excessive permit fees?

[CopperTone]

has anyone seen cities and town jack their permit fees this past year?
I am put in a bid yesterday for a job and I called for a permit fee to include in the bid.

my bid for the job was 36,000.00 the permit fee - $3960.00 (this is only electrical)

what? I said - you have got to be kidding me. thank god I called and checked the fee and didn't just estimate it at about $500.00

I was told - "I don't set the fee rates - thats the fee for that job that we are quoting everyone"

I figure as long as everyone carries that number it will be fair - there probably will be one jack hole who doesn't check and will win the bid and find out the hard way that he just lost money on the job.

[ItsHot]

Sounds steep to me! "feed the greed"!:mad:

[nhfire77]

I just got a permit in a podunk 'city'. Any commercial electrical work requires a $150 minimum permit fee. So I change a broken horn/strobe on the FA for $150 and the permit doubled the cost. The customer nearly laid an egg.

[PetrosA]

I know in this area some of the townships are going wild with real estate taxes - as high as 30k for a single family resi (McMansion style home) so permit fees that high wouldn't shock me either. Now they're trying to force some farm owners in heavily built-up areas to sub-divide into buildable lots by jacking up the farm taxes to unmanageable levels. One school district here has recently raised the school tax to something like 4% and that's driving a lot of people out of the district as well. Existing 230k home recently went on the market with taxes over 5k a year combined... (this area is mostly agri based, with not much infrastructure nearby except a Walmart...)

[iwire]

As far as I know the majority of cities and towns here in MA are running in the red, raising permit fees will just be one of many increases we see that are outside of our proposition two and halfs reach. The fee for my kids town run summer recreation program has almost doubled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposition_2%C2%BD

[Rewire]

has anyone seen cities and town jack their permit fees this past year?
I am put in a bid yesterday for a job and I called for a permit fee to include in the bid.

my bid for the job was 36,000.00 the permit fee - $3960.00 (this is only electrical)

what? I said - you have got to be kidding me. thank god I called and checked the fee and didn't just estimate it at about $500.00

I was told - "I don't set the fee rates - thats the fee for that job that we are quoting everyone"

I figure as long as everyone carries that number it will be fair - there probably will be one jack hole who doesn't check and will win the bid and find out the hard way that he just lost money on the job.

If the fee based on cost if so the lower the bid the lower the permit fee,so when they ask how much will the job cost you say 10 grand

[iwire]

If the fee based on cost if so the lower the bid the lower the permit fee,so when they ask how much will the job cost you say 10 grand

That will bite you in the rear here.

We all have to use this form.

http://www.frcog.org/services/coop_inspect/apps/eapp.pdf

[LarryFine]

I just got a permit in a podunk 'city'. Any commercial electrical work requires a $150 minimum permit fee. So I change a broken horn/strobe on the FA for $150 and the permit doubled the cost. The customer nearly laid an egg.I'm suprised that you bothered for a permit for a replacement of a device, or that it was required.

[nhfire77]

I'm suprised that you bothered for a permit for a replacement of a device, or that it was required.

Normally you are right, I wouldn't its new hampshire anyway. The building is under scrutiny by all of the inspectors, with good cause.

If it was MA and the inspectors are Letter of the law kind of guys they want a permit for ANYTHING. Its all about the fee money, not safety.

I do not mock the need for permits here, just that if I change a horn strobe that was broken, then drill the system to test all the A/V's including the replaced one, why do you need a permit? Well some AHJ's want permit fee$, nothing else.

You want to talk about unnecessary, in Salem, NH, I changed a broken ceiling tile out around a heat detector in a commerical space. I was spanked by the on duty chief for this. If you TOUCH a wire you need a permit. Only testing does not need a permit. Changing out the batteries? Need a permit for that too. I hear Frammingham, MA is like that too.

[nhfire77]

As far as I know the majority of cities and towns here in MA are running in the red, raising permit fees will just be one of many increases we see that are outside of our proposition two and halfs reach. The fee for my kids town run summer recreation program has almost doubled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposition_2%C2%BD

I love how you have to link to prop 21/2 to explain b/c its sooooooo crazy.

[growler]

my bid for the job was 36,000.00 the permit fee - $3960.00 (this is only electrical)

That does sound very high. Maybe there is some sort of "Impact Fee" associated with this project.

If there is an impact fee on this particular project then other projects may not be so expensive to permit.

They should be able to tell you how the arrive at the cost of a permit. Either they charge per item or a percentage of the job cost, or just make it up as they go along.

[satcom]

That does sound very high. Maybe there is some sort of "Impact Fee" associated with this project.

If there is an impact fee on this particular project then other projects may not be so expensive to permit.

They should be able to tell you how the arrive at the cost of a permit. Either they charge per item or a percentage of the job cost, or just make it up as they go along.

The way some do it is they price it up after the plan review.

