Building Permits Fee Schedule

(See Portsmouth City Ordinance Chapter 1, Article XVI)

Building Permits Fee Schedule

(Except Flat Rate Permits See below)

All fees shall be rounded up to the nearest $5.00

Special Inspection Fee: When a project requires one or more inspections after normal business hours, said inspections shall be pre-arranged with the building official. A special inspection fee of $60.00 per hour shall be assessed to the permit holder. Time shall include all travel to and from the inspection

Emergency Inspection Fee: When an incident requires an emergency inspection after normal business hours, said inspection shall be arranged with the building official. An emergency inspection fee of $60.00 per hour shall be assessed to the permit holder or property owner. Time shall include all travel to and from the inspection.

Work Commencing Before Permit Issuance(See IBC Section 108.4 & IRC Section R108.7) Any person who is found to have demolished, constructed, altered, removed, or changed the use of a building or structure without the benefit of a building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or change in use permit shall, upon issuance of said permit(s), be assessed a fee of 200% of the regular permit fee or $300 whichever is greater. If the regular fee is over $300, the permit fee shall be the regular fee plus $300.

Work requiring multiple re-inspections: (See IBC Section 109.7 & IRC Section R109.5)

$100.00 per re-inspection

Outside Plan Review Services: (See IBC Section 106.3.6) When a third party plan review agency is hired to perform the code plan review, the resulting construction permit(s) shall be credited twenty (20) percent from the calculated regular (non- adjusted) permit rate.

 

NEW CONSTRUCTION /ADDITION /RENOVATION

Residential Rate: 1 & 2 Family Detached  - $8/$1000 cost per construction, minimum $75.00
Commercial Rate: $11 / $1000 cost per construction, minimum $150.00

Examples are: Siding, replacement windows, reroofing in Historic District, pools, sheds, buried tank removal or installation, temporary structures, pad mounted generators, and Changes in Use with no construction.

 

Demolition Permits:

$75.00 for structures up to 2,000 SF floor area

$10.00 per $1,000 of demolition cost for structures over 2,000 SF

 

GENERAL RENOVATIONS 

(See IBC Section 105.1 & IRC Section R105.1)

Residential Rate: 1 & 2 Family detached and individual units within a townhouse structure(Assumes townhouse is already constructed.)

$8.00 per $1,000 of renovation cost

Commercial Rate: All other Use Groups.

$11.00 per $1,000 of renovation cost

If, in the opinion of the Building official, the type of residential renovation or repair does not lend itself to a square footage calculation, then the permit fee shall be based on $8.00 per $1,000 of renovation cost. If there is a fee difference between the square foot rate and the construction cost rate, the rate yielding the larger amount shall be assessed.

If, in the opinion of the Building official, the type of commercial renovation or repair does not lend itself to a square footage calculation, then the permit fee shall be based on $11.00 per $1,000 of renovation cost. If there is a fee difference between the square foot rate and the construction cost rate, the rate yielding the larger amount shall be assessed.

When determining construction costs, the building permit fee shall be based on all contract costs associated with the total construction project. Such costs shall include, but not be limited to: foundations, structural and nonstructural framing, interior finish (as regulated by this code), and any other work (exclusive of trade work mentioned elsewhere in this code) which would render the building complete and ready for occupancy. Contract costs are based on material and labor as agreed to between the contractor and owner. The permit holder shall certify the accuracy of contract costs to the Inspection Department. Separate permits shall be issued for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas piping and fire protection systems as outlined elsewhere in this code. For non-contract renovation work, such as when a homeowner furnishes his own, or has furnished free labor, but purchases the materials, the fee shall be based on the actual cost of all material with a multiplier of two (2) applied. Example: total materials of $10,000; ($10,000 x 2 = $20,000). The permit fee would therefore be $160.00 or (20 x $8).

 

  • Fire Sprinkler/Suppression: $50 application fee + $.05 per gross square foot of protected area

  • Fire Alarm: $50 application fee + $.05 per gross square foot of protected area

  • COMMERCIAL KITCHEN HOOD AND DUCT FIRE-EXTINGUISHING SYSTEMS

    • $150.00 per system, with $150 re-inspection fee if system fails ANY test.

 

SIGN PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE

Minimum fee: $50.00

Special Event Sign: $35.00 per single event

Fee per square foot of sign area (Permanent or Temporary): $1.00

 

ELECTRICAL PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE

Minimum Electric Commercial Permit Fee$100.00

Minimum Electric Residential Permit Fee: $75.00

All fees shall be rounded up to the nearest $5.00

 

Residential Rates: One & Two Family detached; and Townhouses structures.

Per Fixture Method:

Service Equipment: (Includes new, replacement, temporary, and each service disconnecting device.)

Single Phase: up to & including 100 Amps. $25.00

101 to 200 Amps. $50.00

201 to 400 Amps. $70.00

Meters (each) $15.00

Lighting Fixtures, Power Utilization Equipment & Outlets: Includes lighting fixtures or outlets for lighting devices, outlets (including GFCI's), ranges, heating devices, air handlers, motor operated units of any type, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and other equipment or device not accounted for elsewhere:

Devise $1.00 ea.

