Garfield County commissioners on Monday approved the first increase in building permit fees in more than 20 years, raising the cost of permit fees for a single family home by about 34%.

 ”Our permit fees haven’t changed in over 20 years. All I’d like to do is just cover our budget,” John Plano, chief building official, told commissioners during a public work session on Dec. 10. “A lot of jurisdictions consider their building department a cash cow. That’s not what I’m trying to do here. We’re just trying to cover our costs.”

Building department expenses total $763,911, while projected 2025 revenue is $430,000 without any fee increases, according to Plano.

Currently, county building permit fees are calculated using $74.68 per square foot as the construction cost for a single-family residence — a figure set in 1997 that Plano described as “obviously very outdated” in a memo to commissioners first presented in September.

The community development department originally proposed increasing building permit fees by applying a .8 modifier, raising permit fees for a 3,000 foot single-family residence by about 58% to around $134 per square foot.

Commissioners Mike Samson and Tom Jankovsky did not approve the originally suggested increase during the September meeting, instead proposing a public work session before bringing the increases forward for further consideration. 

During the Dec. 10 work session, commissioners and the department settled on increasing permit fees by a .6 modifier, instead of .8, for 2025, raising permit fees from around $74 per square foot to around $100 per square foot. 

Based on 2024 “Building Valuation Data” from the International Code Council, the national average construction cost for a single-family residence is $167.37 per square foot. 

Costs in Garfield County are even higher, according to the county memorandum reviewed during the work session. The memo states that pricing for single family homes is approximately $250 per square foot for a modest home or $600-$800 for higher quality homes.

Other fees will also increase in 2025. Fees for inspections outside of regular business hours and additional plan reviews will double, rising from $50 an hour to $100 an hour. Reinspection fees remain at $50, but will double each time the fine is issued for the same infraction. A $400 re-roofing fee will be established for commercial buildings. 

Half of the permit and plan review fees will be waived for deed restricted units additional to the required units in the Land Use and Development Code, according to the updated building permit fee memorandum presented to commissioners Monday. 

The fee increases were approved by Samson and Jankovsky during the regular meeting on Monday. Commissioner John Martin, who was absent from the work session and September meeting, abstained from voting.