Meridian, ID
Meridian Building Permit Cost
Meridian prices every building permit from one formula:
$50.00 base plus $5.50 per $1,000 of project value, or fraction thereof. The city's own worksheet derives project value at $94.06 per square foot of living area for a new home (per the ICC Building Valuation Data) — so a 2,000-square-foot house values $188,120 and pays $1,089.50. Commercial plan check adds 65% of the permit fee.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition permit fee ($50.00)Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | Work type is demolition and Project valuation is not provided | — |
| Building permit fee ($50.00 base + $5.50 per $1,000 of project value or fraction)Permit fee | $50.00 + $5.50 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation at least $1,000 | — |
| Building permit fractional band rounding ($5.50)Permit fee | $5.50 flat fee | Project valuation over $1,000 | — |
| Re-inspection fee ($45.00)Inspection fee | $45.00 per inspection | reinspections at least 1 | — |
| Commercial plan check fee (65% of the building permit fee)Plan review | 65% of calculated permit fee | Project valuation is provided and Occupancy is not residential | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A new single-family home in Meridian with 2,000 square feet of livable area (project value $188,120 at the worksheet's $94.06/sq ft).
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $188,120 |
| Project area | 2,000 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
| Type of work | New construction |
Example total
$1,089.50
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 2Rules considered 5
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit fee ($50.00 base + $5.50 per $1,000 of project value or fraction)Permit feeResidential/Commercial Permit Fee Calculation Formula (Res. 18-2110, sec. 1.1): $50 base fee plus $5.50 additional for each $1,000 of project value or fraction thereof. Project value derives from the schedule's per-square-foot valuation guidance ($94.06/sq ft living area per the BVD table, $72 additions, $36.91 garages, $16 covered patios and storage sheds) or the applicant's stated project value.Show the working
| $50.00 + $5.50 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $1,084.00 |
Building permit fractional band rounding ($5.50)Permit feeCovers the schedule's 'or fraction thereof' rounding for the first $1,000 fraction — a valuation with any remainder above an even $1,000 buys the next band.Show the working
| $5.50 flat fee | $5.50 |
| Total | $1,089.50 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Demolition permit fee ($50.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Re-inspection fee ($45.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial plan check fee (65% of the building permit fee) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Project value: 2,000 sq ft × $94.06 = $188,120. Formula: $50.00 base + ($188,120 ÷ $1,000 rounds up to 189 bands) × $5.50 = $50.00 + $1,039.50 = $1,089.50. Total: $1,089.50.
What is different in Meridian
Building Services, at 33 E. Broadway Ave, issues structural permits under Resolution 18-2110 and publishes fee-calculation worksheets that make the arithmetic explicit: livable area, garage (at $36.91/sq ft) and shed or patio (at $16/sq ft) square footage multiply into project value, then the $50 + $5.50/$1,000 formula applies. Application fees ($50 or $150 by project size) are non-refundable but credited to the permit. Demolitions pay a flat $50, and work started without a permit doubles the fee.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate covers the building permit and its commercial plan check. It excludes:
- Police, parks and fire impact fees (per-square-foot tables by building type).
- Water/sewer assessments and meter fees ($1,696, $5,807, $323.92).
- ACHD impact fees ($5,803 per single-family dwelling).
- Fire plan review (30% of the building fee).
- After-hours inspections ($52.93/hour).
What you need before applying
- Fee-calculation worksheet with the applicationMay be required
Building Services publishes official fee-calculation worksheets (residential, multi-family, new commercial, tenant improvement) that applicants use to derive project value from livable area, garage and shed square footage before the permit fee is computed.
- Application fees credited to the permitRequired
Plan-review application fees ($50 residential additions/remodels/garages/sheds and projects under $20,000; $150 new residential and projects over $20,000) are non-refundable but applied to the building permit.
Common questions
How is a Meridian building permit fee calculated?
One formula covers residential and commercial work alike: $50.00 base plus $5.50 for each $1,000 of project value or fraction thereof, under Resolution 18-2110's Residential/Commercial Permit Fee Calculation Formula.
City of Meridian City Fees Schedule, Building sec. 1.1 (Res. 18-2110)
How does Meridian determine project value?
The city's fee-calculation worksheet values new ground-up homes and complete rebuilds at $94.06 per square foot of livable area (per the BVD table), additions at $72.00, garages at $36.91, and covered patios or storage sheds at $16.00 per square foot. Garages and sheds multiply separately from living area.
Residential Fee Calculation Worksheet (6-1-2026)
What would a 2,000 sq ft new home pay in Meridian?
2,000 sq ft × $94.06 = $188,120 project value; the formula charges $50.00 plus 189 × $5.50 = $1,039.50, for $1,089.50 total (the last $120 of value still buys a full $5.50 band — 'or fraction thereof').
Residential Fee Calculation Worksheet (6-1-2026)
Is there a plan review fee in Meridian?
Commercial projects pay a plan check fee of 65% of the building permit fee (non-refundable, applied to the permit). The residential structural schedule publishes no plan-check line — the residential worksheet charges none beyond the permit formula.
City of Meridian City Fees Schedule, Commercial Plan Check fee
What are Meridian's application fees?
$50 for residential additions, remodels, garages, sheds and other misc projects and for commercial or multi-family projects valued under $20,000; $150 for new residential projects and commercial or multi-family projects over $20,000. All are non-refundable but applied to the building permit.
City of Meridian City Fees Schedule, Application Fees
How much is a demolition permit in Meridian?
A flat $50.00 for residential and commercial accounts. Work commencing without a permit is charged double permit fees as the minimum.
City of Meridian City Fees Schedule, Demo Fee
Are impact fees part of the building permit in Meridian?
No. Police, parks and fire impact fees (per-square-foot tables), water and sewer assessments, meter fees, and Ada County Highway District impact fees are collected alongside the permit but are separate charges — the commercial worksheet prices police impact at $1.23/sq ft for restaurant/retail or $0.19 for other building types, and fire at $1.29/$0.96.
New Commercial Fee Calculation Worksheet (6-1-2026)
What happens on a Meridian re-inspection?
$45.00 per re-inspection for residential and commercial accounts. After-hours and overtime inspections bill at $52.93 per hour (building).
City of Meridian City Fees Schedule, Re-Inspection Fees
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- City websiteCityPrimary source
The city's official fee database; each row carries its adopting resolution number. Building Structural (1.1), Electrical (1.2), Mechanical (1.3) and Plumbing (1.4) rows read in full from the portal. Retrieval required a browser session (the portal serves a Cloudflare challenge to plain HTTP agents).
- City websiteCityPrimary source
Residential Fee Calculation Worksheet (6-1-2026) — City of Meridian Building Services
Official calculator whose cell formulas print the exact arithmetic: building fee = $50 + (project value ÷ 1,000) × $5.50, with project value from $94.06/sq ft living area (per BVD), $36.91/sq ft garages and $16/sq ft sheds and patio covers.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.