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These estimates will provide a close estimate of your permit fee, based on the amount of work. These fees include the 10% technology-enhancement fee, the 10% administrative-support fee and the 2% State levy.
To estimate your permit fee, find the correct section below and add up the items on your application. The sum of those items should be very close to your permit fee. The minimum fee for any permit is $67.10.
In some cases, applying the fee schedule below will result in a fee out of line with the actual scope of work. In such cases, the plan reviewer will estimate the number of required inspections and the fee will reflect $67.10 for each. A plan review fee may also apply to these permits, usually the minimum plan-review fee of $122.00.
Please Note: We try to make this guide as precise as possible, but do not use it to make out checks for fees. Sometimes the actual fee will differ from the estimate. This page is a tool to help in estimating. Each section also includes a list of common misunderstandings of how our fee schedule works. Following it will help to make your estimates as accurate as possible.
Most building permits have a fee based on the total square footage which the City must inspect. The cost per square foot is different for residential and commercial work. The square footage includes the area of decks, floors and roofs. For decks and interior work, only the deck or floor area is included. For porches, garages, additions and whole buildings, the area of the roof is included as well.
For example, the fee for a 15’ x 20’ deck would be based on 300 s.f. For a 15’ x 20’ garage, the fee would be based on 600 s.f. For a 15’ x 20’ two-story addition with a basement, the fee would be based on three floors plus the roof, 1,200 s.f. Remodeling 2,000 s.f. of interior space would be based on 2,000 s.f.
Most projects will have a plan-review fee added to the permit fee. The plan review fee is 30% of the permit fee, with s a minimum of $100. To make it easier to estimate a fee, the information below is separated into “small” and “large” permits, based on whether the minimum fee is used. The break point is about 600 s.f. for residential project and about 500 s.f. for commercial projects.
Please note these fees are the cost of the building permit only. They do not include the cost of separate permits for electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing work.
Common Errors on Building Permits
This category includes small residential building projects, such as decks, porches, small additions and limited interior remodeling. The fee is based on the square footage and includes roof area, as explained above. The minimum plans-review fee applies to these projects.
For these projects the fee is:
A 200 square foot deck would cost $256.20. A 10’ x 6’ porch would cost $202.52.
The category includes any residential job over 600 s.f. The fee is still based on the square footage with the 30% plan review fee included. For these projects, the fee is:
A 20’ x 30’ addition, two floors with a basement, would be charged as 600 s.f. x 4, $2,093.52
This category includes remodeling of small spaces, or small portions of larger space; any space up to about 500 s.f. For these projects, the fee is:
Most tenant fit-outs, and everything larger, falls into this category. For any project over about 500 s.f., the fee is:
Demolition Permits are based on the floor area of the building being demolished at $12.20 per 1,000 square feet, or portion thereof (e.g., 1,200 s.f. would be charged as 2,000). For buildings up to 5,000 s.f., the minimum permit fee of $67.10 applies. A large commercial building of 50,000 square feet would have a permit fee of $610.00.
Several other kinds of work are covered by a building permit, but are not charged based on square footage. These items instead have fixed charges per item. In some cases where significant plan review is required, a 30% plan-review (minimum $122.00) may be added to these fees.
Item | Fee |
---|---|
Sump Pumps | $67.10 |
Systems Furniture, charged per floor | $67.10 |
Commercial Shelving, charged per floor | $67.10 |
Low-Voltage Wiring, charged per floor | $67.10 |
Low-Voltage Door Locking, charged per door | $12.20 |
Crane | $134.20 |
Elevator, City fee only. (A separate fee paid directly to NEIS will also apply.) | $268.40 |
Electrical permits are always charged based on the number and ratings of items installed. There is no difference between residential and commercial fees.
