Board of Business and Neighborhood Services approves updated permit fees; changes take effect Jan. 1, 2026

The Board of Business Neighborhood Services adopted Resolution 2025C10023 on Aug. 28, approving changes to permit fees and penalties to help stabilize the department’s finances. The board approved the resolution as amended; the changes are set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

The fee updates stem from a 2024 Baker Tilly rate-and-fee analysis and department staff testimony that many fees had not been updated in decades. Director Abby Brands and budget staff said the department is collecting “2010 revenue” while paying 2025 operating costs, and the adjustments are intended to better align permit and inspection charges with staff time and expenses.

Board members voted to amend the original proposal before the final vote. The amendment removed a proposed commercial plan-review accelerated fee from the ordinance and added a revised schedule for accelerated commercial inspections. Under the amended language presented to the board, the…