June 14, 2013
CITY TO IMPOSE NEW PLAN REVIEW BUILDING PERMIT FEE
The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) will begin collecting plan review fees on certain building permit applications beginning Monday, June 17, in an effort to reduce the number of permits that are submitted for approval, but not picked up or paid for.
On Friday, Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed Bill 15, which amends the City’s permit fee schedule and allows DPP to charge a plan review fee of 20 percent of the total building permit fee at the time the permit application is submitted. The plan review fee is in addition to the building permit fee and covers building, electrical and plumbing building permits. The new law exempts applications for fences, retaining walls, driveways, and swimming pools.
The City sought the new fee to cut down on the number of permit applications that are submitted and reviewed by DPP staff, approved, but not picked up by the applicant. Since 1999, DPP has processed 2,591 commercial and residential permits that were never picked up by the applicant and therefore account for more than $2.6 million in unpaid fees. The City wants to stop this waste of time and effort by the DPP staff. This is the first building permit fee increase in 10 years.
In addition to the plan review fee, the ordinance raises fees for select zoning permits. For more information on the new fee schedule, visit the DPP website, www.honoluludpp.org.