Building Permit Fees in San Diego, CA (2026)

What common projects cost

Kitchen or bath remodel

$25,000 value, remodel 300 sq ft

$6,953.83

$2,228.29 building permit + $3,512.92 plan review + $442.10 development impact fee calculation plan check (2.5 hours x hourly dsd $176.84) + $737.00 general plan maintenance + $12.16 mapping + $17.11 fee collection - other agencies/departments + $3.25 state strong motion (smip/seismic) fee, 1-2 story residential + $1.00 state building standards fee (sb 1473)

Room addition

$75,000 value, addition 400 sq ft

$6,962.33

$2,228.29 building permit + $3,512.92 plan review + $442.10 development impact fee calculation plan check (2.5 hours x hourly dsd $176.84) + $737.00 general plan maintenance + $12.16 mapping + $17.11 fee collection - other agencies/departments + $9.75 state strong motion (smip/seismic) fee, 1-2 story residential + $3.00 state building standards fee (sb 1473)

New single-family home

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

$17,755.03

$8,401.90 building permit + $8,085.26 plan review + $442.10 development impact fee calculation plan check (2.5 hours x hourly dsd $176.84) + $737.00 general plan maintenance + $12.16 mapping + $17.11 fee collection - other agencies/departments + $45.50 state strong motion (smip/seismic) fee, 1-2 story residential + $14.00 state building standards fee (sb 1473)

How San Diego calculates your permit fee

The city charges a building permit fee using a fee table based on floor area. Plan review is a separate charge: its own fee table.

The fee table

Res-SDU/DUP: single dwelling unit / duplex / detached R-3 ADU over 500 SF / addition-remodel incl. attached ADU/JADU over 1,100 SF

Floor area	Fee
1 sq ft – 3,000 sq ft	$8,401.90
Over 3,000 sq ft	$8,401.90 for the first 3,000 sq ft + $4.21 per additional sq ft or fraction

Res-SDU/DUP Add/Remodel (incl. attached ADU/JADU to 1,100 SF and detached ADU up to 500 SF) - addition

Floor area	Fee
1 sq ft – 500 sq ft	$2,228.29
500 sq ft – 1,100 sq ft	$2,228.29 for the first 500 sq ft + $4.46 per additional sq ft or fraction

Res-SDU/DUP Add/Remodel (incl. attached ADU/JADU to 1,100 SF and detached ADU up to 500 SF) - remodel

Floor area	Fee
1 sq ft – 500 sq ft	$2,228.29
500 sq ft – 1,100 sq ft	$2,228.29 for the first 500 sq ft + $4.46 per additional sq ft or fraction

New Commercial

Floor area	Fee
1 sq ft – 3,000 sq ft	$1,570.80
Over 3,000 sq ft	$1,570.80 for the first 3,000 sq ft + $0.48 per additional sq ft or fraction

Res-MDU & Non-Res Addition

Floor area	Fee
1 sq ft – 500 sq ft	$858.50
Over 500 sq ft	$858.50 for the first 500 sq ft + $1.68 per additional sq ft or fraction

Tenant Improvement/Remodel (all occupancies excluding R-3)

Floor area	Fee
1 sq ft – 2,000 sq ft	$1,315.10
Over 2,000 sq ft	$1,315.10 for the first 2,000 sq ft + $0.60 per additional sq ft or fraction

Added to every matching permit

Development impact fee calculation plan check (2.5 hours x Hourly DSD $176.84): a flat $442.10 (All projects)

Surcharges

General Plan Maintenance Fee: $737.00
Mapping Fee: $12.16
Fee Collection - Other Agencies/Departments: $17.11
State Strong Motion (SMIP/seismic) fee, 1-2 story residential: $0.13 per $1,000 of value
State Strong Motion (SMIP/seismic) fee, nonresidential: $0.28 per $1,000 of value
State Building Standards Fee (SB 1473): $1.00 per $25,000 of value, minimum $1.00

What counts as project value

ICC Building Valuation Data table. City plan check and inspection fees are priced by project type and square footage (Table 501A), not valuation. Valuation is used only for the State SMIP and Building Standards fees: "For valuation determination, see Information Bulletin 101, Building Valuation Schedule." IB-101 uses ICC Building Valuation Data dated August 2023 (R-3 one/two family, type VB: $165.67 per sq ft).

