Building Permit Fees in Santa Barbara, CA (2026)

What common projects cost

Kitchen or bath remodel

$25,000 value, remodel 300 sq ft

$2,354.45

$2,028.00 building permit + $3.25 state smip (strong motion) fee, group r 1-3 stories + $1.00 state building standards commission + $162.24 technology fee (on inspection fee) + $0.00 technology fee (on plan check fee) + $141.96 records management fee (on inspection fee) + $0.00 records management fee (on plan check fee) + $18.00 cashier services

Room addition

$75,000 value, addition 400 sq ft

$5,281.17

$4,167.00 building permit + $9.75 state smip (strong motion) fee, group r 1-3 stories + $3.00 state building standards commission + $333.36 technology fee (on inspection fee) + $0.00 technology fee (on plan check fee) + $291.69 records management fee (on inspection fee) + $0.00 records management fee (on plan check fee) + $458.37 growth management/general plan update fee (on inspection fee) + $0.00 growth management/general plan update fee (on plan check fee) + $18.00 cashier services

New single-family home

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

$44,548.65

$28,088.48 building permit + $7,206.08 plan review + $45.50 state smip (strong motion) fee, group r 1-3 stories + $14.00 state building standards commission + $2,247.08 technology fee (on inspection fee) + $576.49 technology fee (on plan check fee) + $1,966.19 records management fee (on inspection fee) + $504.43 records management fee (on plan check fee) + $3,089.73 growth management/general plan update fee (on inspection fee) + $792.67 growth management/general plan update fee (on plan check fee) + $18.00 cashier services

How Santa Barbara 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

R-3 New Dwellings (inspection fee)

Floor area	Fee
0 sq ft – 1,000 sq ft	$17.38 per sq ft
1,000 sq ft – 1,500 sq ft	$17,383.00 for the first 1,000 sq ft + $1,372.54 per additional 100 sq ft or fraction
1,500 sq ft – 2,000 sq ft	$24,246.00 for the first 1,500 sq ft + $365.80 per additional 100 sq ft or fraction
2,000 sq ft – 3,000 sq ft	$26,075.00 for the first 2,000 sq ft + $503.37 per additional 100 sq ft or fraction
3,000 sq ft – 5,000 sq ft	$31,108.00 for the first 3,000 sq ft + $503.22 per additional 100 sq ft or fraction
5,000 sq ft – 10,000 sq ft	$41,173.00 for the first 5,000 sq ft + $137.29 per additional 100 sq ft or fraction
Over 10,000 sq ft	$48,037.00 for the first 10,000 sq ft + $137.29 per additional 100 sq ft or fraction

Room addition (Miscellaneous Items schedule)

Floor area	Fee
0 sq ft – 300 sq ft	$3,509.00
Over 300 sq ft	$3,509.00 for the first 300 sq ft + $658.00 per additional 300 sq ft or fraction

Remodel R3 (non kitchen/bath)

Floor area	Fee
0 sq ft – 150 sq ft	$1,012.00
150 sq ft – 300 sq ft	$2,028.00
Over 300 sq ft	$2,028.00 for the first 300 sq ft + $595.00 per additional 300 sq ft or fraction

Surcharges

State SMIP (Strong Motion) fee, Group R 1-3 stories: $0.13 per $1,000 of value, minimum $0.50
State SMIP (Strong Motion) fee, all other buildings: $0.28 per $1,000 of value, minimum $0.50
State Building Standards Commission fee: $1.00 per $25,000 of value, minimum $1.00
Technology Fee (on inspection fee): 8% of the permit fee
Technology Fee (on plan check fee): 8% of the plan review fee
Records Management fee (on inspection fee): 7% of the permit fee
Records Management fee (on plan check fee): 7% of the plan review fee
Growth Management/General Plan Update Fee (on inspection fee): 11% of the permit fee
Growth Management/General Plan Update Fee (on plan check fee): 11% of the plan review fee
Cashier Services fee: $18.00

What counts as project value

Floor area (square feet). Building and Safety permit fees are set by floor area (base fee for a minimum project size plus a fee for each additional 100 s.f. or fraction thereof), by CBC occupancy class and project type. Construction valuation is used only for the State SMIP and Building Standards Commission fees, 'as determined by the local building official'; the method is not described.

