Building Permit Fees in Allentown, PA (2026)

What common projects cost

Kitchen or bath remodel

$25,000 value, remodel 300 sq ft

$304.50

$250.00 building permit + $50.00 application + $4.50 pennsylvania ucc state-mandated permit

Room addition

$75,000 value, addition 400 sq ft

$804.50

$750.00 building permit + $50.00 application + $4.50 pennsylvania ucc state-mandated permit

New single-family home

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

$3,554.50

$3,500.00 building permit + $50.00 application + $4.50 pennsylvania ucc state-mandated permit

How Allentown calculates your permit fee

The city charges a building permit fee using 1% of project value, plus a $50.00 application fee, with a $50.00 minimum.

The fee table

Residential (1-2 family and townhouses): all construction including new, additions, alterations, repairs and all trades

1% of project value, plus a $50.00 application fee, with a $50.00 minimum.

Commercial (incl. 3+ dwelling units): all construction and all trades

1.5% of project value, plus a $100.00 application fee, with a $75.00 minimum.

Surcharges

Pennsylvania UCC state-mandated permit fee: $4.50

What counts as project value

Your contract or bid price. Fee is a percentage of the total cost of work including materials and labor of all trades (foundation, structural and nonstructural components, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire systems, interior finishes). The Bureau may verify or correct the estimated value using ICC Building Valuation Data or other means.

Worked example: a $350,000 new home

Building permit fee: 1% of $350,000.00 = $3,500.00
Application fee: fixed = $50.00
Pennsylvania UCC state-mandated permit fee: fixed = $4.50
Total before trade permits: $3,554.50.

Fees people miss

Fee	Amount
Work without required permitWhen: work started before a required permit was obtained	permit fee doubled
Temporary certificate of occupancy, residentialWhen: TCO requested	$200.00 each
Temporary certificate of occupancy, commercialWhen: TCO requested	$350.00 each
Reinspection (residential): second $50, third $75, fourth and subsequent $100When: excessive reinspections on the same issue	$50.00 per reinspection (second)
Reinspection (commercial): second $100, third $125, fourth and subsequent $150When: excessive reinspections on the same issue	$100.00 per reinspection (second)
Zoning permit application reviewWhen: a zoning permit is required for the project	$100.00 each

How to apply

Gather your plans and your project's total value.
Submit to Bureau of Building Standards and Safety, Construction Permits Office online through Allentown Citizen Self Service.
Pay the permit and plan review fees when invoiced.
Questions: (610) 437-7592 · City Hall, 435 Hamilton St, 4th Floor, Allentown, PA

Source record

Effective: not stated
Verified: 2026-11-05
Issuer: Bureau of Building Standards and Safety, Construction Permits Office
Valuation: Your contract or bid price
Confidence: medium

What this page does not cover (3)

Ordinance states passage (April 16, 2025) and signature (April 21, 2025) dates but no effective date
Ordinance PDF (21 pages) is a redline; the current text was read from the underlined (new) passages on pages 7-12; the text layer is partly garbled, so readings were checked against page images (pages 5-7, 11-12)
Whether a separate zoning permit ($100) is required depends on the project; not added to the calculator total

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 Allentown compares

A $25,000 remodel costs $304.50 in Allentown: 20% below the national median of $380.00, and the 3rd lowest of 5 places we cover in Pennsylvania (state median $304.50).

A $75,000 addition costs $804.50 in Allentown: about the same as the national median of $820.58.

A $350,000 new home costs $3,554.50 in Allentown: 22% above the national median of $2,918.63, and the 2nd highest of 5 places we cover in Pennsylvania (state median $2,124.50).

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

Allentown permit fee FAQ

How much is a building permit in Allentown, PA?

A $25,000 remodel: $304.50. A $75,000 addition: $804.50. A $350,000 new single-family: $3,554.50. These include every fee the schedule applies to that project; trade permits are separate.

Is plan review included in the Allentown permit fee?

Allentown lists no separate plan review fee for these projects.

How does Allentown determine project value?

Your contract or bid price. Fee is a percentage of the total cost of work including materials and labor of all trades (foundation, structural and nonstructural components, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire systems, interior finishes). The Bureau may verify or correct the estimated value using ICC Building Valuation Data or other means.

When did these Allentown fees take effect?

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