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.

Building Permit Fees

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

• Be sure to include the projected roof area on any project with a roof.
• Residential and commercial fees are different.

Small Residential 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:

• $122.00 + $0.671/s.f.

A 200 square foot deck would cost $256.20. A 10’ x 6’ porch would cost $202.52.

Large Residential Building Permits

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:

• $0.8723/s.f.

A 20’ x 30’ addition, two floors with a basement, would be charged as 600 s.f. x 4, $2,093.52

Small Commercial Permits

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:

• $122.00 + $.793/s.f.

Large Commercial Permits

Most tenant fit-outs, and everything larger, falls into this category. For any project over about 500 s.f., the fee is:

• $1.0309/s.f.

Demolition Permits

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.

Other Building Permits

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.

Electrical Permits

Electrical permits are always charged based on the number and ratings of items installed. There is no difference between residential and commercial fees.

Common Errors on Electrical Permits

• Include both a service and a panel, unless you really are doing only one. A heavy-up, t-pole or new installation will have both. Adding a sub-panel would be just a panel with no service.
• A t-pole will have a service, a panel, at least one or two circuits and at least one or two outlets.
• Don't include anything which plugs into an outlet; count only the outlet.
• Low-voltage work is not an electrical permit. A building permit application is used to apply.

Fire-Suppression 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.

Fuel-Gas Permits

Fuel-gas permits are always charged based on the number and ratings of items installed. There is no difference between residential and commercial fees.

Common Errors on Fuel-Gas Permits

• Permits must be obtained before the work is done. This applies to all permits, but seems to be a common problem with gas permits.
• The Gas Service fee applies if this is the first time gas goes into the building. This will always be true on new construction.
• If you are running pipe or changing the rating of an appliance, a gas-riser diagram must be reviewed and approved before the permit is issued.

Mechanical 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.

Common Errors on Mechanical Permits

• For Items charged by tonnage, first round up the tonnage of each item, then add. For example, five units of 1.5 tons each would be charged as five two-ton units; 10 tons.
• Gas Furnaces are only charged for the air-handler portion. The gas portion must be covered with a gas permit.
• For a one-for-one replacement of a gas furnace, only a gas permit is required.
• There is no riser fee on single-family dwellings.

Plumbing Permits

Plumbing Permits are always charged based on the number of items installed. There is no difference between residential and commercial fees.

Common Errors on Plumbing Permits

• Sump Pumps are not a plumbing item. A building permit application is used to apply to install a sump pump.