House Bill 461 revises the methods in which local governments can calculate regulatory fees. The bill removes the ability to base an inspection or permit fee on the cost of the renovation for projects valued below $75,000. For these small- to mid-sized renovations, inspection fees must be based on one of the other methods provided in the law, which include:

• Flat fee
• Hourly rate

The change in State law requires amendments to the City’s Revenue Ordinance. Most of the proposed Revenue Ordinance revisions are within Article P. Inspection Fees; however, a few small revisions are proposed within Article L, Fire Servce Fees, and Article Q. Development and Review Fees. The City of Savannah currently charges an all-inclusive building permit fee based upon square footage, cost of construction and construction type, and will continue to use this method for projects greater than $75,000. 

As allowed by State law, the City is proposing a flat fee structure for renovation projects valued below $75,000. These projects were previously charged fees based on construction value and or be proposed to move to a flat fee. The proposed new flat rates are outlined below.

Residential Projects

• Miscellaneous Work Not Covered below and under $5,000 - $40.00
• Fence - $40.00
• Water Heater - $40.00
• General Plumbing Work - $40.00
• General Electrical Work - $40.00
• Above Ground Swimming Pool - $40.00
• New AC Unit - $60.00
• Roof Replacement - $75.00
• Window Replacement - $75.00
• Generator - $80.00
• Demolition (Full & Partial) - $100.00
• General Interior Renovations - $150.00
• Solar Panels - $250.00
• Creating an Accessory Dwelling Unit within the Existing Footprint - $200.00
• Below Ground Swimming Pool - $350.00

Commercial Projects

• Change of Use with No Construction Required - $50.00
• Signs - $75.00
• Fence - $125.00
• Roof Replacement - $150.00
• Window Replacement - $150.00
• Demolition (Full & Partial) - $175.00
• Generator - $175.00
• Antenna Co-Locate or Other Similar Renovations - $200.00
• General Interior Renovations - $350.00
• Solar Panels - $375.00

Additional Changes

The following proposed fees would also be adopted for renovation projects valued under $75,000:

Plan Review Fee

 Cost of Construction                  Plan Review Fee

$0 - $74,999.99                         $75

$75,000.00 - $100,000.00         $150

Sign Permit Fee                                    $75

Fence and Wall Permit Fee

Residential                                 $40

Commercial                               $125

Fire Protection System Fees                    $350

Historic Review Filing Fee

Cost of Construction

$0-$75,000                                   $50* (pending confirmation from MPC)

Revenue Impact

The overall revenue impact of these proposed changes is forecasted to be minimal and should result in a similar revenue total as the City’s previous fee structure. However, staff will be closely monitoring the impact of this changes though 2024.

Approval