Ripon council adopts updated building permit fee schedule to reach 90% cost recovery

The Ripon City Council voted to adopt a resolution establishing a new Building Department permit and plan-check fee schedule aimed at achieving roughly 90% cost recovery for department operations.

Ken, a city building department staff member, told the council the current fees have not been updated since 1996 and are still tied to a 1994 valuation table. He said the proposed schedule adopts the International Code Council (ICC) valuation tables, which are updated annually, and establishes annual indexing beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Staff said the new schedule would take effect 60 days after council approval, which places the effective date in mid-November, and that the technology/maintenance fee would continue to increase by 5% annually to cover building software costs.

The staff report said the building department currently recovers about 57% of its annual expenses through fees; the new schedule is intended to reach a 90% recovery target while preserving some community subsidy for activities that are not directly tied to permits, such as counter inquiries, code interpretations and outreach. Council members asked whether the change would shift costs onto residents; staff responded that the 90% target is consistent with statewide best practices and helps keep projects affordable while maintaining department staffing and services. The council approved the resolution by voice vote at the public hearing.