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HOW BUILDING PERMIT FEES ARE USED
When you obtain a building permit, certain fees will be charged to cover the
cost of:
- Plan checking in the office;
- Field inspections before and during construction; and
- Service and capital improvements in your neighborhood and the surrounding
area.
THE APPLICATION FEE
When your building plans are accepted at the counter, you must pay
application fees as follows:
- Zoning Plan-Check:
A graduated fee is charged for each project, according to size. This covers
the time staff spend in checking your project against the applicable Zoning
regulations, such as land use, setbacks, and height; and for referencing General
Plan maps detailing environmental concerns, such as stream beds, flood plains,
rare and endangered plants or animals, and potential hazards from earthquakes or
wildfires
- Erosion-Control Preliminary Site Inspection:
This fee depends on the type of structure and whether the area is rural or
urban. It covers a field visit to find out whether any geologic hazards or
environmental constraints exist. For some minor projects, this inspection is not
required
- Building Plan Check:
This fee covers the time spent in examining your plans in order to see that
they comply with the Uniform Building, Plumbing, Electrical, and Mechanical
Codes, and with energy-conservation requirements.
The Building Counter staff person will estimate the square footage of each type
of new residential construction, such as heated living areas, garages, storage
rooms, and decks. This figure will be used to determine the Building Plan Check
fee deposit
- Building Permit Processing:
This fee covers the time spent processing the building permit application, including routing the seven sets of plans
to the review agencies, communicationg the results of the first routing to you, calculating fees, and consolidating
the finished plans into two identical plan sets: the job copy and the office copy.
- Public Works - Drainage:
A graduated fee is charged depending on the size of your project. This
covers time staff spend in checking your plans for any drainage impacts and
determining any mitigation measures that may be required. Staff also calculate
the amount of new impervious areas created by the construction which will
increase storm water runoff.
- Public Works - Road Engineering Review:
This fee will be charged on any new residential unit and for any new bedroom
additions. Review of your project may result in the requirement that you
dedicate a strip of land along your street to the County for future road
widening improvements or future utility easements.
- County Fire Plan Check:
This fee varies depending upon whether your construction requires sprinklers
to be installed. Sprinkler requirements are based on the type of construction
and the occupancy of the building.
AFTER YOU HAVE PAID THE APPLICATION FEE
Your plans will be routed to all required reviewers concurrently. If you decide
to withdraw your application at any point, you may be able to get a refund of
any remaining part of the fee that has not been used. However, once the
plan-checking and the site inspection have been done, no refund can be made.
TOTAL BUILDING PERMIT FEES
When your building plans have been approved by all the agencies involved, the
remaining fees will be calculated. The various types of remaining fees are
described below. For specific current amounts, contact the Building Counter
- Building Permit Fee:
This fee comes from a table in the Uniform Building
Code and is based on the total evaluation of the structure described under
"Building Plan Check".
- Building Training Fee:
A small fee to pay for state mandated training.
- Strong Motion:
The State of California charges a modest fee. These funds go
toward research on how to build structures that will withstand earthquake tremors.
- Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical Permits:
Modest fees are charged.
- Environmental Health Fee:
A clearance form from Environmental Health is
required at the time you submit your plans for review. If, after submittal, it
is found that your project requires further review, a clearance review fee will
be applied.
Public Works Fees:
- Drainage-control zones:
are designated in certain portions of the County:
Zone 5, Live Oak/Soquel; Zone 6, Aptos; and Zone 8, San Lorenzo Valley. If you
build in one of these zones, you will be charged a fee that goes toward
construction and maintenance of storm drains. The fee is based on the impervious
areas created by the construction.
- Sewer Connection:
This fee depends on the sanitation district in which you
are building and how many plumbing fixtures your structure will contain.
- Driveway Permit:
A fee is charged for any new house with access from a
County-maintained road, or for a new driveway to an existing house.
- Park Dedication Fees:
These fees are based on the number of new bedrooms. The
fund is used to purchase and develop land for parks in the area where the fee is
charged.
In the Aptos, Live Oak, Soquel and Pajaro Valley General Plan Areas:
- Roadside Improvement:
These fees go into a fund for improvements, such as curbs, gutters, sidewalks, or
street trees, that are most urgently needed in the area.
- Transportation Improvement:
These fees go into a fund for roadway and
intersection improvements, traffic signals, and turning lanes.
- In the urban services portion of the Carbonera General Plan Area:
Roadside Improvement:
This fee depends on whether curbs, gutters, or
sidewalks already exist along the property frontage. The fund is used for
roadside improvements that are most urgently needed in the area.
- Roadway Improvement:
This fee is based on the street designation:
"local", "collector", or "arterial", and the width
of existing pavement along the property frontage. The fund is used for future street paving and widening.
All other County Areas:
-
No roadside, roadway or transportation fees are charged.
- Child Care:
These fees go into a fund to provide for the maintenance and augmentation of
a child care system to help satisfy the needs generated by growth from new
development. These fees are charged per new bedroom.
Other Fees
- Schools:
This fee depends on the school district in which you are
building, and is based on the number of square feet of new residential
"conditioned space". The fund is used to purchase school buildings to
relieve overcrowding.
- Water Meter Connection:
In the Urban Services Area, you will need to pay to
obtain a "Proof of Water Service" form from your water district to
present when you pick up your building permit.
- Fire Marshal:
Fees are charged for assigning a new house number and
for giving a new name to a private street.
- Local Fire Protection Districts:
This fee depends on the fire
jurisdiction in which you are building. The fees are used to cover the cost of
review and inspections. In some jurisdictions, fees are charged by square
footage of new construction and the funds are used for the purchase of, or
improvement to, facilities and equipment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
This brochure describes the types of fees associated with building permits.
If your have questions about Building permit fees, please contact the Building Information Line.
For Zoning Plan-Check, Erosion-Control Site Inspection,
Service and Capital Improvement, and other fees, consult the printed fee schedules,
which are available at the Zoning Counter, or contact the Zoning Information Line. For
Public Works fees, call (831) 454-2160. |
