Building Permit Fees in Berkeley, CA (2026)

What common projects cost

Kitchen or bath remodel

$25,000 value, remodel 300 sq ft

$1,292.93

$678.00 building permit + $62.50 application + $440.70 plan review + $33.90 technology enhancement + $33.90 community planning fee (general plan and zoning ordinance maintenance) + $40.68 sustainable development / green building + $3.25 strong motion instrumentation (smip), residential

Room addition

$75,000 value, addition 400 sq ft

$3,471.43

$1,878.00 building permit + $62.50 application + $1,220.70 plan review + $93.90 technology enhancement + $93.90 community planning fee (general plan and zoning ordinance maintenance) + $112.68 sustainable development / green building + $9.75 strong motion instrumentation (smip), residential

New single-family home

$350,000 value, new single-family 2,400 sq ft

$15,453.18

$8,478.00 building permit + $62.50 application + $5,510.70 plan review + $423.90 technology enhancement + $423.90 community planning fee (general plan and zoning ordinance maintenance) + $508.68 sustainable development / green building + $45.50 strong motion instrumentation (smip), residential

How Berkeley calculates your permit fee

The city charges a building permit fee using a fee table based on project value, plus a $62.50 application fee, with a $150.00 minimum. Plan review is a separate charge: 65% of the permit fee. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work gets its own permits.

The fee table

Project value	Fee
$1 – $3,000	$150.00
Over $3,000	$150.00 for the first $3,000 + $2.40 per additional $100

Plus an application fee of $62.50.

Surcharges

Technology Enhancement Fee: 5% of the permit fee
Community planning fee (General Plan and Zoning Ordinance maintenance): 5% of the permit fee
Sustainable development / green building: 6% of the permit fee
Strong Motion Instrumentation (SMIP), residential: $0.13 per $1,000 of value
Strong Motion Instrumentation (SMIP), apartments and commercial: $0.28 per $1,000 of value
Building Standards fee (SB 1473), apartments and commercial: $4.00 per $100,000 of value

What counts as project value

Your contract or bid price. Fees are charged on the 'value of improvements'. The schedule does not cite a valuation table or say how value is determined.

Worked example: a $350,000 new home

Building permit fee: $150.00 for the first $3,000.00 + $2.40 × 3,470 per $100.00 over = $8,478.00
Application fee: fixed = $62.50
Plan review fee: 65% of $8,478.00 = $5,510.70
Technology Enhancement Fee: 5% of $8,478.00 = $423.90
Community planning fee (General Plan and Zoning Ordinance maintenance): 5% of $8,478.00 = $423.90
Sustainable development / green building: 6% of $8,478.00 = $508.68
Strong Motion Instrumentation (SMIP), residential: $350,000.00 ÷ 1,000 × $0.13 = $45.50
Total before trade permits: $15,453.18.

Fees people miss

May also apply (not in the totals above)

Title 24: Energy Compliance: when the work is subject to Title 24 energy compliance review (new buildings, additions, many alterations); $81.36 on the standard projects.
Title 24: Disabled Access: when the work is subject to Title 24 disabled access review; $81.36 on the standard projects.
Fire Plan Check: when the project receives fire plan check; $47.46 on the standard projects.

Fee	Amount
Plan check revision to plans already plan checkedWhen: revisions after plan check	$250.00 per hour, 1 hour minimum
Fourth and subsequent plan check submittalWhen: fourth or later plan check submittal	$250.00 per hour, 1 hour minimum
Permit extension, firstWhen: permit extension requested	$250.00 each
Re-inspectionWhen: re-inspection required	$250.00 per hour, 1 hour minimum
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy issuanceWhen: temporary CO requested	$62.50 each
House moveWhen: house move	$250.00 per hour of staff time, 1 hour minimum

Trade permits are separate. Electrical: Base permit fee $150; new residential buildings and additions $15.00 per 100 sq ft; large commercial (over $100,000 electrical work) 1% of value; or itemized fees at applicant's option. Plumbing: Separate plumbing section of the schedule; not extracted. Mechanical: Separate mechanical section of the schedule; not extracted.

How to apply

Gather your plans and your project's total value.
Submit to Planning and Development Department, Building & Safety Division (Permit Service Center).
Pay the permit and plan review fees when invoiced.
Questions: 510-981-7400

Source record

Effective: 2025-07-01
Verified: 2026-11-05
Issuer: Planning and Development Department, Building & Safety Division (Permit Service Center)
Valuation: Your contract or bid price
Confidence: high

City of Berkeley Planning and Development Fee Schedule, Effective 7/1/2025

What this page does not cover (6)

Whether a partial $100 of value counts as a full $100 is not stated; computed proportionally.
Title 24 Energy Compliance (12%), Title 24 Disabled Access (12%) and Fire Plan Check (7%) are percentages of the building permit fee with no stated applicability; energy compliance in particular probably applies to new houses and additions. Stored as conditional.
The schedule lists the Building Standards (SB 1473) fee only for apartments and commercial; no residential CBSC fee is printed, so none is modelled for residential.
Plan check is 65% of building + MEP permit fees; only the building permit fee is modelled, MEP permit fees (electrical $150 base + $15 per 100 sq ft for new residential, plumbing, mechanical) are not in the total.
Engineering (Public Works) and Traffic Engineering plan-check fees (pages 18-27) not modelled; they apply when that review is required.
Schedule effective 7/1/2025 (posted in the 2026-04 folder); a FY2027 update effective 7/1/2026 was not found but could exist.

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.

Report an error · How we verify fees

How Berkeley compares

A $25,000 remodel costs $1,292.93 in Berkeley: about 3.4 times the national median of $380.00, and the 21st highest of 43 places we cover in California (state median $1,263.01).

A $75,000 addition costs $3,471.43 in Berkeley: about 4.2 times the national median of $820.58, and the 14th highest of 45 places we cover in California (state median $2,473.00).

A $350,000 new home costs $15,453.18 in Berkeley: about 5.3 times the national median of $2,918.63, and the 7th highest of 47 places we cover in California (state median $6,927.50).

Same standard projects everywhere, including plan review and required surcharges. All California places · Compare side by side

Berkeley permit fee FAQ

How much is a building permit in Berkeley, CA?

A $25,000 remodel: $1,292.93. A $75,000 addition: $3,471.43. A $350,000 new single-family: $15,453.18. These include every fee the schedule applies to that project; trade permits are separate.

Is plan review included in the Berkeley permit fee?

No. Plan review is charged separately at 65% of the permit fee.

How does Berkeley determine project value?

Your contract or bid price. Fees are charged on the 'value of improvements'. The schedule does not cite a valuation table or say how value is determined.

Are electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits included?

No. They are separate permits. Electrical: Base permit fee $150; new residential buildings and additions $15.00 per 100 sq ft; large commercial (over $100,000 electrical work) 1% of value; or itemized fees at applicant's option. Plumbing: Separate plumbing section of the schedule; not extracted. Mechanical: Separate mechanical section of the schedule; not extracted.

When did these Berkeley fees take effect?

The schedule is effective Jul 1, 2025 (“Planning and Development Fee Schedule, Effective 7/1/2025”). We last checked it against the official source on Nov 5, 2026.