Lewiston, ME
Lewiston building permit fees
A Lewiston building permit reads the City Council-adopted schedule:
renovation work prices at $25.00 base plus $5.00 per $1,000 of value, with new construction and additions priced per square foot on the schedule's area rows ($0.25/sf single family, $0.30/sf multi-family). Work started before the permit issues doubles the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile home addition ($25.00 base + $7.00 per $1,000 of value)Permit fee | $25.00 + $7.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | work type is mobile home addition | — |
| Commercial permit ($35.00 base + $5.00 per $1,000 of value)Permit fee | $35.00 + $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is not residential | — |
| Renovation permit ($25.00 base + $5.00 per $1,000 of value)Permit fee | $25.00 + $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof | Occupancy is 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 single-family renovation in Lewiston with a declared project value of $40,000.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $40,000 |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$225.00
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 1Rules considered 3
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Renovation permit ($25.00 base + $5.00 per $1,000 of value)Permit feeBuilding Permit Fee Schedule (effective 7/01/2013), Single family — Renovation < $2,500 and Multi-family — Renovations rows: '$25 base + $5.00 per $1,000 value.' New construction and additions price per square foot instead ($0.25/sf single family, $0.30/sf multi-family), which the schedule prints beside the valuation rows.Show the working
| $25.00 + $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $225.00 |
| Total | $225.00 |
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.
- Mobile home addition ($25.00 base + $7.00 per $1,000 of value) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial permit ($35.00 base + $5.00 per $1,000 of value) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 1 fee rule in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Renovation row: $25.00 base plus $5.00 for each of the 40 thousands of value: $25.00 + 40 x $5.00 = $225.00.
A $2,000 refresh would price $25.00 + 2 x $5.00 = $35.00. The certificate of occupancy adds $25.00 when the work finishes, where one is required.
What is different in Lewiston
The schedule's structure is a deliberate split. Renovation rows — single-family under $2,500 and multi-family alike — read '$25 base + $5.00 per $1,000 value', so the declared value of the renovation drives the fee. New construction and additions read area rows instead: $0.25 per square foot for a single-family home, $0.30 for multi-family, $0.07 for accessory structures, $0.35 per floor for mobile homes. A $40,000 two-family renovation prices $25.00 + 40 x $5.00 = $225.00; the same-value single-family renovation prices the same $225.00 — the value rows do not distinguish occupancy.
The schedule's penalty row is the belated fee: work commenced before the permit issues doubles the customary fee. Its consumer protection is the reimbursement policy: 75% back within six months if no work began, the City keeping 25% for issuance costs.
Around the main rows sit the ancillary ones: in-ground pools $100.00, underground storage tanks $50.00 for the first tank plus $15.00 each additional, fences and driveways on their own rows, and the $25.00 certificate of occupancy charged when the work finishes.
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 is the adopted schedule's building permit pricing. It excludes:
- The per-square-foot new-construction rows ($0.25/$0.30/$0.07/$0.35), priced by area rather than value — named here, not modelled.
- The ancillary rows: pools ($100 in-ground), storage tanks ($50 + $15), moving a building, fences, driveways, parking lots and signs.
- The belated fee (doubling) — a penalty on unpermitted work.
- The $25 certificate of occupancy — an end-of-work charge.
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Lewiston, Maine?
Renovation work prices at $25.00 base plus $5.00 per $1,000 of value — $225.00 at $40,000. New construction and additions price per square foot ($0.25/sf single family, $0.30/sf multi-family).
When did the current fees take effect?
The schedule was updated April 16, 2013 with prices effective July 1, 2013.
Why do renovations price by value but new construction by square foot?
That is how the adopted schedule splits them: value rows for renovations, area rows for new construction and additions.
What is the belated fee?
The customary permit fee doubles where work commences before the permit is issued — the schedule's penalty for unpermitted work.
Can I get a refund if I don't do the work?
Yes — 75% of the permit fee is refunded if requested within six months and no work associated with the permit commenced; the City retains 25%.
How much is a certificate of occupancy?
$25.00 on the adopted schedule.
What does a mobile home addition cost?
$25.00 base plus $7.00 per $1,000 of value — the schedule's mobile-home addition row.
Do the trade permits ride the building permit?
No — electrical and plumbing permits are separate applications issued by Planning & Code Enforcement.
Is there a plan review fee?
The adopted schedule publishes no separate plan-review percentage.
Where do I apply?
At Planning & Code Enforcement, 27 Pine Street, Lower Level — weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
How is the project value determined?
The declared value of the renovation work drives the fee: every $1,000 declared adds $5.00 above the $25.00 base.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
City of Lewiston — "BUILDING PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE" (City Council-adopted)
Read 2026-09-26 from the City's host (HTTP 200; text layer extracted). Header: 'In accordance with the provisions of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Lewiston, the City Council hereby establishes the following fees.' Footer: 'Updated 4/16/2013 — Prices Effective: 7/01/2013.' Valuation rows modelled: Single family — Renovation < $2,500 and Multi-family — Renovations at '$25 base + $5.00 per $1,000 value'; Mobile home — Additions at '$25 base + $7.00 per $1,000 value'. Area rows (single family new construction $0.25/sf, multi-family $0.30/sf, accessory $0.07/sf, mobile home $0.35/sf per floor) named in prose. Belated fee: the customary permit fee doubles where work commences before the permit issues. The PDF's layout scrambles the label/fee columns; the 2021-03-09 City Council agenda packet reproduces the schedule in clean layout and confirms the row set.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.