Fargo, North Dakota Building Permit Cost Calculator

Fargo charges the residential building permit fee for houses and duplexes on the total valuation of the work, under the schedule effective January 1, 2026. Valuation up to and including $1,000.00 carries a flat $50.00. From $1,001.00 through $100,000.00 the charge is $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction of that amount. Above $100,000.00 the charge is $600.44 for the first $100,000.00 plus $3.06 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction of that amount. Inspections outside normal business hours, reinspections, inspections carrying no listed fee, and extra plan review caused by revisions are each billed at $75.00 per hour, or the city's total hourly cost if that is greater. Outside consultants are billed at actual cost. Beginning work before the permit is issued doubles the fee on valuations up to $50,000, with a $200 minimum for a second offence inside 180 days and $100 for each later violation; the charge becomes 50 percent of the permit fee with a $550 minimum from $50,001 to $500,000, and 25 percent with a $2,000 minimum above $500,000. Re-verified 2026-09-14 from the Fargo Residential Building Permit Fees sheet, which heads "FARGO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT FEES (one- and two-family dwellings), Effective January 1, 2026" and is therefore the current calendar-year schedule. Confirmed on their own lines: $50.00 up to and including $1,000.00 total valuation; $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof to and including $100,000.00; $600.44 for the first $100,000.00 plus $3.06 for each additional $1,000.00; demolition $100.00 or $50.00 for buildings under 400 SF and buildings without utility services; house moving $300.00 or $50.00 on the same terms and $150.00 or $50.00 for moves within the extraterritorial area; Board of Appeals $150.00; inspections outside normal business hours with a two hour minimum, reinspections, inspections for which no fee is specifically indicated with a half hour minimum, and additional plan review from changes or revisions, each $75.00 per hour or the total hourly cost to the jurisdiction whichever is greater; and the work-begun-early penalties, permit fee doubled below $50,000 with a $200 minimum on a second offence within 180 days and $100 for each additional violation, 50 percent of the permit fee with a $550 minimum from $50,001 to $500,000, and 25 percent with a $2,000 minimum over $500,000. fee_source_url was set to this sheet on 2026-09-14 where it was previously null.

Fargo requires a building permit before a patio deck is built or replaced, and publishes no separate deck fee. A deck is charged under the residential building permit schedule effective January 1, 2026, which runs on the total valuation of the work and begins at $50.00 for valuations up to and including $1,000.00, then adds $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction of that amount through $100,000.00. The city states that the required inspections are part of the permit process and cost nothing beyond the permit fee. Beginning work before the permit is issued doubles the fee at these valuation levels. Re-verified 2026-09-14 from the Fargo Residential Building Permit Fees sheet, which heads "FARGO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT FEES (one- and two-family dwellings), Effective January 1, 2026" and is therefore the current calendar-year schedule. Confirmed on their own lines: $50.00 up to and including $1,000.00 total valuation; $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof to and including $100,000.00; $600.44 for the first $100,000.00 plus $3.06 for each additional $1,000.00; demolition $100.00 or $50.00 for buildings under 400 SF and buildings without utility services; house moving $300.00 or $50.00 on the same terms and $150.00 or $50.00 for moves within the extraterritorial area; Board of Appeals $150.00; inspections outside normal business hours with a two hour minimum, reinspections, inspections for which no fee is specifically indicated with a half hour minimum, and additional plan review from changes or revisions, each $75.00 per hour or the total hourly cost to the jurisdiction whichever is greater; and the work-begun-early penalties, permit fee doubled below $50,000 with a $200 minimum on a second offence within 180 days and $100 for each additional violation, 50 percent of the permit fee with a $550 minimum from $50,001 to $500,000, and 25 percent with a $2,000 minimum over $500,000. fee_source_url was set to this sheet on 2026-09-14 where it was previously null.

