firms |
| Solar | $17,782 | $14,000–$22,140 | 926 (99.9%) | cost · compare firms |
| Demolition | $26,900 | $15,000–$31,850 | 368 (100.0%) | cost · compare firms |
| New home | $223,373 | $155,000–$210,000 | 141 (95.0%) | cost · compare firms |
Nearly every Pittsburgh permit carries a value (99.7% of electrical, 99.8% of HVAC), so the usual figures are not skewed by gaps. New homes are few in the city: 141 permits in three years.
What moves the price in Pittsburgh
The home. Each cost page splits firms into thirds by the value of the homes they work on (Allegheny County assessments, which still use 2012 base values, so they read low: the city figure is $93,000).
| Job | Firms on the least expensive third | Firms on the most expensive third |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical work | $1,650 | $3,500 |
| Remodel, windows & alteration | $11,395 | $20,000 |
| HVAC | $8,000 | $9,700 |
| Solar | $15,466 | $15,500 |
| Demolition | $29,600 | $15,000 |
Figures from each cost page, data of 12 October 2026. Electrical and remodel work roughly double with the house; HVAC and solar don't move; demolition runs the other way.
The firm. Remodels split hardest by firm size: the ten busiest firms usually file $116,393 a permit, the 519 firms with fewer than ten permits $20,000 (Pittsburgh remodel cost page). In demolition the ten busiest usually file $31,850 against $13,250 for 47 smaller firms. HVAC is tight: $9,000 for the busiest ten, $9,500 for the rest.
The season. HVAC permits peak in October (index 137, where 100 is an average month) and are fewest in August (79). Solar peaks in July (index 174). We have no prices by month, so this tells you when crews are busy, not when they are cheap.
What a Pittsburgh permit costs
From PLI's fee page (read 23 October 2026): the residential base permit fee is $6.00 per $1,000 of construction value, with a $130 minimum and an $8,000 maximum, plus a technology fee, a $4.50 state training fund fee and a $5 record retention fee. At the usual values above, the electrical, HVAC, remodel and solar permits all pay the $130 minimum; a usual new home pays about $1,340 before the add-ons.
Filed value is not the price
- The fee is tied to it. Because the fee rises with value above about $21,600, a large job has a small reason to be written low. Below that line the fee is flat, so small-job values have no fee reason to be trimmed.
- It is what the applicant wrote down. Some contractors write the contract price, some the permitted part; 1 in 10 remodel permits is filed under $3,300 and 1 in 10 over $75,900 (Pittsburgh remodel cost page).
- Several permits for one project. A kitchen remodel can carry its own electrical and plumbing permits. Add the rows.
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 Pittsburgh; above it, ask what the extra covers.
- Open the compare firms page, find the contractor, and read its usual filed value, permit count and completed share.
- Check the contractor's registration with our Pittsburgh contractor license lookup guide.
Permit rules by job: electrical, HVAC, remodel, solar. Across cities: HVAC replacement cost, electrical work cost and what home projects cost by city.
How we know this
Every row is a permit type the City of Pittsburgh 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). Pittsburgh does not publish completion dates, so days to final are not shown. The home-value thirds and the busiest-firm figures are copied from each job's cost page and dated. Fees are quoted from PLI's fee page linked under Sources.
Numbers come from City of Pittsburgh permits (Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center), data through October 12, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Compare every Pittsburgh HVAC firm by usual job and completed share →
Questions
- How much does furnace or HVAC replacement cost in Pittsburgh?
The usual HVAC permit in Pittsburgh was filed at $7,829, across 1,718 permits, and the middle half of 102 HVAC firms usually file between $5,700 and $12,450. Home value moves it little: $8,000 on the least expensive third of homes, $9,700 on the most expensive (Pittsburgh HVAC cost page, data of 12 October 2026).
- How much does electrical work cost in Pittsburgh?
The usual electrical permit was filed at $2,655 (4,618 permits), with the middle half of electricians between $1,690 and $4,500. One permit type covers a circuit and a service upgrade: 1 in 10 is filed under $600 and 1 in 10 over $12,000.
- How much does a remodel cost in Pittsburgh?
Remodel, window and alteration permits were usually filed at $12,500, but the middle half of firms spans $8,400 to $30,000, and the ten busiest firms usually file $116,393 against $20,000 for 519 smaller ones (Pittsburgh remodel cost page). Get a scope sheet before comparing.
- How much do solar panels cost in Pittsburgh?
The usual solar permit was filed at $17,782 across 926 permits, and the middle half of 37 installers file between $14,000 and $22,140. Home value makes almost no difference: $15,466 on the least expensive third of homes, $15,500 on the most expensive.
- How much is a building permit in Pittsburgh?
PLI's 2026 fee schedule charges a residential base permit fee of $6.00 per $1,000 of construction value, with a $130 minimum and an $8,000 maximum, plus a technology fee, a $4.50 state training fund fee and a $5 record retention fee. Any job up to about $21,600 pays the minimum.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Pittsburgh contractor license lookup: HIC registration, City trade licenses and the permits
- Home improvement costs in Medford, OR (2026): what 7 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Pittsburgh building permit search: OneStopPGH Insights and the PLI permit file
- Bellingham contractor license lookup: L&I registration, electrical licenses and the City permits
For one city
- Hiring an electrician in Pittsburgh: the City electrical trade license, the permit, and what 4,600 electrical permits show
- Do I need an electrical permit in Pittsburgh? The PLI rule, the $130 minimum and who can pull it
- Pittsburgh historic districts: when exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and what it means for your contractor
- Fees — City of Pittsburgh Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections (accessed 2026-10-23)