Fontana, California Building Permit Cost Calculator
Estimates permit cost in Fontana from the city's own published fee schedule — not a national average. Every figure is computed from a rule quoted verbatim from that document, and rules that cannot be computed honestly are shown as the published text instead of a number.
217 jurisdictions with fee schedules on file
Total cost of work, labor and materials
Used by cities that price per square foot
Fences and retaining walls
Electrical permits priced by the ampere
Building Permit
These lines are alternatives, not a running bill. Pick the one that describes your project and any percentage-based add-ons will be calculated from it.
○Building permit issuance fee, each permit Flat fee $169.00 | $169.00 |
○Building plan check issuance fee, each permit Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
○Plan check with no fee specifically indicated, per hour, 1 hr minimum Flat fee $130.00 | $130.00 |
○Inspection with no fee specifically indicated, per hour, 1 hr minimum Flat fee $105.00 | $105.00 |
○Residential rehab, each building - permit Flat fee $355.00 | $355.00 |
○Tract homes of single family dwellings, per lot - plan check Flat fee $130.00 | $130.00 |
○Re-roof residential, first 1,000 sq ft - permit Flat fee $210.00 | $210.00 |
How this jurisdiction calculates the fee
Fontana charges a permit fee and a separate plan check fee for each item of work, both drawn off a flat per-item schedule rather than a single valuation table, and adds a per-permit issuance fee to each of the plan check and permit sides. SUPERSESSION 2026-09-10, AND THE OPEN QUESTION THIS ROW CARRIED IS NOW ANSWERED: the row previously quoted the 'Current Fee/Charge' column of the May 2025 Comprehensive User Fee Study and warned that higher 'Suggested Fee' amounts were going to a City Council public hearing on July 22, 2025. That study document still returns HTTP 200, but the city now publishes an adopted Listing of City Fees, Charges and Rates AS OF JANUARY 1, 2026, and the higher amounts are in force. The building permit issuance fee went from $46.00 to $169.00, the plan check issuance fee from $45.00 to $71.00, residential rehab per building from $220.00 to $355.00, the tract-homes-per-lot plan check from $75.00 to $130.00, the catch-all plan check hourly rate from $75.00 to $130.00 and the catch-all inspection hourly rate from $60.00 to $105.00. Fontana still publishes no new-construction valuation table; work with no named line item falls to the catch-all hourly rates, one hour minimum. State and local add-ons (SMIP, CalGreen/SB 1473) are not itemized in this listing and are collected separately.
Source: published fee schedule · Verified 10/5/2026
Deck Permit
These lines are alternatives, not a running bill. Pick the one that describes your project and any percentage-based add-ons will be calculated from it.
○Deck/balcony residential, up to 300 sq ft - permit Flat fee $335.00 | $335.00 |
○Deck/balcony residential, up to 300 sq ft - plan check Flat fee $39.00 | $39.00 |
○Deck/balcony residential, 301+ sq ft - permit Flat fee $335.00 | $335.00 |
○Deck/balcony residential, 301+ sq ft - plan check Flat fee $39.00 | $39.00 |
○Patio cover residential, first 500 sq ft - permit (item 1595) Flat fee $315.00 | $315.00 |
○Patio cover residential, up to 500 sq ft - plan check (item 1547) Flat fee $65.00 | $65.00 |
○Building permit issuance fee, each permit Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
How this jurisdiction calculates the fee
SUPERSEDED 2026-09-12: figures previously stored were the "Current Fee/Charge" column of the May 2025 Comprehensive User Fee Study. The City Council adopted the study's recommended amounts, and the City of Fontana "Listing of City Fees, Charges & Rates as of January 1, 2026" (fee items 1547-1549, 1595-1597, plus the unnumbered Deck/Balcony lines) now states them as fees in force ("fees, rates and charges as adopted by the City Council"). Decks and balconies remain flat-fee items split into two size bands (up to 300 sq ft and 301+ sq ft), with a separate permit fee and plan check fee for each band and the per-permit issuance fee added on each side; under the adopted schedule both deck bands carry the same $335 permit and the same $39 plan check. Patio covers keep their own three-band schedule.
Source: published fee schedule · Verified 10/7/2026
Electrical Permit
These lines are alternatives, not a running bill. Pick the one that describes your project and any percentage-based add-ons will be calculated from it.
