Cocoa council approves changes to building permit fee schedule effective Jan. 1, 2026

The City of Cocoa council approved Resolution 2025‑088 on Nov. 18 to amend the city’s building‑permit fee schedule, with changes to plan‑review, floodplain review, reinspection and change‑of‑contractor fees to better capture consultant review costs and improve accountability.

A city presenter identified in the meeting as Ms. Newton explained the changes and said the city is not altering the base valuation model: the base residential fee remains $75 and the base commercial fee remains $100; added charges capture outside‑provider plan‑review and floodplain review costs. “The base fee schedule is not changing for both residential and commercial permits; those are still staying at $75 as the base rate for a residential permit and $100 for a commercial permit,” the presenter said. She added the new plan‑review fee is $150 and that floodplain review will increase from $75 to $150 to reflect consultant costs.

The presenter told council the adjustments also raise selected reinspection fees and a change‑of‑contractor fee (from $50 to $100), consistent with neighboring Brevard County cities. She said the fee changes aim to remain competitive with neighboring municipalities while covering the actual costs of outside reviews and repeated inspections. Council members asked staff clarifying questions about discounts for private‑provider plan review and the city’s current permit‑processing time (reported as roughly 7–10 days).

Chair moved to approve the resolution, Deputy Mayor Weeks seconded, and the council voted to adopt Resolution 2025‑088; the changes are effective Jan. 1, 2026.