How Much Does a Building Permit Cost?

A building permit fee is set by the authority that issues the permit, using a formula that authority publishes. It is not a market price, and two identical houses a mile apart can be charged on completely different methods. The useful question is not "what does a permit cost" but "which formula applies to my project, and what are its current inputs."

Direct answer: build the number, do not look it up

There is no reliable national building permit fee range. Any figure claiming otherwise averages across jurisdictions that share no fee model, no valuation method, no permit stack and no update cycle — and tells you nothing about the office that will invoice you.

A defensible estimate comes from four answers:

1. Which authority issues the permit for this parcel and scope — and whether more than one does.
2. Which fee model it uses: flat, valuation tier table, square-foot rate, hourly, a percentage of another fee, or a combination.
3. What the complete permit stack is — base permit plus plan review, each trade, each add-on.
4. What the current schedule says, and when it took effect.

The examples below are current and labeled by jurisdiction. None is a benchmark for anywhere else.

The fee models that actually exist

Almost every schedule is built from a handful of mechanisms, usually combined.

Real schedules mix these freely. Portland, Oregon's Building and Other Permits Fee Schedule effective July 10, 2026 uses a valuation tier table, a percentage for plan review, hourly rates for revisions and flat reinspection fees — all in one document.

Where "valuation" comes from, and why you may not choose it

The most misread line in a valuation-based schedule is the definition of valuation. Applicants assume it means their contract price. It often does not.

Portland's schedule states that "the Permit Valuation methodology is mandated by the State of Oregon in OAR 918-050-0100": a structural permit fee for new construction and additions uses the ICC Building Valuation Data Table current as of April 1 each year, with occupancy and construction type determined by the building official, multiplied by the square footage of the structure. Critically, "the valuation used will be the greater of either the above calculated value or the value as stated by the applicant." For alterations Portland uses fair market value, defined to include finish work, roofing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, other permanent work — and contractor's profit. (Effective July 10, 2026.)

Seattle publishes the same idea as "Director's Rule 5-2025, Implementation of the Fee Subtitle, Building Valuation Data." Chicago avoids declared valuation altogether — its calculator takes construction type, occupancy type, area in square feet and project scope, and its 2026 Amended Building Permit Fee Tables produce a rate per square foot from an occupancy-by-construction-type matrix, multiplied by a scope-of-review factor. Those tables also set floors: "A minimum fee of $602 applies to all other permits" beyond temporary structures (effective January 6, 2026).

Madison, Wisconsin runs both methods side by side: new-construction inspection fees are computed on total square footage "including all floor levels, attached garages, porches, balconies and decks," while alterations and repairs to existing structures are charged at $11.00 for each $1,000 of value or fraction thereof (checked September 2, 2026).

Before you multiply anything, find the sentence that defines the multiplicand.

It is a stack, not a fee

The number people quote each other is the base building permit. The invoice is longer.

• Plan review. Portland charges 65% of the building permit fee for the original submittal, with two allowable checksheets and $336.00 for each additional one (effective July 10, 2026). Seattle discounts its lightest path: "If your project qualifies as a Subject-to-Field-Inspection permit, you will only need to pay 40% of the plan review fee calculated in the Fee Estimator spreadsheet."
• Trade permits. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, fire suppression and elevator work are usually separate permits on separate schedules. Portland's document repeats the warning section after section: "Additional fees are required for separate permits which may include but are not limited to the following: building, plumbing, electrical, water, sewage, public right of way approaches and improvements, and plan review." Unsure what counts as separate? Start with building, zoning, electrical, and plumbing permits.
• Zoning review. Madison collects a zoning review fee under Madison General Ordinance 28.206 of $0.03 per square foot when the building permit is issued, minimum $25.00 (checked September 2, 2026). Portland adds a zoning inspection charge of 20% of the permit fee on some permits.
• State charges collected locally. Madison's Building Inspection Division also collects the State Seal fee charged by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, plus state plan review fees prescribed by the SPS code.
• Everything else the scope touches. Austin, Texas publishes eighteen separate development-services fee schedules — commercial and residential building, expedited review, right of way, historic preservation, site plan review, subdivision, tree review, zoning plan review and more — under one FY 2025-26 schedule that "went into effect on Oct. 1, 2025." A project can land in several.