Worked example: a $350,000 new home

Building permit fee: table value for 2,400 sq ft: $8,401.90 = $8,401.90
Plan review fee: table value for 2,400 sq ft: $8,085.26 = $8,085.26
Development impact fee calculation plan check (2.5 hours x Hourly DSD $176.84): flat fee = $442.10
General Plan Maintenance Fee: fixed = $737.00
Mapping Fee: fixed = $12.16
Fee Collection - Other Agencies/Departments: fixed = $17.11
State Strong Motion (SMIP/seismic) fee, 1-2 story residential: $350,000.00 ÷ 1,000 × $0.13 = $45.50
State Building Standards Fee (SB 1473): $1.00 × 14 per $25,000.00 = $14.00
Total before trade permits: $17,755.03.

Fees people miss

May also apply (not in the totals above)

Lead Hazard Prevention Fee: when Only for building and demolition permits on structures built before 1978; $58.00 on the standard projects.
Storm Water High Priority / ASBS inspection fee: when Only for projects classified Stormwater High Priority or ASBS; $1,466.11 on the standard projects.
Express Plan Check Administration Fee: when Optional express plan check only; plus 1.5 times the regular plan check fee; $793.95 on the standard projects.

Fee	Amount
Hourly DSD plan review / inspection	$176.84 per hour
Hourly DSD overtimeWhen: Overtime only	$264.87 per hour
Development impact fee calculation plan check	2.5 hours of hourly plan check
Addressing feeWhen: Only when a new address is assigned	$529.71 per address
Traffic study reviewWhen: Only when a Traffic Study must be reviewed	$2,473.03 each
Project management (DPM)When: Complex projects or on request	$176.84 per hour
Permit extensionWhen: Only when an extension is requested	$353.13 each
Development Impact Fees, school fees, water/sewer capacity fees, County Water Authority fees	varies

How to apply

Gather your plans and your project's total value.
Submit to Development Services Department.
Pay the permit and plan review fees when invoiced.

Source record

Effective: not stated
Verified: 2026-11-04
Issuer: Development Services Department
Valuation: ICC Building Valuation Data table
Confidence: medium

What this page does not cover (8)

No precise effective date: bulletin is dated 'August 2026'; previous version listed as last effective 2026-08-06 (so confidence capped at medium)
Increment Rate unit: Table 501A headings give 'Base Sq. Ft.' with 'Base Rate' and 'Increment Rate' columns; the second row of each type starts at the base sq ft, so the increment is read as dollars per sq ft over the base. The bulletin never says 'per square foot' in words
Res-SDU/DUP Add/Remodel vs Res-SDU/DUP row for additions/remodels over 1,100 sq ft is ambiguous in the row descriptions; Add/Remodel variants are capped at 1,100 sq ft (calculator shows n/a above that)
SMIP rate for residential 3+ story multifamily ($0.28/$1,000) not separately scoped; residential surcharge assumes 1-2 stories
Table 501A types not modelled: High Rise, Master Plan MDU, New MDU, Standalone Parking Garage, repetitive structures, Manufactured/FBH, TI Rapid Review, Factory Built MDU, Attached Townhomes, Warehouse/Self-Storage; Table 501B partial permits and most of 501C not captured
Hourly rate table text on the page is flattened; the five Plan Review values were mapped in printed order (Addressing $529.71 and the $176.84 hourly rate are confirmed elsewhere in the bulletin)
Development Impact Fees, school fees, water/sewer plan check, capacity and CWA fees, Habitat Acquisition Fund, C&D deposit not extracted (separate schedules / project-specific)
Electrical/mechanical/plumbing (IB-103), fire (IB-506), demolition (IB-710) and sign (IB-111) fees not extracted

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 San Diego compares

A $25,000 remodel costs $6,953.83 in San Diego: about 18.3 times the national median of $380.00, and the highest of 43 places we cover in California (state median $1,263.01).

A $75,000 addition costs $6,962.33 in San Diego: about 8.5 times the national median of $820.58, and the highest of 45 places we cover in California (state median $2,473.00).

A $350,000 new home costs $17,755.03 in San Diego: about 6.1 times the national median of $2,918.63, and the 4th 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

San Diego permit fee FAQ

How much is a building permit in San Diego, CA?

A $25,000 remodel: $6,953.83. A $75,000 addition: $6,962.33. A $350,000 new single-family: $17,755.03. These include every fee the schedule applies to that project; trade permits are separate.

Is plan review included in the San Diego permit fee?

No. Plan review is charged separately at its own fee table.

How does San Diego determine project value?

ICC Building Valuation Data table. City plan check and inspection fees are priced by project type and square footage (Table 501A), not valuation. Valuation is used only for the State SMIP and Building Standards fees: "For valuation determination, see Information Bulletin 101, Building Valuation Schedule." IB-101 uses ICC Building Valuation Data dated August 2023 (R-3 one/two family, type VB: $165.67 per sq ft).

When did these San Diego fees take effect?

The schedule does not state an effective date. We last checked it against the official source on Nov 4, 2026.