Pricing · September 14, 2026 · By Hardik, Owner — East Coast Blueprints

How much does a permit set cost to print? 12, 24, and 40-sheet sets priced at four shops

Every architect who calls us asks some version of the same question: “What’s a permit set going to run me?” The answer depends on three numbers — sheets per set, number of copies, and whether it’s folded — and it varies more between shops than most people expect. Here are the actual figures for the three most common set sizes, priced at four places, as of September 2026.

The four shops and their ARCH D price

Shop	ARCH D (24×36) B&W, per sheet	Notes
East Coast Blueprints	$2.00	10% off at 25+ sheets, $15 Ground or free over $100
FedEx Office	$6.99	Walk-in; varies by location
Staples	~$4.50	Walk-in; varies by region
Plans4Less	$1.75	Online; carrier shipping at checkout

Local reprographics shops fall between $2.50 and $5.00 depending on the market; we’ve left them out of the tables because there’s no single number, but a $3.50 shop is roughly 1.75× our column.

12-sheet set (small residential addition, deck, interior fit-out)

Two copies is typical: one for the construction office, one for the file.

	12 sheets × 2 copies	12 sheets × 3 copies
East Coast Blueprints	$48.00 + $15 shipping = $63.00	$72.00 − 10% = $64.80 + $15 = $79.80
FedEx Office	$167.76	$251.64
Staples	$108.00	$162.00
Plans4Less	$42.00 + shipping	$63.00 + shipping

Note the volume discount: three copies of a 12-sheet set is 36 sheets, over the 25-sheet threshold, so the third copy costs $16.80 rather than $24.

24-sheet set (new single-family, small commercial tenant fit-out)

This is the most common order we print.

	24 sheets × 2 copies	24 sheets × 3 copies
East Coast Blueprints	$96.00 − 10% = $86.40 + $15 = $101.40	$144.00 − 10% = $129.60, free shipping
FedEx Office	$335.52	$503.28
Staples	$216.00	$324.00
Plans4Less	$84.00 + shipping	$126.00 + shipping

Three copies is actually the sweet spot: the print clears $100, shipping goes free, and the third copy effectively costs $28.20.

40-sheet set (mixed-use, small commercial new construction)

	40 sheets × 2 copies	40 sheets × 3 copies
East Coast Blueprints	$160.00 − 10% = $144.00, free shipping	$240.00 − 10% = $216.00, free shipping
FedEx Office	$559.20	$838.80
Staples	$360.00	$540.00
Plans4Less	$140.00 + shipping	$210.00 + shipping

Adding folding

Most NJ construction offices want folded sets. We fold accordion-style to 8.5×11, title block out, at $0.50 per sheet (finishing isn’t discounted). On the 24-sheet × 3 set that’s $36, for $165.60 total. FedEx Office and Staples quote folding at the counter, typically $1–$2 a sheet where offered; several locations only roll.

Reading the tables honestly

Plans4Less is $0.25 a sheet under us on print. Once shipping is added — theirs is carrier rate, ours is $15 or free — the delivered price is within a few dollars either way on most permit sets, with them slightly ahead on very small orders and us slightly ahead once the order passes $100. Where we differ is the cutoff (noon ET vs their published 11 AM) and the fact that we’re in Cape May County, NJ, which puts every New Jersey, NYC, eastern PA, Delaware, and most Maryland address one UPS Ground day away.

Against the big-box counters it isn’t close. A 24-sheet, three-copy permit set is $129.60 here and $324–$503 there, and you drive twice.

What to do with this

If your set is 20–24 sheets and you were going to order two copies, price three. If the set is going to a permit desk, fold it. If you’re in NJ/NY/PA/DE/MD, order by noon and it’s on the reviewer’s desk tomorrow. And if you want to check our math, the pricing questions page works through twenty-one of these, or build the order and watch the price update live.

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