State surcharges can be a separate line item

Some state surcharges are set in statute or rule rather than a city budget. Verify the current law and the local collection practice before using one in an estimate.

Portland states it plainly: "For all building, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits, a 12% surcharge is applied by the State of Oregon."

Minnesota sets its surcharge in statute. Minn. Stat. § 326B.148 imposes a permit surcharge to defray the cost of administering the state building code provisions. Where the fee is based on valuation, the surcharge is one-half mill (.0005) of valuation for valuations of $1,000,000 or less, then steps down above that — $500 plus two-fifths mill (.0004) of value between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000, up to $1,500 plus one-twentieth mill (.00005) of value exceeding $5,000,000. Municipalities collect it and remit it to the state.

Neither transfers. Check your own state's rule.

The final number may not exist yet

Some jurisdictions cannot tell you the total until review is finished, because part of the fee is staff time.

Seattle lists its cost drivers as size and complexity, the value of the work, additional permits required, "how long it takes us to review your application and plans," inspection fees and technology fees. Its payment rule follows: "You must pay 75 percent of the total plan review and permit fees when your permit application is accepted. We calculate your final fees, including hourly fees, after we complete our reviews."

Portland states it differently: each valuation tier caps the allowable inspections — three in the $501–$2,000 tier, five in the $2,001–$25,000 tier, seven in the $50,001–$100,000 tier — and "inspections exceeding the maximum number of allowable shall be charged per inspection at the Reinspection Fee rate" of $167.00.

Budget the schedule figure as a floor with a variable component, not as a quote.

The line items people forget

This is where estimates break, and all of it is published.

• Revisions and resubmittals. Portland charges for changes or revisions to plans at $114.00 for half an hour or less and $228.00 per hour beyond that, plus $336.00 per additional checksheet. Chicago notes that "an alternative fee, based on the number of pages being revised, may apply to revision permits."
• Reinspections. Portland's reinspection fee is $167.00 per inspection.
• Expiration, extension and reactivation. Portland charges $228.00 per hour, one-hour minimum, to extend an inactive permit, and renews an expired permit at "one half the amount required for a new permit," $228.00 minimum — noting that "a permit may be renewed only once." That clause is a project risk, not a fee. See how long a building permit stays valid.
• Phasing. Portland's phased-project plan review fee is 10% of the total project building permit fee per phase, subject to a published per-phase cap.
• Capacity and connection charges. Portland warns that system development charges "are one-time fees based on the proposed new use or increase in use of a property" and "may increase a project's budget substantially." Not permit fees — and frequently the largest line.
• Professional services. Survey, structural engineering, architecture and geotechnical reports appear on no fee schedule and can exceed permit fees. Sizing a whole job? Start from how to estimate the cost of a home addition.

One jurisdiction's own worked examples

Seattle publishes example projects alongside its fee changes — a clean demonstration that permit fees are a real number, and that they move.

Source: Seattle SDCI 2026 Fee Changes, effective January 1, 2026. These are Seattle's stated plan-review and permit-fee examples on Seattle's valuations. Read them as evidence of how one fee model behaves, never as a budget for another city.

How to find and read the current schedule

1. Confirm the issuing authority. City, county, township, or a state agency for some occupancies. More than one may issue.
2. Find the schedule and its effective date. Chicago's page currently lists "2026 Amended Building Permit Fee Tables (effective January 6, 2026)" and marks the tables effective January 1, 2026 as "Superseded" — five days apart. Verify you have the operative version.
3. Find the valuation or measurement rule before computing anything.
4. Find plan review, and whether it is included, a percentage, flat, hourly, or reduced for a lighter path.
5. Find each trade and specialty review the scope triggers, plus any state surcharge.
6. Find the failure fees — revisions, reinspections, expiration, investigation.
7. Ask for a written estimate, and ask what is excluded. A complete application is also the cheapest, because completeness avoids checksheets.

