Building Permits Costs

Homeowners and investors who choose to take on large renovation or building projects will require any number of various permits throughout the course of the project. All state and local authorities have different requirements and costs for building permits, but the common goal is to comply with building code safety regulations. Typically, building permits will be needed for renovations, structural additions, exterior drainage work, electrical, and plumbing projects, and a few other projects.

In order to determine how much you will spend on building permits, you need to focus on the type of permit that you will need. Some permits are less than $100 while others could cost up to $2,000 or more. Additionally, depending on size and other factors, some projects may be able to forego permits altogether.

Building permits: by type.

Other considerations and costs

• Any project that is considered an extension or addition to the home will require a general building permit, along with individual permits for all electrical, HVAC, and other work requiring them.
• Permit costs will vary based on your location and the amount of work being done. For example, you don’t need a permit to change the electrical outlets in your home, but you will likely need a permit to replace your main breaker box.
• Your contractor should know all about permit requirements for any project they are quoting, so feel free to ask them what is required and what the costs will be. Sometimes, they will even include permit costs in their estimates because they take care of procuring them as part of the job.
• The prices above are estimates only, based on averages from around the country, and your costs could be higher or lower depending on the exact scope of your project and where you live.

DIY considerations

• Typically, it’s safe to assume that any work that requires a permit probably is also best left to a licensed professional. Some cities and municipalities will require contractors on specific jobs and will not issue permits directly to homeowners to prevent the risk of DIY accidents or improper construction projects.
• You can find a lot of information about local building permits online by looking up your city or county offices. If they don’t have an online list of permit prices, they should have a number that you can call to ask about permit costs and requirements.

References

• Craftsman Estimator Costbook, complete series year 2019.
• Latest prices found on Home Depot and other vendor Web sites.
• Literature review of DIY and arborist Web sites.