BuildingPermitCost California permit fees at a glance
This page covers 42 cities and 5 counties in California, each priced from its own official fee schedule. For the same $75,000 addition, totals run from $812.75 in Elk Grove to $6,962.33 in San Diego, with a California median of $2,473.00, about 3 times the median of $820.58 across all 267 places on this site.
The most common pricing method here is a fee table based on project value (25 of 47), followed by a fee table based on floor area (19) and a percentage of project value (2). For project value, 18 places use floor area instead of value, 5 places use a local valuation table and 4 places use the ICC Building Valuation Data table.
42 of 47 charge a separate plan review fee; the most common rate is 65% of the permit fee (7 places). 30 add a state surcharge to the total, printed for example as "State SMIP fee (Public Resources Code §2705)" and "Strong Motion Instrumentation (SMIP)".
38 of 47 schedules state an effective date, 38 of them from 2025 or later. Every page shows its effective date and the date we last checked it against the official source.
| Project | California median | National median | Places |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 remodel | $1,263.01 | $380.00 | 43 |
| $75,000 addition | $2,473.00 | $820.58 | 45 |
| $350,000 new home | $6,927.50 | $2,918.63 | 47 |
Calculate your own project · Compare California places side by side · Fees people often miss
Cities
| Jurisdiction | $25k remodel | $75k addition | $350k new home | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellflower | $1,219.00 | $2,473.00 | $8,700.00 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Berkeley | $1,292.93 | $3,471.43 | $15,453.18 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Buena Park | $896.00 | $1,812.55 | $5,343.70 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Chico | $804.95 | — | $6,298.84 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Chino Hills | — | $3,058.16 | $9,422.06 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Citrus Heights | $1,450.38 | $3,545.94 | $6,755.00 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Concord | $1,092.90 | $3,789.53 | $16,235.55 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Corona | — | $2,058.00 | $4,587.68 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Dublin | $1,513.85 | $3,895.89 | $12,649.36 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| El Monte | $1,684.48 | $3,686.61 | $10,352.51 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Elk Grove | $454.25 | $812.75 | $4,280.89 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Fresno | $805.46 | $1,480.58 | $3,301.57 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Garden Grove | $1,095.91 | $2,481.17 | $7,765.33 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Huntington Beach | $1,102.83 | $1,946.63 | $4,814.04 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Lake Forest | $828.00 | $1,529.00 | $4,322.00 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Lodi | $1,947.07 | $3,280.74 | $10,834.88 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Manteca | $433.60 | $1,694.79 | $6,920.33 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Menifee | $2,883.17 | $6,855.18 | $14,557.68 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Milpitas | $2,155.23 | $2,993.87 | $13,378.37 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Moreno Valley | $1,482.50 | $1,482.50 | $3,869.50 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Murrieta | — | $924.30 | $4,433.38 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Napa | $2,039.44 | $2,231.79 | $9,582.43 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Oakland | $1,531.57 | $4,627.41 | $8,092.10 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Ontario | $957.90 | $1,963.70 | $5,553.40 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Palo Alto | $5,322.88 | $5,872.63 | $17,077.30 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Pleasanton | $994.37 | $2,078.26 | $6,143.50 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Rancho Cucamonga | $1,301.72 | $1,678.04 | $4,004.22 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Redding | $899.99 | $1,884.88 | $5,388.07 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Redondo Beach | — | — | $22,319.48 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Richmond | $1,263.01 | $4,083.01 | $8,374.00 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| San Diego | $6,953.83 | $6,962.33 | $17,755.03 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| San Francisco | $1,429.18 | $2,817.50 | $8,100.50 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| San Mateo | $1,923.07 | $4,671.90 | $13,883.38 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Santa Barbara | $2,354.45 | $5,281.17 | $44,548.65 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Santa Clarita | $1,051.52 | $2,248.22 | $7,085.07 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Stockton | $786.80 | $1,534.93 | $5,037.26 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Temecula | $390.00 | $1,508.00 | $5,041.00 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Torrance | $1,322.25 | $2,270.75 | $6,927.50 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Tracy | $1,491.40 | $3,073.50 | $6,421.00 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Tustin | $1,055.29 | $2,168.38 | $6,527.82 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Upland | $766.42 | $2,869.98 | $8,499.14 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Yuba City | $1,241.75 | $1,209.00 | $5,132.00 | Nov 5, 2026 |
Counties
| Jurisdiction | $25k remodel | $75k addition | $350k new home | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno County | $927.51 | $1,763.72 | $4,434.34 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Los Angeles County | $1,362.87 | $2,980.71 | $8,367.56 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| San Diego County | $4,192.00 | $4,114.40 | $6,246.60 | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Santa Barbara County | $1,934.01 | $4,650.19 | $19,807.43 | Nov 5, 2026 |
| Stanislaus County | $919.89 | $1,897.25 | $5,632.71 | Nov 5, 2026 |
California permit fee questions
How much is a building permit in California?
It depends on the city or county, because each sets its own fees. Across the 45 places we cover in California, the median for a $75,000 addition is $2,473.00 and for a $350,000 new home $6,927.50, including plan review and required surcharges.
Which California places have the lowest and highest permit fees?
For a $75,000 addition, the lowest total we found is $812.75 in Elk Grove, CA and the highest is $6,962.33 in San Diego, CA. The tables on this page list every place we cover.
Are California state fees included?
Yes, where the local schedule adds them to the permit. 30 of the 47 California schedules we cover include a state surcharge, and each city page shows it as its own line.
Totals use each jurisdiction's own formula for a 300 sq ft remodel, a 400 sq ft addition and a 2,400 sq ft wood-frame home. Trade permits and conditional fees are not included. Fees are estimates based on the official schedules; confirm with the permit office before applying.