Worked example: a $350,000 new home

Building permit fee: $26,075.00 for the first 2,000 sq ft + $503.37 × 4 per 100 sq ft over = $28,088.48
Plan review fee: $6,953.00 for the first 2,000 sq ft + $63.27 × 4 per 100 sq ft over = $7,206.08
State SMIP (Strong Motion) fee, Group R 1-3 stories: $350,000.00 ÷ 1,000 × $0.13 = $45.50
State Building Standards Commission fee: $1.00 × 14 per $25,000.00 = $14.00
Technology Fee (on inspection fee): 8% of $28,088.48 = $2,247.08
Technology Fee (on plan check fee): 8% of $7,206.08 = $576.49
Records Management fee (on inspection fee): 7% of $28,088.48 = $1,966.19
Records Management fee (on plan check fee): 7% of $7,206.08 = $504.43
Growth Management/General Plan Update Fee (on inspection fee): 11% of $28,088.48 = $3,089.73
Growth Management/General Plan Update Fee (on plan check fee): 11% of $7,206.08 = $792.67
Cashier Services fee: fixed = $18.00
Total before trade permits: $44,548.65.

Fees people miss

Fee	Amount
Reinspection	$225.00 each
Plan check time (hourly services)	$202.00 each 30 min.
Inspection / partial inspection time	$225.00 each 30 min.
Repetitive unit plan checkWhen: repetitive units	50% of plan check
Temporary Certificate of OccupancyWhen: TCO requested	$1,250.00 each
Credit card convenience feeWhen: paid online by credit card	2.65% of amount charged
Conversion of paper plans to PDFWhen: paper plans submitted	$16.00 per paper plan sheet

How to apply

Gather your plans and your project's total value and floor area.
Submit to Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division.
Pay the permit and plan review fees when invoiced.

Source record

Effective: not stated
Verified: 2026-11-05
Issuer: Community Development Department, Building and Safety Division
Valuation: Floor area (square feet)
Confidence: medium

City of Santa Barbara Schedule of City Penalties, Fees and Service Charges, Fiscal Year 2027 (Adopted Combined Fee Schedule)

What this page does not cover (7)

No precise effective date: the FY2027 schedule says increased fees take effect not less than 60 days after final adoption of the resolution; the adoption date is not printed in the schedule
Commercial and other occupancy tables (A, B, E, F, H, I, M, R-1/R-2, S, shells, tenant improvements) not modelled; only R-3 new dwellings, room additions and R3 remodels
Room addition and R3 remodel fees: the schedule does not say whether plan check is included or separate (plan_review_variants type unknown), and does not say whether a partial additional 300 s.f. step is rounded up
Technology Fee is '8% of total permit fee'; applied here to inspection and plan check fees (base not defined). Records Management 7% applies to 'most' Section 2 fees; assumed to include the building permit
Under 1,000 s.f. new dwellings: per-s.f. rates derived from the printed proportional rule ($17,383 and $6,321 per 1,000 s.f.)
Rounding of fees is not stated (the ADU example is rounded to the dollar)
Trade (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) items in the Miscellaneous schedule only partly listed; school, impact, utility capacity and Planning 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 Santa Barbara compares

A $25,000 remodel costs $2,354.45 in Santa Barbara: about 6.2 times the national median of $380.00, and the 5th highest of 43 places we cover in California (state median $1,263.01).

A $75,000 addition costs $5,281.17 in Santa Barbara: about 6.4 times the national median of $820.58, and the 4th highest of 45 places we cover in California (state median $2,473.00).

A $350,000 new home costs $44,548.65 in Santa Barbara: about 15.3 times the national median of $2,918.63, and the 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

Santa Barbara permit fee FAQ

How much is a building permit in Santa Barbara, CA?

A $25,000 remodel: $2,354.45. A $75,000 addition: $5,281.17. A $350,000 new single-family: $44,548.65. These include every fee the schedule applies to that project; trade permits are separate.

Is plan review included in the Santa Barbara permit fee?

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

How does Santa Barbara determine project value?

Floor area (square feet). Building and Safety permit fees are set by floor area (base fee for a minimum project size plus a fee for each additional 100 s.f. or fraction thereof), by CBC occupancy class and project type. Construction valuation is used only for the State SMIP and Building Standards Commission fees, 'as determined by the local building official'; the method is not described.

When did these Santa Barbara fees take effect?

The schedule does not state an effective date. We last checked it against the official source on Nov 5, 2026.