Why last year's schedule is probably wrong, and how to budget anyway

Fee schedules move on budget calendars. Seattle implemented "an inflationary increase of 6.5% year-over-year to most fees" for 2026, with construction and master use permit fees up 18%, and set its 2026 base hourly rate at $292 per hour. Portland's schedules took effect July 10, 2026; Austin's on October 1, 2025; Chicago's 2026 tables were amended six days into the year. Four effective dates inside twelve months. A number copied from a PDF last spring is not evidence about this spring.

So build the estimate as a stack, with contingency for the time-based parts, then add what is not a permit fee at all: professional services, capacity charges, and the risk of a resubmittal cycle. Keep the schedule version and effective date with the estimate.

Use Permit Check to organize the parcel, the responsible authority, the permit types a scope actually triggers, and the official sources behind each one. Then verify every figure against the current schedule before you file, buy, or build.

Unpermitted work changes the math

If work has already started, or a prior owner built without a permit, the model changes. Portland publishes an Investigation Fee "for commencement of work before obtaining a permit" at a $167.00 minimum plus $167.00 per hour — charged in addition to the permit fees, not instead of them.

The larger cost is rarely the penalty. It is opening finished work for inspection, bringing legacy construction to current code, and the chance the work cannot be legalized as built. Before buying, read the record: how to check building permit history before buying a house. Before selling, confirm what closes the file, including any certificate of occupancy.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average cost of a building permit?

There is no supported national average. The fee comes from a local formula, and the formulas are not comparable — Chicago multiplies occupancy and construction-type factors by area, while Portland applies a valuation tier table under a state-mandated valuation method.

Is the permit fee a percentage of construction cost?

Sometimes it derives from valuation, but rarely as a flat percentage. Tier tables typically charge a declining rate as value rises, and percentages that do appear usually apply to another fee — Portland's plan review is 65% of the building permit fee, not of construction cost.

Who decides the valuation my fee is based on?

The authority, under its own published methodology. Portland uses the ICC Building Valuation Data Table with occupancy and construction type set by the building official, and takes the greater of that value or the applicant's stated value.

Are plan review and the permit fee separate charges?

Frequently. Confirm whether plan review is included, a percentage, hourly, or reduced for a lighter path. Seattle charges 40% of the plan review fee for subject-to-field-inspection projects.

Do I need separate permits for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work?

Usually yes, each with its own fee. Portland's schedule states repeatedly that additional fees are required for separate permits including plumbing, electrical, water, sewage and right-of-way work.

What is a state permit surcharge?

A charge imposed by state law on top of the local fee. Oregon applies a 12% surcharge to building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits; Minnesota sets its surcharge in Minn. Stat. § 326B.148 at one-half mill of valuation for valuations of $1,000,000 or less, stepping down above that.

Can the fee go up after I apply?

Yes, where any component is time-based. Seattle collects 75 percent of plan review and permit fees at application and calculates final fees, including hourly fees, after review.

Do failed inspections and plan revisions cost extra?

Commonly. Portland charges $167.00 per reinspection, $336.00 per additional plan-review checksheet and hourly fees for plan revisions, and caps the inspections included in each tier.

What happens to the fee if my permit expires?

Local rules vary and can be strict. Portland charges a reactivation fee of one half the amount required for a new permit, $228.00 minimum, and renews a permit only once.

What costs more than the permit on most projects?

Often professional services and capacity charges. Surveys, engineering and architecture appear on no fee schedule, and Portland cautions that system development charges may increase a budget substantially.

Sources

• Portland Permitting & Development current fee schedules
• City of Portland Building and Other Permits Fee Schedule, effective July 10, 2026
• Seattle SDCI: How Much Will Your Permit Cost?
• Seattle SDCI 2026 Fee Changes
• City of Chicago: Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit
• Chicago 2026 Amended Building Permit Fee Tables, effective January 6, 2026
• Austin Development Services fee schedules
• City of Madison Building Inspection Fees
• Minnesota Statutes § 326B.148, Surcharge

Related GovCodex guides

• how long an issued permit stays active

• the difference between zoning and building review

• the permit application checklist

• Permit Check for your property

Last reviewed: September 2, 2026. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and property.