Pad Mounted Generators:

12 KW or less $75.00

13 KW to 20 KW $125.00

21 KW and above $175.00

Manual Gen. Set Transfer (add to gen. set) $10.00

Automatic Gen. Set Transfer (add to gen. set) $25.00

 

Commercial Rate (All other Use Groups)
 

Based on TOTAL Contract Cost: 
(Includes ALL equipment being installed including equipment provided "by others".)
(Rate per Thousand Dollars of Contract Cost)
(Sliding Scale Method) 

 

  • First $5000.00 of electrical construction cost from $0.01 to $5,000.00. $25.00 / $1000
  • Next $5000.00 of electrical construction cost from $5,000.01 to $10,000.00. $20.00 / $1000
  • Next $5000.00 of electrical construction cost from $10,000.01 to $15,000.00. $15.00 / $1000
  • Each $1000.00 of electrical construction cost from $15,000.01 & over.  $10.00 /$1000

Example: $50,000 Contract

1st $5,000 =  5 x $25 =         $125
2nd $5,000 = 5 x $20 =        $100
3rd $5,000 =  5 x $15 =          $75
Each $1,000 remaining = 35 x $10 $350
         Total Fee =           $650


Flat Fees

Required Plan Review Fee: $50.00 
(Per contractor and for each revision of plans)

Special Inspection Fee: $60.00 per hour

Emergency Inspection Fee: $60.00 per hour

Re-inspection Fee: $100.00 per inspection
(See IBC Section 109.7 & IRC Section R109.5)

WORK COMMENCING BEFORE PERMIT ISSUANCE

(See IBC Section 108.4 & IRC Section R108.4)
Any person who is found to have done electrical work without the required permit shall, upon issuance of said permit, be assessed a fee of 200% of the regular permit fee or $300 whichever is greater. If the regular fee is over $300, the permit fee shall be the regular fee plus $300.

WORK REQUIRING MULTIPLE RE-INSPECTIONS
(See IBC Section 109.7 & IRC Section R109.5)

$100.00 per re-inspection 

 

PLUMBING / MECHANICAL / GAS FEE SCHEDULE 

Minimum Commercial Plumbing, Mechanical and Gas Permit Fee: $100.00

Minimum Residential Plumbing, Mechanical and Gas Permit Fee: $75.00

All fees shall be rounded up to the nearest $5.00 

 

Residential rate:

1 & 2 Family Detached and individual units within an R-3, multiple single-family dwelling building.

Fee per plumbing fixture (plumbing or mechanical) $5.00 ea
Water distribution piping (per dwelling): $30.00 ea
Waste and vent piping (per dwelling): $30.00 ea
Septic System (per dwelling): $30.00 ea
Gas distribution piping (per gas meter): $30.00 ea
Heating & cooling equipment: (Boiler, furnace, fireplace inserts/logs, air handlers, etc.) $20.00 ea
Fee per gas appliance (Range/oven, dryer, wtr. htr., etc) $5.00 ea
Air distribution system (per register) $5.00 ea

Commercial rate:

(All other Use Groups)

Based on TOTAL Contract Cost:
(Includes ALL equipment being installed including equipment provided "by others".)

(Rate per Thousand Dollars of Contract Cost)
(Sliding Scale Method)

  • First $5000.00 of system construction cost from $0.01 to $5,000.00. $25.00 / $1000
  • Next $5000.00 of system construction cost from $5,000.01 to $10,000.00. $20.00 / $1000
  • Next $5000.00 of system construction cost from $10,000.01 to $15,000.00. $15.00 / $1000
  • Each $1000.00 of system construction cost from $15,000.01 & over. $10.00 / $1000

Example: $50,000 Contract (Plumbing or Mechanical)

1st $5,000 = 5 x $25 = $125
2nd $5,000 = 5 x $20 = $100
3rd $5,000 = 5 x $15 = $75
Each $1,000 remaining = 35 x $10 $350
Total Fee = $650

Flat Fees

Required Plan Review Fee: $50.00 plumbing
(Per contractor and for each revision of plans) $50.00 mechanical

Special Inspection Fee: $60.00 per hour

Emergency Inspection Fee: $60.00 per hour

Re-inspection Fee: $100.00 per inspection
(See IPC Section 107.1.2.4 & IMC Section 107.6)


Work Commencing Before Plumbing or Mechanical Permit Issuance 
(See IPC Section 108.8 & IMC 106.5.1)
Any person who is found to have done plumbing or mechanical work without the required permits shall, upon issuance of said permit(s), be assessed a fee of 200% of the regular permit fee or $300 whichever is greater. If the regular fee is over $300, the permit fee shall be the regular fee plus $300.

WORK REQUIRING MULTIPLE RE-INSPECTIONS
(See IBC Section 109.7 & IRC Section R109.5)

$100.00 per re-inspection

 

SEPTIC SYSTEM INSTALLATION / MODIFICATION FEE SCHEDULE

Minimum Permit Fee: $75.00

$30 per dwelling unit

All fees shall be rounded up to the nearest $5.00  



Updated 18 OCT 23