Beginning May 1, companies looking to build residential and commercial properties will be subject to new Harrisburg permit fees, which will elevate the city to industry standards.
The changes will affect residential buildings — single family homes or apartments encompassing no more than two units — and commercial properties, which include all other buildings.
Starting May 1, all residential application fees will cost $75, and all commercial applications will cost $100. This includes applications for building, plumbing, electrical, and low voltage work.
In addition, for every $1,000 spent on residential building material and labor, and every $1,000 spent on plumbing, there will be an extra $8.00 fee, plus an additional $4.50 application fee required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Ex: $1,000 in material and labor will cost a builder $87.50 to the city; $2,000 costs $95.50, and so on)
Residential electrical and low voltage work will cost the contractor $3 for every $1,000 spent, plus the $4.50 service fee. Zoning permit fees will remain at $3.00 across the board.
For commercial building and plumbing, the cost to the city will be $10 for every $1,000 spent, plus the $4.50 service fee, and $3 for every $1,000 spent on electric and low voltage work, plus the additional $4.50 state fee.
This decision is being made to make the permitting process more organized, said Bureau of Codes Director Anne Montgomery. In November, Harrisburg City Council approved the permitting fees to be elevated to industry standards. It is the first increase since 2013.
“We noticed the fees have not been adjusted in quite a while,” Deputy Codes Administrator Bruce Henry said to City Council in November. “The industry standards are that commercial rates are slightly higher than residential and we’re currently charging the same rate.”
Currently, the City of Harrisburg has a $25 application fee for all residential and commercial building permits, with an additional $50 cost for the first $1,000 spent on parts and labor, and $9.00 for every $1,000 spent thereafter. Electric, plumbing, and low voltage permits do not carry an application fee, but will under the new rules, effective May 1.
All applications can be picked up at the Bureau of Codes office, located on the 2nd floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. City Government Center, at 10 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg, Pa., or by visiting the Bureau of Codes website at https://harrisburgpa.gov/codes/.
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Contact: Matt Maisel, Communications Director
[email protected]
(717) 255-7295
