BuildingPermitCost

How Building Permit Fees Are Calculated

Every building department prices permits with a formula. Across the 267 US cities and counties on this site, the same five steps show up again and again. Here is how each one works, with real numbers from official schedules.

The short answer

Most permit fees follow the same recipe: work out what the project is worth (or how big it is), run that number through the local fee formula, add plan review, then add any mandatory add-on fees and state surcharges. Minimums and rounding rules apply along the way. The details differ in every city, which is why two permits for the same project can differ by thousands of dollars.

Step 1: project value

Most formulas start from the valuation of the work: what it would cost to build, including labor and materials. Departments decide that number in one of three ways: your contract or bid price, a published cost-per-square-foot table (usually the ICC Building Valuation Data), or the higher of the two. Of the 267 jurisdictions here, 45 use the contract price, 36 use the ICC table, 21 take the higher of the two, and 22 use a local table. 89 skip valuation and price by floor area directly.

How construction valuation works

Step 2: the permit fee formula

Four shapes cover nearly every schedule we have read:

  • Valuation fee table (126 of 267). A base amount plus a rate for each $1,000 of value, in bands. Many follow the old Uniform Building Code table layout: for example "$X for the first $100,000 plus $Y for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof."
  • Flat rate per $1,000 or a percentage of value (32 of 267). One rate for the whole project, often with a minimum.
  • Per square foot or a floor-area table (95 of 267). The fee depends on size, not cost, so an expensive kitchen and a basic one pay the same.
  • Flat fees (14 of 267) for defined project types.

Real examples from official schedules:

The phrase "or fraction thereof" matters: a $75,500 project is charged as 76 steps of $1,000, not 75.5. Our calculators apply each schedule's own rounding rule.

Step 3: plan review

Plan review pays for checking your drawings against the building code before the permit is issued. 158 of the 267 jurisdictions list a separate plan review charge. The most common form is a percentage of the building permit fee: 86 jurisdictions use one, ranging from 10% to 125%, and 39 of them use exactly 65%. Others charge per $1,000 of value, per square foot, a flat amount or their own table. Plan review is often due when you submit, before the permit fee itself.

Step 4: add-on fees and state surcharges

57 jurisdictions add mandatory fees with their own formula (technology, records, development services or zoning review fees), and 122 add surcharges, many of them required by state law. California collects a state Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (SMIP) fee on valuation; 25 of the 47 California schedules here print it, and where a schedule does not, our total for that city may not include it. In Florida, 12 of 19 list the state's building code surcharges on the permit fee.

Some fees apply only in certain situations, such as energy-code review or a drainage permit. 142 jurisdictions have one; our pages list them as "may also apply" and leave them out of the total.

Step 5: minimums and rounding

Small jobs usually pay a minimum fee. 155 jurisdictions state one for building permits; the middle value is $65.00. Some schedules also round the final fee to the dollar.

Worked example: a $350,000 new home in Great Falls

  1. Building permit fee: $1,178.30 for the first $100,000.00 + $6.90 × 250 per $1,000.00 over = $2,903.30
  2. Plan review fee: 50% of $2,903.30 = $1,451.65
  3. Total before trade permits: $4,354.95.

Plan review here is 50% of the permit fee. Try the Great Falls calculator

What is usually not included

  • Trade permits. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work usually needs its own permits, often priced per fixture or circuit.
  • Impact and utility fees. School, park, traffic and water connection fees for new homes can be larger than the building permit itself and are set by separate ordinances.
  • Zoning, grading and right-of-way permits, when your project needs them.
  • Penalties. Starting work before the permit is issued often doubles the fee.

Find your city's exact formula: browse by state.

Figures computed November 5, 2026 from the official fee schedules on this site. Fees are estimates based on the official schedules; confirm with the permit office before applying.