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 days column, too few permits of that type carry a completion date to give a usual figure.
| Job | Usual filed value | Middle half of firms | Permits (share priced) | Usual days to final | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical work | $3,000 | $1,750–$5,750 | 2,877 (99.1%) | 112 | cost · compare firms |
| Insulation & weatherization | $6,588 | $5,000–$8,567 | 805 (100.0%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| Roof replacement | $16,378 | $12,250–$20,432 | 756 (100.0%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| Windows, doors & siding | $16,700 | $8,715–$26,980 | 547 (100.0%) | 461 | cost · compare firms |
| Deck & porch | $20,000 | $15,582–$28,300 | 205 (100.0%) | 208 | cost · compare firms |
| HVAC & sheet metal | $27,680 | $21,543–$36,668 | 691 (100.0%) | 365 | cost · compare firms |
| Solar panels | $34,412 | $29,900–$37,825 | 324 (100.0%) | 91 | cost · compare firms |
| Remodel & repair | $36,497 | $21,171–$70,834 | 1,538 (99.7%) | 286 | cost · compare firms |
| New home | $125,000 | $71,400–$550,000 | 187 (100.0%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| Home addition | $167,060 | $50,000–$286,996 | 114 (100.0%) | 472 | cost · compare firms |
Plumbing and gas have compare pages but no cost page. The usual addition is filed above the usual new home here, and the middle half of new-home builders spans $71,400 to $550,000, so read a builder's permits before holding a quote against either row.
What moves the price in Somerville
The home. Each cost page splits firms into thirds by the usual value of the homes they work on (City of Somerville FY2025 assessed values). Somerville's single-family value figure is $1,053,000.
| Job | Firms on the least expensive third | Firms on the most expensive third |
|---|---|---|
| Windows, doors & siding | $14,100 | $27,000 |
| Roof replacement | $12,425 | $17,948 |
| Home addition | $225,000 | $267,000 |
| Insulation & weatherization | $7,324 | $8,539 |
| HVAC & sheet metal | $29,500 | $25,133 |
Figures from each cost page, data of 15 October 2026. Windows nearly double with home value; insulation barely moves and HVAC goes the other way, so for those jobs the house is not what sets the price.
The firm. In remodels the ten busiest firms usually file $70,834 a permit, against $38,000 for the 738 firms with fewer than ten permits (Somerville remodel cost page). Windows run the other way: $10,000 for the ten busiest, $20,600 for the 192 smaller firms (Somerville windows cost page).
The season. Remodel permits peak in July (index 116, where 100 is an average month) and are fewest in February (69). We have no prices by month.
Filed value is not the price
- It is what the applicant wrote down. Some contractors write the contract price, some the permitted part only.
- Every permit is priced. Nearly all of Somerville's permits carry a value (100.0% of roofing, 100.0% of HVAC), so the usual figures are not skewed by gaps.
- One permit type covers small and large jobs. Remodels span $21,171 to $70,834 across the middle half of firms; get a scope sheet before comparing.
- Fees. We did not find a Somerville fee schedule we could read for this guide, so we don't quote permit fees; the City's Inspectional Services Division publishes them.
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 here; above it, ask what the extra covers.
- Open compare firms, find the contractor, and read its usual filed value, permit count and finished share.
- Ask whether the price includes the permit and the final inspection; the usual remodel permit here took 286 days to reach final.
Single-job guides: HVAC replacement cost, roof replacement cost, electrical work cost. To check a Massachusetts licence, see how to check a contractor's license in Massachusetts.
How we know this
Every row is a permit type with a cost page: the City of Somerville 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. No fee schedule was quoted.
Numbers come from City of Somerville permit applications (issued permits only), data through October 15, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Compare every Somerville electrician by usual job and finished share →
Questions
- How much does electrical work cost in Somerville?
Electrical permits in Somerville were usually filed at $3,000 (2,877 permits), with the middle half of 282 electrical firms between $1,750 and $5,750. The ten busiest electrical firms usually file $5,694 a permit, against $3,000 for the 695 smaller ones (Somerville electrical cost page).
- How much does HVAC replacement cost in Somerville?
HVAC and sheet-metal permits were usually filed at $27,680 (691 permits), with the middle half of 66 firms between $21,543 and $36,668. Firms on the most expensive third of homes usually file $25,133, against $29,500 on the least expensive third (Somerville HVAC cost page).
- How much does roof replacement cost in Somerville?
Roofing permits were usually filed at $16,378 (756 permits), with the middle half of 58 roofers between $12,250 and $20,432. Roofers on the most expensive third of homes usually file $17,948, against $12,425 on the least expensive third (Somerville roofing cost page).
- How much does attic insulation cost in Somerville?
Insulation and weatherization permits were usually filed at $6,588 across 805 permits, with the middle half of 43 firms between $5,000 and $8,567. Every one of them carries a value (100.0%).
- What is the cost of a home renovation in Somerville?
Remodel and repair permits were usually filed at $36,497, with the middle half of 149 remodelers between $21,171 and $70,834. The usual remodel permit stayed open 286 days from issue to final.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
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