[Fulthrotl]

has anyone seen cities and town jack their permit fees this past year?

my bid for the job was 36,000.00 the permit fee - $3960.00 (this is only electrical)



it's happening everywhere. this is about the highest i've heard of tho. over 10%?

around here, people pull permits when they have to, obviously. to assist them
in having to, the city building department gets a list from the trash franchise
here of every address a dumpster is delivered to. within two or three hours of
bin drop, and inspector drives by to see if unpermitted work is being done.

friend of mine did extensive work on his house, moving a bathroom, 6 dozen
can lights, etc. hauled his own trash to the dump. no problem.

another house i did work on, did similar stuff, with a kitchen remodel. i
cautioned the owner about the bin deal, and his words were, "thanks, but i
know what i'm doing"......

the bin was there about an hour, and here comes the inspector.... just as i'm
starting to flex the kitchen.:D he asks where the permit is, and i point him at
the owner, and go back to work....

the permit for the kitchen, and bath remodel, was over $2,000, 'cause the
fees are doubled if you get caught working without a permit....

thank god he knew what he was doing. whew. that's a load off..... :D

[iwire]

I'm suprised that you bothered for a permit for a replacement of a device, or that it was required.


Larry in this area all the town FDs are different some would let you do anything without a permit, other towns will have you arrested (Really, it has happened) for just some simple troubleshooting.

[iwire]

Changing out the batteries? Need a permit for that too. I hear Frammingham, MA is like that too.

Framingham, permit needed for testing as well, permit needed for just thinking about looking at a fire alarm device.

Also they want cut sheets for any replaced equipment

[hillbilly]

Framingham, permit needed for testing as well, permit needed for just thinking about looking at a fire alarm device.

Also they want cut sheets for any replaced equipment


Great...

On a happier note, I hear that we're fighting for Freedom in Iraq.:rolleyes:

It's all about the money.
We can't expect the "recession" to affect the government too....can we?
I mean....actually lay a few bueracrats off?
Let go a few county vehicles?
Cut a few hours?

Just venting
steve

[mayjong]

dang, that is 10% of valuation...
ours is 1% of valuation...

[brian john]

has anyone seen cities and town jack their permit fees this past year?
.

I did not call, normal price should have been between $300.00-$500.00 new price was $1,250.00, lost a little on that one but learned not to wing some things.

[kelley]

Framingham, permit needed for testing as well, permit needed for just thinking about looking at a fire alarm device.

Also they want cut sheets for any replaced equipment


I work out of the Metro-west area. Bob you could not be more right. They are a tough bunch in there.

Though i will say that the Fire Alarm superintendant is one knowledgeable guy.

When you come to Framingham come prepared.

[electricalperson]

well i know one town to cross of my list to work in :)

[Davis9]

I did a resi Condo building 2yrs ago on the North Shore, 400K est elec cost and a 21000 dollar permit fee. I almost passed out so did the GC since his Building permit was exactly the same.

Tom

[Fulthrotl]

has anyone seen cities and town jack their permit fees this past year?


funny you should mention this.....

my auto mechanic got a estimate last year when he started his house build
in prescott, az.

$5,500 for the electrical service entrance. 600' of trench, 2" feeder, 2" catv.
that was then, this is now... he got the real number yesterday. $19,500.

poco surcharges that weren't there last year. :mad:

[nhfire77]

Framingham, permit needed for testing as well, permit needed for just thinking about looking at a fire alarm device.

Also they want cut sheets for any replaced equipment

Must........resist.........urge.....to.........thi nk........about...........

Crap, I gotta notify the inspector of wires.
-------------------------------------------------------

Yea I think most other places don't have the, unique, experience that is New England and their wacky Electrical requirements.:cool:

Whats a municipal 100mA loop says the out of state contractor?:-?

[realolman]

Don't these high permit fees cause people to not improve or maintain their properties?

[iwire]

Whats a municipal 100mA loop says the out of state contractor?:-?

I always assumed the entire country had municipal loops. 8-)

It was not till I started hanging out on the forums I learned it is not that common.

[augie47]

TN STATE permit, 200 amp service, Temp, RI, Final, HVAC = $108.00, same house, County Building permit = $ 722. 00 Guess which one the owner was squalling about :smile:

[kbsparky]

Permit fees here (Wicomico County (http://www.wicomicocounty.org/), MD) are flat rate at $20 each. I can email the request, FAX, or call on the phone. I get an immediate response with the permit number, and they mail me the hard copy.

Keep an escrow account with the county, they let me know when the balance falls below $40 so I can send them in a couple hundred for the next 10 permits.

Inspection fees are paid directly to the inspection agencies. Minimum fee is $50. 4 different agencies to choose from.

A 200 Amp upgrade costs $70 for both permit and inspection. ;)

In Delaware, there are no permit fees at all. :smile:

Inspection fees are handled the same way. :D

[electricmanscott]

I love how you have to link to prop 21/2 to explain b/c its sooooooo crazy.

Best thing to happen to properety owners in this state in my lifetime.

As for fees. They are all over the place costwise. Based on the inspections I've had they are way overpriced. :wink:

Don't count out Framingham completely. The electrical inspector is a very good guy. But now I know why he kept asking of I was doing any smoke detectors on the last job I did. Probably would have given me a heads up about the fire dude.

[kelley]

[QUOTE=electricmanscott;10340Don't count out Framingham completely. The electrical inspector is a very good guy[/QUOTE]Agreed Scott. I worked for him when he was in business and before he was the inspector.

[hillbilly1]

I had one city last year that made me permit the entire fire sprinkler system just because we installed a transfer switch between the old fire pump controller and the transformer. $2600.