Frequently asked questions

PermitEstimator.com is an independent project, not a government agency. We do not issue permits. The answers below explain how permit fees generally work and how our estimators produce their numbers.

Is this the city's official website?

No. PermitEstimator.com is an independent project operated by Perfect Option MBC, LLC. We are not affiliated with any city. We publish estimators built from each city's own fee schedule so you can plan, but the official word on your permit always comes from your city's development or permitting office.

How accurate are the estimates?

The calculators run each city's published fee tables exactly, so the base number they produce is the number the table produces for the project you describe. What a calculator cannot see are project-specific items the city adds at review, such as impact fees tied to your lot, utility tap fees, or corrections required for your plans. Treat the estimate as a solid, sourced planning number, and confirm the final total with the city when you apply.

How do cities calculate building permit fees?

Most cities use one of three methods: tiered square-footage brackets, where the per-foot rate steps down as the project grows; project valuation, where the fee is a percentage of the declared job value in tiers; or flat fees for small standard jobs like water heater swaps. On top of the base fee, many cities add plan review, application, technology, and trade permit charges.

Why do permit fees vary so much from city to city?

Because every city council sets its own schedule by ordinance. One city prices a new home by square footage, the next by valuation, and the add-on fees differ everywhere. Fees also fund different things in different places: inspections, plan review staff, and sometimes road and utility capacity. There is no honest national average, which is why we build one estimator per city.

Do I need a permit for my project?

It depends on the city and the work. As a rule of thumb, structural changes and anything touching electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems need a permit, while purely cosmetic updates, paint, flooring, cabinets, usually do not. Fences, sheds, decks, and pools have size and height thresholds that vary by city. Each city estimator on this network includes a plain-English guide to what triggers a permit there, and your city's development office is the final authority.

What is the difference between a building permit fee and trade permit fees?

The building permit covers the structure itself. Work on the systems inside it, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical (HVAC), is usually permitted and priced separately, either as its own trade permit or as line items on the main application. A kitchen remodel, for example, often carries a remodel fee plus per-trade charges. The city estimators break these pieces out so you can see them.

What is a plan review fee?

Before a city issues a permit, staff check your drawings against the building code. Many cities charge for that review separately from the permit itself, commonly as a stated fee or a percentage of the building permit fee. If your plans are rejected and resubmitted, some cities charge a resubmittal fee as well. It is worth submitting complete, code-aware plans the first time.

What are impact fees?

Impact fees are one-time charges some cities and districts levy on new construction to offset the cost of the roads, water, sewer, and drainage capacity the new building will use. They are usually set by the area or district, not by project size alone, so two identical houses in different parts of the same city can owe different impact fees. They are the most common reason an estimate and a final bill differ.

Can I just build without a permit?

You can, but it is a bad trade. Unpermitted work can draw fines and stop-work orders, must often be torn open for inspection or removed, complicates insurance claims if something goes wrong, and surfaces painfully when you sell, because buyers, lenders, and title companies all ask about permits. The permit fee is almost always the cheapest part of doing the project legally.

How much does a permit cost for a typical new home?

It depends entirely on the city and the size of the home. In Fort Worth, under the city's current published schedule (Ordinance 26-28781), the estimator produces $1,171 for a 2,000 square foot home, $1,327 at 2,400 square feet, and $1,551 at 3,000 square feet, before any project-specific add-ons. Your city's numbers will differ. Pick your city on the home page and run your actual project.

Why does the fee not scale in a straight line with project size?

Because most schedules are tiered. The first block of square footage or valuation is priced at the highest rate, and each block after it is priced lower. A house 50 percent larger does not cost 50 percent more to review and inspect, and the tables reflect that. This is also why per-foot rules of thumb mislead: the blended rate changes with every bracket you cross.

Is it really free? Do I need an account?

Yes, it is free, and there are no accounts, sign-ups, or paywalls. The calculators run entirely in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent to us or stored. The site is supported by advertising.

Where do the numbers come from?

From the cities themselves. Each estimator is encoded from the city's published fee schedule or ordinance, and each city page names its source and the date we last verified it. Cities amend their schedules, so we re-check them, and if you spot a number that does not match your city's current table, email us at bryn@yourperfectoption@gmail.com and we will verify and fix it.

My city is not listed. What should I do?

Start with your city's development services website: find its published fee schedule, identify which pricing method it uses (square-footage brackets, valuation tiers, or flat fees), and work the table for your project size, then add the plan review and trade charges the schedule lists. Then tell us which city to build next; we prioritize by demand.