Today I got a permit for a residential renovation project in a city I have not worked in yet. The job consists of a typical kitchen and 2 bathroom remodels. It is a 1,000 sq. ft. bungalow. The permit cost $353.00. I almost fell over in the city hall's building department. I have done countless of these types of projects in small houses in all nearby cities and never had a permit cost over $100.00. I questioned the price breakdown of the permit and the lady told me that it is a $40.00 base fee plus $10 for each switch, outlet, and light fixture. Plus even more for wiring other mechanicals in the house. I feel totally ripped off right now and I told the lady that they are 4x the cost of all the neighboring cities. I also gave her an illustration that if I was to wire a brand new construction house, even a small 1,000 sq. ft. bungalow, the permit would be over $1,000.00, and she acted like that was normal. Am I out of my mind or is this crazy? I am thinking what I could do to expose this city and get their permit pricing under control but I don't have the time to waste going through all that so I guess they will just keep ripping us off!
Permit cost?
- Thread starter aptman3
- Start date
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Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
Where is this located?
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
Well you are lucky you don't live in Los Angeles. The cost would be about 1/3 more.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
I think the per device cost is a little high, in NJ it's typically around $5 - $8, but I just got a permit for putting in a small fire alarm panel to cover a windowless basement for $355. The job is only $6K. It would more typically be $150.
Good luck with fighting them. A city can and will charge whatever the hell they want to. There are no standards.
If you don't check EVERY little city ordinance you are looking to work in, shame on you.
I did a job last year in University Park (a city surrounded by Dallas). They charge 2% of the CONTRACT price for electrical. The electrical was $750,000.00.
My permit fee was $15,000.00.
Yes, I had it it in my estimate.
If you don't check EVERY little city ordinance you are looking to work in, shame on you.
I did a job last year in University Park (a city surrounded by Dallas). They charge 2% of the CONTRACT price for electrical. The electrical was $750,000.00.
My permit fee was $15,000.00.
Yes, I had it it in my estimate.
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
At those rates , and one wonders why customers refuse permits!:rant:
PEDRO ESCOVILLA
Senior Member
- Location
- south texas
wow, yeah compared to here, it's really high. we get 40.00 for permit, 7.50 for a service, 2.oo per circuit, .50 cents per fixture, there are fees for major appliances (2 bucks) etc, but generally our fees are fairly low.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
That's actually not true. We go out of a book called The Marshal Swift Valuation Tables, we use that as a base line and then we can adjust. Our adjustment is 2% higher. We had to adjust our costs because we were originally chrarging to much and several cities have been sued for over charging. Now we do have different ways to do it, per unit, sq ft, evaluation. There is a minimum fee we charge and that is $80, covers water heaters, panel change outs, etc.
Now before you go to far, remember that $80 covers the cost of the permit tech issuing the permit, the inspectors time to go out, his gas cost's, his vehical costs, his time inputing and doing the final paper work, and the cost of a clerks time to file the permit. If you think $80 covers that, then be lucky if you're making a profit.
Now here's where it gets sticky, I've told contractors this before, you can't be the only one that doesn't like it, if you think you are being over charged you would need to get together with other contractors in your area along with all of the information on each and every job along with copies of the permit. Talk to the building official and see if he agrees that they may be charging to much, if that doesn't work, file a class action lawsuit. Here's the sticky part, if you don't want to do that, then just buck up and pay the fees.
What isn't true? That they don't charge 2% of valuation?
I can't copy/paste their pdf, but look it up for yourself.
http://www.uptexas.org/index.cfm?FuseAction=Page&PageID=000003
Why would I want to file a suit? I don't care what anyone charges for their permits.
I would be upset had I not covered that fee in my estimate.....very upset.
Fulthrotl
~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
- Occupation
- E
i suspect their may be an additional sticky spot if, after you sue the city for their pricing policy,
you call for an inspection..... sometimes these things can be taken personally..
sorta like becoming the poster child for code enforcement....
i go a pretty good distance out of my way to make sure i've got good
working relationships with inspectors in cities i do a lot of work in... it's
often the difference between profit and loss on a job.
i always get a chuckle out of people posting that they would tell the inspector
to do this, that, or something that might be anatomically impossible....
sure you would, wilburrr..... right after you get done calling the officer who
stopped you for speeding, a rectal orifice......
- Location
- Massachusetts
It is still just 2% of the electrical contract, no big deal.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
Sorry, what isn't true is that cities can't charge whatever they want. The 2% I was talking about was what we adjust to the price book, I mentioned, for reginonal costs.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
I don't think that any inspector would take you questioning the cities pricing policy personal. I don't even care what we charge for permits or plan check, I just want to know that the address and discription are correct.
Heard one inspector tell another one time, in a city that has badges, to file off the rough edges when he first gets it. The new inspector asked if that was so he didn't cut him self on them? The old guy said no, then it just doesn't hurt as much when someone takes it and shoves it up your......:lol:
Joethemechanic
Senior Member
- Location
- Hazleton Pa
- Occupation
- Electro-Mechanical Technician. Industrial machinery
Just hit "print screen" key, and then open paint, under the edit menu, select paste, then save as JPEG.
You can cut, paste,erase change size, and otherwise edit from paint also.
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- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
It is even worse if you get a permit for one receptacle. I paid $46 permit fee for one outlet. It rots but the cities are trying to be more self sufficient. The more they make the better raises they get. :happyno: 
masterinbama
Senior Member
- Location
- Huntsville Alabama
jaylectricity
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Occupation
- licensed journeyman electrician
This part is important because Paint wants to save as a bit map (.bmp) which takes up much more disk space. That's important if you plan on uploading it to anywhere.
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
It is even worse if you get a permit for one receptacle. I paid $46 permit fee for one outlet. It rots but the cities are trying to be more self sufficient. The more they make the better raises they get. :happyno:
Dennis I remembered your comment today as I went to the City of Atlanta to get a permit for a small job.
They said they were raising the miminum from $100 to $150 but it doesn't matter what you do you are not getting out of there for less than $200 minimum and I'm not a happy camper.
I went home and looked up the permit fee records and no one has paid less than $200 even to change their mind. :happysad:
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