○Electrical permit issuance fee, each permit (item 1388) Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
○Receptacle, switch and light outlets, first 20 - permit (item 1399) Flat fee $131.00 | $131.00 |
○Receptacle, switch and light outlets, each additional - permit (item 1400) Flat fee $8.00 | $8.00 |
○Temporary power service, power pole or pedestal, each - permit (item 1396) Flat fee $78.00 | $78.00 |
○Residential appliance or receptacle outlet, each - permit (item 1405) Flat fee $26.00 | $26.00 |
○Services 600 volts or less, not over 200 amps, each - permit (item 1413) Flat fee $105.00 | $105.00 |
○Electrical re-inspection, 1 hour minimum (item 1426) Flat fee $105.00 | $105.00 |
○Electrical plan check issuance fee, each permit (item 1350) Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
How this jurisdiction calculates the fee
SUPERSEDED 2026-09-12: previously stored figures were the "Current Fee/Charge" column of the May 2025 Comprehensive User Fee Study; the City of Fontana "Listing of City Fees, Charges & Rates as of January 1, 2026" (fee items 1350-1371 plan check, 1388-1426 permit) now states the study's recommended amounts as adopted fees. Electrical remains a per-unit trade permit: a flat issuance fee for each permit plus per-item charges for services and panels, temporary power, outlet/switch/lighting groups (first 20 then each additional), residential appliances, and power apparatus banded by horsepower, with a parallel electrical plan check schedule using the same structure at lower rates.
Source: published fee schedule · Verified 10/7/2026
Fence Permit
These lines are alternatives, not a running bill. Pick the one that describes your project and any percentage-based add-ons will be calculated from it.
○Fencing not over 6 ft, first 25 linear feet - permit (item 1520) Flat fee $105.00 | $105.00 |
○Fencing, each additional 50 linear feet - permit (item 1521) Flat fee $26.00 | $26.00 |
○Fencing wood not over 6 ft - plan check (item 1502) Flat fee $65.00 | $65.00 |
○Fencing chain link not over 6 ft - plan check (item 1503) Flat fee $65.00 | $65.00 |
○Fencing other material not over 6 ft - plan check (item 1504) Flat fee $130.00 | $130.00 |
○Engineered fencing - plan check (item 1505) Flat fee $260.00 | $260.00 |
○Fencing permit issuance fee, each permit (item 1519) Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
○Fencing plan check issuance fee, each permit (item 1501) Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
How this jurisdiction calculates the fee
SUPERSEDED 2026-09-12: previously stored figures were the "Current Fee/Charge" column of the May 2025 Comprehensive User Fee Study; the City of Fontana "Listing of City Fees, Charges & Rates as of January 1, 2026" (fee items 1501-1505 plan check, 1519-1521 permit) now states the study's recommended amounts as adopted fees. Fencing remains its own fee category with a separate permit fee and plan check fee, priced by linear foot bands with a per-permit issuance fee on each side. The permit fee covers the first 25 linear feet and then steps up per additional 50 linear feet; the plan check fee is a flat charge that varies by fence material and jumps sharply for engineered fencing. Under the adopted schedule wood and chain link now carry the same $65 plan check as "other material" did before.
Source: published fee schedule · Verified 10/7/2026
Reroof Permit
These lines are alternatives, not a running bill. Pick the one that describes your project and any percentage-based add-ons will be calculated from it.
○Re-roof residential, first 1,000 sq ft - permit (item 1586) Flat fee $210.00 | $210.00 |
○Re-roof residential, up to 1,000 sq ft - plan check (item 1538) Flat fee $130.00 | $130.00 |
○Re-roof residential, 1,001-3,000 sq ft - permit (item 1587) Flat fee $262.00 | $262.00 |
○Re-roof residential, 3,001+ sq ft - permit (item 1588) Flat fee $315.00 | $315.00 |
○Re-roof commercial/industrial, first 5,000 sq ft - permit (item 1589) Flat fee $420.00 | $420.00 |
○Building permit issuance fee, each permit Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
How this jurisdiction calculates the fee
SUPERSEDED 2026-09-12: previously stored figures were the "Current Fee/Charge" column of the May 2025 Comprehensive User Fee Study; the City of Fontana "Listing of City Fees, Charges & Rates as of January 1, 2026" (fee items 1538-1546 plan check, 1586-1594 permit) now states the study's recommended amounts as adopted fees. Reroofs are priced as a flat permit fee plus a flat plan check fee, both banded by roof area and split residential versus commercial, covering composition/built-up, concrete or clay tile and metal systems. A per-permit issuance fee is added on each side.
Source: published fee schedule · Verified 10/7/2026
Retaining Wall Permit
These lines are alternatives, not a running bill. Pick the one that describes your project and any percentage-based add-ons will be calculated from it.
