Sacramento, California Building Permit Cost Calculator

Residential building permit and plan review fees are based on the calculated valuation for the structure, with valuation determined by the Building Official from either the ICC valuation tables or the contract value, whichever is higher. Specific minor scopes are charged at a set cost instead, and several valuation-based charges and taxes are collected in addition to the permit fee.

A deck needs a building permit unless it is no bigger than 200 square feet, sits no higher than 30 inches off the ground at any point, stands free of the dwelling rather than attached to it, and does not serve the required exit door. Property in a design review or preservation district, or a historic landmark, loses that exemption. No flat deck amount is published. Permit and plan review charges come from the residential valuation schedule, with valuation set by the building official from the ICC valuation tables or the contract value, whichever is greater, and the valuation-based taxes and surcharges are added on top. Amounts are from form CDD-0245 as revised July 12, 2026.

Residential electrical work such as main and sub service panels, rewiring, whole-house fans, ceiling fans and new circuits is handled as a minor permit, meaning no construction plans are filed and code compliance is checked in the field. A minor permit covering a single trade costs $105, while one spanning several trades reverts to the valuation-based schedule. A new circuit for an electric vehicle charger must instead go through plan review. General plan, green building and technology charges apply, and the city business operations tax is added when a licensed contractor holds the permit. Amounts are from form CDD-0245 as revised July 12, 2026. The city separately advertises an average total cost of $95.00 for a panel change-out, for adding or repairing a circuit, and for a rewire, which is lower than the $105 single-trade fee in the adopted schedule; both figures are reproduced as published. | 2026-09-14 (lane B run 1131) HELD UNSTAMPED, SAME SOURCING GAP AS THE water_heater AND reroof ROWS. Nine figures were confirmed verbatim in CDD-0245 (Revised 07-12-2026). THREE examples - electrical panel change-out or replacement, electrical circuit added or repaired, and re-wire whole or partial dwelling, each given as an "advertised average total" of $95.00 - appear in NO cited Sacramento document. The citable figure for a single-trade minor permit is $105. Nothing was changed and verified_at was not advanced. SYSTEMIC ITEM FOR A HUMAN: four Sacramento rows (water_heater, reroof, electrical, and the $95/$225 class generally) carry "advertised average total" figures with no published source. Either locate the city page that publishes average permit totals and record it, or drop these examples and leave the rows on the citable CDD-0245 schedule.

A fence needs a building permit once it rises above 7 feet, and every fence whatever its height needs Planning Division approval under chapter 17.620 of the city code. Property in a design review or preservation district, or a historic landmark, loses the exemption. No flat fence amount is published. Permit and plan review charges come from the residential valuation schedule, with valuation set by the building official from the ICC valuation tables or the contract value, whichever is greater, and the valuation-based taxes and surcharges are added on top. Amounts are from form CDD-0245 as revised July 12, 2026.

Re-roofing is handled as a minor permit, so no construction plans are filed and compliance is checked in the field; both contractors and homeowners may pull one online. The adopted schedule prices heating and cooling work and re-roofing together at $175. General plan, green building, technology and strong motion charges apply, and the city business operations tax is added when a licensed contractor holds the permit. Amounts are from form CDD-0245 as revised July 12, 2026. The city separately advertises an average total cost of $225.00 for a re-roof, which reflects the permit fee together with those add-ons. | 2026-09-14 (lane B run 1131) HELD UNSTAMPED, SAME SOURCING GAP AS THE water_heater AND electrical ROWS. Eleven figures were confirmed verbatim in CDD-0245 Fees and Charges on Residential Building Permits (Revised 07-12-2026). The twelfth, "Re-roof, advertised average total = $225.00", is in NEITHER cited document: CDD-0304 Re-roof Permits and Certificate of Compliance with the CA Energy Code was downloaded and read in full and contains no $225 figure, and CDD-0245 contains none either. The citable line for a re-roof is "HVAC and Re-roof - $175". The stored $225.00 was NOT changed because no reachable Sacramento document states a replacement. verified_at deliberately not advanced.

A retaining wall needs a building permit unless it rises no more than 4 feet, gauged from the underside of the footing up to the wall's crest, and carries no surcharge. Property in a design review or preservation district, or a historic landmark, loses the exemption. No flat retaining wall amount is published. Permit and plan review charges come from the residential valuation schedule, with valuation set by the building official from the ICC valuation tables or the contract value, whichever is greater, and the valuation-based taxes and surcharges are added on top. Amounts are from form CDD-0245 as revised July 12, 2026.

A detached, single-storey accessory building needs a building permit once its floor area passes 120 square feet. Property in a design review or preservation district, or a historic landmark, loses that exemption. No flat shed amount is published. Permit and plan review charges come from the residential valuation schedule, and where no contract value is offered the city values garage and storage space at $69.64 per square foot. Valuation-based taxes and surcharges are added on top. Amounts are from form CDD-0245 as revised July 12, 2026.

Installing or replacing a water heater is handled as a minor permit for homes and businesses alike, so no construction plans are filed and code compliance is checked in the field; a contractor or a homeowner may pull one online. A minor permit covering a single trade costs $105. General plan, green building and technology charges apply, and the city business operations tax is added when a licensed contractor holds the permit. Amounts are from form CDD-0245 as revised July 12, 2026. The city separately advertises an average total cost of $95.00 for a non-solar water heater, which is lower than the $105 single-trade fee in the adopted schedule; both figures are reproduced as published. | 2026-09-14 (lane B run 1131) HELD UNSTAMPED, ONE SOURCING GAP. Eleven of the twelve figures were confirmed verbatim in the cited CDD-0245 Fees and Charges on Residential Building Permits (Revised 07-12-2026): Minor Permits one trade $105, HVAC and Re-roof $175, construction excise tax valuation x 0.008, strong motion fee valuation x 0.00013 (min $0.50), business operations tax valuation x 0.0004 (max $5,000 per year), green building fee $1 per $25,000 (min $1), general plan fee $2.60 per $1,000, technology surcharge 10% of Permit and Plan Review Fee, reinspection fee $216 minimum, residential permit refund service charge $216.00. The TWELFTH figure, "Water heater (non-solar) new installation, replacement or move, advertised average total = $95.00", appears in NEITHER cited document: the Required Building Permits page lists water heaters only as work requiring a permit and prints no amount, and CDD-0245 contains no $95 figure anywhere. The citable figure for a one-trade minor permit is $105, so the stored $95 may be stale - but it was NOT changed, because no reachable Sacramento document states a replacement. verified_at deliberately not advanced. NEEDED: locate the city page that publishes average permit totals, or re-base this example on the $105 minor-permit line.