Item | Fee |
---|---|
Circuit | $6.10 |
Switch, Light Fixture, Receptacle up to 20 amps, Hard-Wired Smoke Detector | $6.10 |
Receptacle over 20 amps | $12.20 |
Hardwired Appliance or Device | $12.20 |
Generators | $12.20/KW |
Motors | $12.20/HP |
Electrical Service up to 600 amps | $67.10 |
Electrical Service over 600 amps | $201.30 |
Electric Panel or Transfer Switch up to 600 amps | 67.10 |
Electric Panel or Transfer Switch over 600 amps | $134.20 |
Sign | $36.60 |
Annual Public Pool Inspection | $134.20 |
Five-year Inspection on Switchgear 1,000 amps or more, during business hours | $134.20 |
Five-year Inspection on Switchgear 1,000 amps or more, outside business hours | $402.60 |
Transformer (service-level; does not apply to low-voltage) | $67.10 |
Common Errors on Electrical Permits
This category covers permits for fire alarms, sprinkler systems and hood-suppression systems. A single permit application form covers all three types of work, but each type of work requires a separate permit and plans, i.e., you cannot have one application for both a sprinkler system and a hood-suppression system.
Item | Fee |
---|---|
Base Fee on All permits | $201.30 |
Fire Alarm Panel | $134.20 |
Fire Alarm Device (horn, strobe, pull station, etc.) | $12.20 |
Sprinkler System Fire Pump | $134.20 |
Sprinkler System Head | $6.10 |
Sprinkler System Stand Pipe, charged per floor for each stand pipe | $18.40 |
Hood Suppression System Head | $6.10 |
For large and complex projects, the City may use an outside agency to review the plans. If this is done, the fee for the review will be added to the permit fee. |
Fuel-gas permits are always charged based on the number and ratings of items installed. There is no difference between residential and commercial fees.
Item | Fee |
---|---|
Appliances (includes stoves, water heaters, generators, fireplaces, etc.) | $36.60 |
Furnace or other heat, up to 100,000 BTU/Hr | $36.60 |
Furnace or other heat, 100,000-200,000 BTU/Hr | $73.20 |
Furnace or other heat, each additional 100,000 BTU/Hr or protion | $36.60 |
Boilers are charged at the same rate as furnaces and heat | |
Pipe (one fee regardless of how much pipe is run) | $67.10 |
Service, i.e., the charge if this is the first time service is going in the building | $67.10 |
Manifold (waived if installed as part of a Gas Service) | $67.10 |
Oil Tanks, installed or removed | $67.10 |
Common Errors on Fuel-Gas Permits
Mechanical (HVAC) permits are always charged based on the number and ratings of items installed. There is no difference between residential and commercial fees, except on ductwork. Ductwork is charged as the number of floors multiplied by the number of risers on large commercial jobs. On single-family dwellings, risers are not factored in, so the fee is only charged per floor.
Item | Fee |
---|---|
Air Conditioner or Heat Pump, for each ton or portion of a ton | $30.50 |
Air Handler | $36.60 |
Gas Furnace (covers air-handling portion only, not gas hookup) | $36.60 |
Gas logs or fireplace insert (covers physical installation only, not gas hookup) | $36.60 |
Ductwork on single-family dwellings, for each floor on which duct is run | $67.10 |
Ductwork on Commercial Projects, floors multiplied by number of risers | $67.10 |
Exhaust System Riser | $67.10 |
Fan Coil | $24.40 |
VAV Box | $24.40 |
Cooling Tower | $67.10 |
Refrigeration Unit, for each ton or portion of a ton | $42.70 |
Commercial Kitchen Hood | $134.20 |
Commercial Spray Painting Booth | $134.20 |
Common Errors on Mechanical Permits
Plumbing Permits are always charged based on the number of items installed. There is no difference between residential and commercial fees.
Item | Fee |
---|---|
Fixtures (sinks, toilets, bathtubs, backflow preventers, site drains, etc.) | $18.30 |
Water or Sewer Pipe, charged per floor on which piepe is run | $67.10 |
Sewage Ejector Pump | $67.10 |
Install Water Service | $67.10 |
Install Sewer Service | $67.10 |
Repair Water or Sewer Service | $67.10 |
Building Drain or Vent, charged as riser times floors (commercial only) | $67.10 |
Common Errors on Plumbing Permits
Jim Snyder, Director
300 Park Ave.
Suite 103 East
Falls Church, VA 22046
Email
703-248-5080 (TTY 711)
Fx: 703-248-5225
Monday - Friday*
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
*Closed to public on the last Wednesday of the month