Building Permit Fees in Duluth, MN (2026)

What common projects cost

Kitchen or bath remodel

$25,000 value, remodel 300 sq ft

$950.53

$568.50 building permit + $369.53 plan review + $12.50 minnesota state surcharge

Room addition

$75,000 value, addition 400 sq ft

$1,965.53

$1,168.50 building permit + $759.53 plan review + $37.50 minnesota state surcharge

New single-family home

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

$5,815.53

$3,418.50 building permit + $2,222.03 plan review + $175.00 minnesota state surcharge

How Duluth calculates your permit fee

The city charges a building permit fee using a fee table based on project value. Plan review is a separate charge: 65% of the permit fee.

The fee table

Project value	Fee
$1 – $500	$60.00
$501 – $2,000	$60.00 for the first $500 + $4.00 per additional $100 or fraction
$2,001 – $25,000	$120.00 for the first $2,000 + $19.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction
$25,001 – $50,000	$568.50 for the first $25,000 + $14.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction
$50,001 – $100,000	$918.50 for the first $50,000 + $10.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction
$100,001 – $500,000	$1,418.50 for the first $100,000 + $8.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction
$500,001 – $1,000,000	$4,618.50 for the first $500,000 + $7.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction
Over $1,000,000	$8,118.50 for the first $1,000,000 + $5.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction

Added to every matching permit

Minnesota state surcharge: a fee table based on project value (All projects)

What counts as project value

Local valuation table. 'Permit valuations shall include total value of all construction work, including materials and labor' and are set by the building official (MN Rules 1300.0160). 1-2 family dwellings, IRC townhouses and residential accessory buildings use the city's Residential Valuation Schedule (effective 1/1/2025; MN DLI May 2012 data + 25%): e.g. living area above grade $115/sq ft, unfinished basement $23, finished new basement $49, attached garage $49, open deck $15. Others provide an estimated job value; alterations use contract value.

Worked example: a $350,000 new home

Building permit fee: $1,418.50 for the first $100,000.00 + $8.00 × 250 per $1,000.00 over = $3,418.50
Plan review fee: 65% of $3,418.50 = $2,222.03
Minnesota state surcharge: $0.00 for the first $0.00 + $0.00 × 350,000 per $1.00 over = $175.00
Total before trade permits: $5,815.53.

Fees people miss

May also apply (not in the totals above)

Resource Renew Capacity Availability Fee (CAF), single-family dwelling: when new sewer connection; single family dwelling pays one CAF unit, each additional dwelling unit one more; $940.00 on the standard projects.

Fee	Amount
Backflow preventer test program administrative feeWhen: required backflow preventer test	$35.00 each
Work without permitWhen: work started without permit

How to apply

Gather your plans and your project's total value.
Submit to Construction Services & Inspections Division online through Eplace.
Pay the permit and plan review fees when invoiced.
Questions: 218-730-5240 · Room 100, 411 West First Street, Duluth, MN 55802

Source record

Effective: 2026-01-01
Verified: 2026-11-05
Issuer: Construction Services & Inspections Division
Valuation: Local valuation table
Confidence: high

What this page does not cover (5)

State surcharge table ranges are misprinted on the PDF ('$2,000,001 to $2,000,000', '$3,000,001 to $2,000,000'); bases and multipliers are unambiguous and match MN Stat. 326B.148 as used by the city calculator. Only affects valuations over $2,000,000.
Resource Renew CAF ($940 per unit) applies to new sewer connections and expanded use; modelled as a conditional fee for new residential construction (one unit per single-family dwelling). Doc 206 has no effective date.
Trade permits (electrical by state, plumbing, mechanical valuation-based) not extracted beyond the 2026 flat fees.
Residential valuation table (per sq ft) is described in valuation_notes, not modelled in the calculator.
Round-up of partial increments is not printed in the fee schedule PDF; it is taken from the city's own Permit Fee Calculator code (duluthmn.gov permit-fees page), which the schedule references.

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 Duluth compares

A $25,000 remodel costs $950.53 in Duluth: about 2.5 times the national median of $380.00.

A $75,000 addition costs $1,965.53 in Duluth: about 2.4 times the national median of $820.58.

A $350,000 new home costs $5,815.53 in Duluth: about twice the national median of $2,918.63.

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

Duluth permit fee FAQ

How much is a building permit in Duluth, MN?

A $25,000 remodel: $950.53. A $75,000 addition: $1,965.53. A $350,000 new single-family: $5,815.53. These include every fee the schedule applies to that project; trade permits are separate.

Is plan review included in the Duluth permit fee?

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

How does Duluth determine project value?

Local valuation table. 'Permit valuations shall include total value of all construction work, including materials and labor' and are set by the building official (MN Rules 1300.0160). 1-2 family dwellings, IRC townhouses and residential accessory buildings use the city's Residential Valuation Schedule (effective 1/1/2025; MN DLI May 2012 data + 25%): e.g. living area above grade $115/sq ft, unfinished basement $23, finished new basement $49, attached garage $49, open deck $15. Others provide an estimated job value; alterations use contract value.

When did these Duluth fees take effect?

The schedule is effective Jan 1, 2026 (“Fee Schedule for Permits, Effective 1/1/2026”). We last checked it against the official source on Nov 5, 2026.