BuildingPermitCost Calculator
267 places with a verified schedule. Not listed? Ask us to add it.
Choose a city or county to see its fees.
Fees are estimates based on the official schedule linked on each city page. Confirm with the permit office before applying. Separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire, impact, utility and school fees are usually not included unless they are listed. BuildingPermitCost is not a government permit office, and this is not legal advice.
How to use the calculator
- Choose your city or county. Use the place that issues the permit. Inside city limits that is usually the city; outside, the county.
- Pick the project type. Remodel covers alterations to an existing building, Addition adds floor area, New home is a new single-family house, and Commercial is new non-residential construction.
- Enter the project value and floor area. The result updates as you type and shows each fee line with the math the permit office uses.
What to enter as project value
Permit offices do not all value a project the same way, and the value drives most of the fee. Among the 267 places we publish:
- Floor area instead of value (priced per square foot): 89 places
- Your contract or bid price: 45 places
- ICC Building Valuation Data table: 36 places
- Local valuation table: 22 places
- Higher of your bid or the valuation table: 21 places
If the place uses a valuation table, the office may raise a low bid to the table value. The city page says which method its schedule uses. How construction valuation works.
What typical projects cost
The same three projects, run through every published schedule. Totals include plan review and required surcharges.
| Project | Middle half of places | Median | Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remodel $25,000, 300 sq ft | $225.00 – $734.50 | $380.00 | 251 |
| Addition $75,000, 400 sq ft | $384.00 – $1,637.78 | $820.58 | 243 |
| New home $350,000, 2,400 sq ft | $1,353.60 – $5,310.00 | $2,918.63 | 261 |
Lowest and highest totals, and places near the median: permit cost by project type.
How places price a building permit
The main building-permit formula in each published schedule:
- A fee table based on project value: 126 (47%)
- A fee table based on floor area: 49 (18%)
- A rate per square foot: 46 (17%)
- A rate per $1,000 of project value: 19 (7%)
- A percentage of project value: 13 (5%)
- A flat fee: 14 (5%)
158 of 267 places also charge a separate plan review fee, and 39 of them set it at 65% of the permit fee. 122 add a surcharge such as a state building-code fee or technology fee, and 142 have fees that apply only in some situations, which the calculator lists under "may also apply". How permit fees are calculated.
Calculator questions
Is the calculator result the exact fee I will pay?
It is an estimate from the official schedule. The permit office sets the final fee from your application, and it may use its own valuation, add trade permits, or charge fees that only apply to some projects. Each result links to the city page with the full schedule and source.
Why does the calculator ask for floor area?
Some places price permits by square foot rather than by project value, and some use floor area to look up a valuation table. Where the schedule does not use floor area, changing it has no effect on the total.
Why are some project types greyed out?
A project type is unavailable when that place's schedule has no formula for it, or when the schedule can be read two ways for it. We leave it out rather than guess.
Can I use it for commercial projects?
Yes, where the schedule has a commercial formula. Commercial permits often add fire, planning or other reviews; the result lists every fee the schedule applies and shows "may also apply" fees separately.
Are electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits included?
No, unless the schedule charges them as part of the building permit. Most places issue trade permits separately, often to the licensed contractor doing the work.