The City of Fargo publishes no electrical permit fee. Electrical work in Fargo is certified and inspected by the North Dakota State Electrical Board, which bills the owner or the supervising electrician directly. Fargo allows an owner to do the wiring only in a single family home that the owner both owns and lives in, and requires a self wire application, a schematic showing the circuitry and wire specifications, a rough in inspection before insulation, and a final inspection. The state inspection fee is set in North Dakota Administrative Code chapter 24.1-05-01 and is calculated on the total contract amount or total cost to the owner including extras. Appliances, heating and cooling units, motors and generators, and industrial machines are left out of that cost. An owner doing the wiring pays a minimum of $50.00. A late wiring certificate raises the normal inspection fee by $50.00, reinspections carry a $100.00 minimum, and services not otherwise listed are $50.00 per hour including travel time plus mileage. As published, the tier boundaries overlap at exactly $500.00, which appears in both the first and the second tier. Re-verified 2026-09-14 from North Dakota Administrative Code article 24.1-05-01 itself. Every stored figure was read on its own line: the minimum $50.00 inspection fee up to $500.00 job cost, $50.00 for the first $500.00 plus 2 percent on the balance up to $20,000.00, and $440.00 for the first $20,000.00 plus one tenth of one percent on the balance over $20,000.00; the twenty-five dollar charge for each lost paper wiring certificate; a late certificate increasing the normal inspection fee by fifty dollars; the fifty dollar minimum for property owners self-wiring; the one hundred dollar minimum reinspection charge; the fifty dollar administration charge where a correction order is not completed in time; and fifty dollars per hour including travel time plus mileage for inspections not otherwise covered. SUPERSESSION TRAP WORTH KEEPING, AND THIS ROW IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF IT: the chapter prints TWO fee tables one after the other, the schedule effective October 1, 2020 ($50.00 plus 1.25 percent, and $293.75 for the first $20,000.00) followed by the schedule effective July 1, 2024 ($50.00 plus 2 percent, and $440.00). A careless read takes the first table and understates every fee. This row stores the July 1, 2024 table, which is the operative one; the rule history for both sections reads "Effective April 1, 2017; amended effective January 1, 2018; October 1, 2020; July 1, 2024; July 1, 2026", so the text read this pass is the current version and the 2024 fee table survives the July 1, 2026 amendment unchanged. fee_source_url was set to the article PDF on 2026-09-14, replacing a null.

Fargo publishes no fence permit fee, and two official city sources disagree about when a fence needs a permit at all. The Inspections frequently asked questions page states that a permit is generally not needed unless the fence will be more than 6.5 feet tall. The Residential Fence Regulations handout, which carries the text of Land Development Code section 20-0403.B.6.c, states instead that a permit is required for any fence over 8.5 feet in height and that such a fence must also meet the building setbacks for the property. Both figures are reproduced here as published; the city has not reconciled them. Where a permit is required the fence is charged under the residential building permit schedule effective January 1, 2026 on the total valuation of the work, beginning at $50.00 for valuations up to and including $1,000.00. Re-verified 2026-09-14 from the Fargo Residential Building Permit Fees sheet, which heads "FARGO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT FEES (one- and two-family dwellings), Effective January 1, 2026" and is therefore the current calendar-year schedule. Confirmed on their own lines: $50.00 up to and including $1,000.00 total valuation; $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof to and including $100,000.00; $600.44 for the first $100,000.00 plus $3.06 for each additional $1,000.00; demolition $100.00 or $50.00 for buildings under 400 SF and buildings without utility services; house moving $300.00 or $50.00 on the same terms and $150.00 or $50.00 for moves within the extraterritorial area; Board of Appeals $150.00; inspections outside normal business hours with a two hour minimum, reinspections, inspections for which no fee is specifically indicated with a half hour minimum, and additional plan review from changes or revisions, each $75.00 per hour or the total hourly cost to the jurisdiction whichever is greater; and the work-begun-early penalties, permit fee doubled below $50,000 with a $200 minimum on a second offence within 180 days and $100 for each additional violation, 50 percent of the permit fee with a $550 minimum from $50,001 to $500,000, and 25 percent with a $2,000 minimum over $500,000. fee_source_url was set to this sheet on 2026-09-14 where it was previously null.

No permit is required in Fargo for replacing or covering shingles, so no fee is charged. The Inspections frequently asked questions page groups shingle replacement with painting and finish work as jobs the city does not permit. Siding is treated differently and does require a permit. Where a roofing job goes past shingle replacement and a building permit is needed, the residential building permit schedule effective January 1, 2026 governs and runs on the total valuation of the work, beginning at $50.00 for valuations up to and including $1,000.00 and adding $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction of that amount through $100,000.00. Re-verified 2026-09-14 from the Fargo Residential Building Permit Fees sheet, which heads "FARGO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT FEES (one- and two-family dwellings), Effective January 1, 2026" and is therefore the current calendar-year schedule. Confirmed on their own lines: $50.00 up to and including $1,000.00 total valuation; $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof to and including $100,000.00; $600.44 for the first $100,000.00 plus $3.06 for each additional $1,000.00; demolition $100.00 or $50.00 for buildings under 400 SF and buildings without utility services; house moving $300.00 or $50.00 on the same terms and $150.00 or $50.00 for moves within the extraterritorial area; Board of Appeals $150.00; inspections outside normal business hours with a two hour minimum, reinspections, inspections for which no fee is specifically indicated with a half hour minimum, and additional plan review from changes or revisions, each $75.00 per hour or the total hourly cost to the jurisdiction whichever is greater; and the work-begun-early penalties, permit fee doubled below $50,000 with a $200 minimum on a second offence within 180 days and $100 for each additional violation, 50 percent of the permit fee with a $550 minimum from $50,001 to $500,000, and 25 percent with a $2,000 minimum over $500,000. fee_source_url was set to this sheet on 2026-09-14 where it was previously null.

