A Guide for Home Builders

 

Step 5: Pay Fees

Permit fees help cover the cost of processing your permit, maintaining the records, reviewing plans to make sure they comply with building-safety and land-use codes, and providing inspection services. The Thurston County Permitting Program is self-supporting through fees and does not rely on Thurston County's general fund.

  Initial Application Fee

When your building plans are accepted at the Building Development Center, you must also include a check payable to Thurston County to cover the non-refundable residential plan review fee for your application. The residential plan review fee is 65% of the building permit fee, and it covers the cost of reviewing a plan before the permit is issued.  The plans are checked for problems that must be corrected or missing information that must be added.  The actual permit fee, upon which the 65% is calculated, is based on the cost (valuation) of the construction. We use a table that charges a certain amount per thousand dollars. The permit cost is mainly used to cover the cost of the inspections.

Click here for a description of residential plan review fees and building fees.

After You Have Paid the Application Fee...

Your plans will be routed to all required reviewers.  If you decide to withdraw your application at any point, you may be able to get a refund of any remaining part of the fee that has not been used.  However, once the plan-reviewing and site inspection have been done, no refund can be made.

Total Permit Fees

When your building plans have been approved by all the agencies involved, the remaining fees will be calculated and must be paid before you receive your building permit.

What Are the Fees?

Please click here for Thurston County's permit fees and fee schedules.

Contact Us

Please click here for contact information.