○City standard retaining wall, first 25 linear feet - permit (item 1529) Flat fee $210.00 | $210.00 |
○City standard retaining wall, each additional 50 linear feet - permit (item 1530) Flat fee $52.00 | $52.00 |
○City standard retaining wall - plan check (item 1510) Flat fee $65.00 | $65.00 |
○Engineered retaining wall - plan check (item 1511) Flat fee $260.00 | $260.00 |
○Engineered retaining wall up to 500 sq ft - permit (item 1531) Flat fee $210.00 | $210.00 |
○Engineered retaining wall, each additional 100 sq ft - permit (item 1532) Flat fee $26.00 | $26.00 |
○City standard garden masonry block wall, first 25 linear feet - permit (item 1523) Flat fee $210.00 | $210.00 |
○Wall permit issuance fee, each permit Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
How this jurisdiction calculates the fee
SUPERSEDED 2026-09-12: previously stored figures were the "Current Fee/Charge" column of the May 2025 Comprehensive User Fee Study; the City of Fontana "Listing of City Fees, Charges & Rates as of January 1, 2026" (fee items 1507-1513 plan check, 1523-1536 permit) now states the study's recommended amounts as adopted fees. Retaining walls remain flat-fee, with the permit priced by linear foot for city-standard designs (first 25 lf, then per additional 50 lf) and by wall area for engineered designs (up to 500 sq ft, then per additional 100 sq ft). Plan check is a separate flat fee depending only on whether the wall is city-standard or engineered. Combination retaining/garden walls are priced identically. A per-permit issuance fee applies on each of the permit and plan check sides.
Source: published fee schedule · Verified 10/7/2026
Shed Permit
These lines are alternatives, not a running bill. Pick the one that describes your project and any percentage-based add-ons will be calculated from it.
○Storage shed residential, first 300 sq ft - permit (item 1606) Flat fee $368.00 | $368.00 |
○Storage shed residential, up to 300 sq ft - plan check (item 1558) Flat fee $65.00 | $65.00 |
○Storage shed residential, 301-600 sq ft - permit (item 1607) Flat fee $420.00 | $420.00 |
○Storage shed residential, 301-600 sq ft - plan check (item 1559) Flat fee $130.00 | $130.00 |
○Storage shed residential, 601+ sq ft - permit (item 1608) Flat fee $473.00 | $473.00 |
○Storage shed residential, over 600 sq ft - plan check (item 1560) Flat fee $195.00 | $195.00 |
○Building permit issuance fee, each permit Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
How this jurisdiction calculates the fee
SUPERSEDED 2026-09-12: previously stored figures were the "Current Fee/Charge" column of the May 2025 Comprehensive User Fee Study; the City of Fontana "Listing of City Fees, Charges & Rates as of January 1, 2026" (fee items 1558-1560 plan check, 1606-1608 permit) now states the study's recommended amounts as adopted fees. Residential storage sheds remain flat-fee by floor-area band, with a permit fee and a matching plan check fee in each band plus the per-permit issuance fees. There is no valuation or per-square-foot math.
Source: published fee schedule · Verified 10/7/2026
Water Heater Permit
These lines are alternatives, not a running bill. Pick the one that describes your project and any percentage-based add-ons will be calculated from it.
○Water heater including vent, each - permit (item 1292) Flat fee $52.00 | $52.00 |
○Water heater including vent, each - plan check (item 1267) Flat fee $32.00 | $32.00 |
○Plumbing permit issuance fee, each permit (item 1281) Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
○Plumbing plan check issuance fee, each permit (item 1258) Flat fee $71.00 | $71.00 |
○Installation, alteration or repair of water piping or water-treating equipment - permit (item 1291) Flat fee $210.00 | $210.00 |
○Plumbing re-inspection, 1 hour minimum (item 1304) Flat fee $105.00 | $105.00 |
How this jurisdiction calculates the fee
SUPERSEDED 2026-09-12: previously stored figures were the "Current Fee/Charge" column of the May 2025 Comprehensive User Fee Study; the City of Fontana "Listing of City Fees, Charges & Rates as of January 1, 2026" (fee items 1258-1267 plan check, 1281-1292 permit) now states the study's recommended amounts as adopted fees. A water heater remains a per-item plumbing permit: a flat plumbing permit issuance fee for the permit itself, plus a per-unit charge for the water heater and vent, with a matching plumbing plan check issuance fee and per-unit plan check charge. Water piping or water-treating equipment alteration is charged as its own item.
Source: published fee schedule · Verified 10/7/2026
See the full write-up: Fontana building permit cost
Estimate only.Fee schedules change, and building departments set the final valuation and decide which fees apply to your scope. Confirm with the jurisdiction before budgeting. Lines marked “see rule” could not be computed from the published wording and are shown verbatim rather than guessed.