Fargo publishes no retaining wall permit fee and lists no retaining wall permit category. The Inspections frequently asked questions page does not address retaining walls, and the city permit portal offers no retaining wall application type. Where retaining wall work requires a building permit it is charged under the residential building permit schedule effective January 1, 2026 on the total valuation of the work, beginning at $50.00 for valuations up to and including $1,000.00, then $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction of that amount through $100,000.00, and $600.44 plus $3.06 per additional $1,000.00 above that. Re-verified 2026-09-14 from the Fargo Residential Building Permit Fees sheet, which heads "FARGO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT FEES (one- and two-family dwellings), Effective January 1, 2026" and is therefore the current calendar-year schedule. Confirmed on their own lines: $50.00 up to and including $1,000.00 total valuation; $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof to and including $100,000.00; $600.44 for the first $100,000.00 plus $3.06 for each additional $1,000.00; demolition $100.00 or $50.00 for buildings under 400 SF and buildings without utility services; house moving $300.00 or $50.00 on the same terms and $150.00 or $50.00 for moves within the extraterritorial area; Board of Appeals $150.00; inspections outside normal business hours with a two hour minimum, reinspections, inspections for which no fee is specifically indicated with a half hour minimum, and additional plan review from changes or revisions, each $75.00 per hour or the total hourly cost to the jurisdiction whichever is greater; and the work-begun-early penalties, permit fee doubled below $50,000 with a $200 minimum on a second offence within 180 days and $100 for each additional violation, 50 percent of the permit fee with a $550 minimum from $50,001 to $500,000, and 25 percent with a $2,000 minimum over $500,000. fee_source_url was set to this sheet on 2026-09-14 where it was previously null.

Fargo requires a permit for a shed larger than 120 square feet, which the city describes as about 10 feet by 12 feet, and for a shed of any size located in the floodplain. No flat shed fee is published. A shed is charged under the residential building permit schedule effective January 1, 2026 on the total valuation of the work, beginning at $50.00 for valuations up to and including $1,000.00 and adding $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction of that amount through $100,000.00. Beginning work before the permit is issued doubles the fee at these valuation levels. Re-verified 2026-09-14 from the Fargo Residential Building Permit Fees sheet, which heads "FARGO RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT FEES (one- and two-family dwellings), Effective January 1, 2026" and is therefore the current calendar-year schedule. Confirmed on their own lines: $50.00 up to and including $1,000.00 total valuation; $50.00 for the first $1,000.00 plus $5.56 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof to and including $100,000.00; $600.44 for the first $100,000.00 plus $3.06 for each additional $1,000.00; demolition $100.00 or $50.00 for buildings under 400 SF and buildings without utility services; house moving $300.00 or $50.00 on the same terms and $150.00 or $50.00 for moves within the extraterritorial area; Board of Appeals $150.00; inspections outside normal business hours with a two hour minimum, reinspections, inspections for which no fee is specifically indicated with a half hour minimum, and additional plan review from changes or revisions, each $75.00 per hour or the total hourly cost to the jurisdiction whichever is greater; and the work-begun-early penalties, permit fee doubled below $50,000 with a $200 minimum on a second offence within 180 days and $100 for each additional violation, 50 percent of the permit fee with a $550 minimum from $50,001 to $500,000, and 25 percent with a $2,000 minimum over $500,000. fee_source_url was set to this sheet on 2026-09-14 where it was previously null.

The Fargo Schedule for Plumbing & Sanitary or Storm Sewer Permits sets a flat fee for a water heating permit, while the separate Fargo HVAC Permit Fees schedule lists a water heater among residential gas appliances charged on a per-appliance basis. Re-verified 2026-09-14 from the cited Fargo plumbing permit fee sheet, which prints "Water Heating Permits $35.00" on its own line. fee_source_url was set to that sheet on 2026-09-14, replacing a null.