Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis electrical permit cost
The electrical permit in Minneapolis is the State of Minnesota's, not the City's:
the Electrical Act (326B.37) gives the inspection to the Department of Labor and Industry or its contract inspectors, and the fee worksheets — REV 6.2025 — are the price list. Inspection trips at $55 each, services by amperage ($35/$60/$100), new dwelling units at $165 up to 30 circuits, dwelling minimums of $200/$400, plus the $25.00 required permit fee and the $1.00 surcharge.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| State electrical inspection — new dwelling unit, $165 (up to 30 circuits and/or feeders)Permit fee | $165.00 per dwelling unit | Dwelling units over 0 | — |
| State electrical inspection — $55 per inspection tripPermit fee | $55.00 per inspection | inspections is provided | — |
| State electrical permit — required permit fee, $25.00Permit fee | $25.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
| State electrical inspection — power sources, $35/$60/$100 by amperage (600 V)Permit fee | $35.00 flat fee | power source amperage is provided and power source amperage up to 400 | — |
| State electrical inspection — power source, 401-800 amperes, $60.00Permit fee | $60.00 flat fee | power source amperage is provided and power source amperage over 400 and power source amperage up to 800 | — |
| State electrical inspection — power source, over 800 amperes, $100.00Permit fee | $100.00 flat fee | power source amperage is provided and power source amperage over 800 | — |
| State electrical inspection — new dwelling minimum, $200 one-family / $400 two-familyPermit fee | the shortfall up to the $200.00 minimum on calculated permit fee | elec dwelling minimum is true | — |
| Minnesota state surcharge — $1.00 per electrical permitState surcharge | $1.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
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 one-family dwelling on the state's own worksheet: the dwelling unit with its 30 circuits, one 400-ampere-or-less service, and the required permit fee and surcharge.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Power sources | 1 |
| New dwelling units | 1 |
| Elec dwelling minimum | Yes |
Example total
$201.00
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 3Rules considered 8
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
State electrical permit — required permit fee, $25.00Permit feeThe worksheet's line 16: "Required permit fee $25.00" — added to the inspection total on every state electrical permit, beside the $1.00 surcharge on line 17.Show the working
| $25.00 flat fee | $25.00 |
State electrical inspection — new dwelling minimum, $200 one-family / $400 two-familyPermit feeThe worksheet's line 14, printed in full: "The Minimum fee for a new one-family dwelling is $200, and a two-family dwelling is $400 (for each separate dwelling unit, this includes the service up to 400 A, up to 30 circuits, and a maximum of 4 inspections)". Charged as the $200 one-family figure; the two-family minimum is the same figure twice, which the $165-per-unit rows and this rule's minimum together approach. When this minimum governs, the line-12 subtotal is not used — the worksheet says to enter "the largest amount from line 13 or 14".Show the working
| $200.00 minimum on calculated permit fee, less the $25.00 calculated | $175.00 |
Minnesota state surcharge — $1.00 per electrical permitState surchargeThe worksheet's line 17: "Required permit surcharge $1.00" — the same $1.00 the City's plumbing sheet charges, here on the state's own form, summed into the worksheet's GRAND TOTAL.Show the working
| $1.00 flat fee | $1.00 |
| Total | $201.00 |
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.
- State electrical inspection — new dwelling unit, $165 (up to 30 circuits and/or feeders) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- State electrical inspection — $55 per inspection trip — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- State electrical inspection — power sources, $35/$60/$100 by amperage (600 V) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- State electrical inspection — power source, 401-800 amperes, $60.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- State electrical inspection — power source, over 800 amperes, $100.00 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 3 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
The itemised lines: $165.00 for the dwelling unit (up to 30 circuits), $35.00 for the service, then the worksheet's line 16 and 17 — the $25.00 required permit fee and the $1.00 surcharge. The inspection total is $226.00 computed.
Line 14's minimum is the other candidate: 'The Minimum fee for a new one-family dwelling is $200', which includes the service up to 400 A, up to 30 circuits and up to four inspections. The worksheet says to enter the largest amount from line 13 or 14 — the computed $200.00 of inspection fees (before the permit fee and surcharge) and the $200.00 minimum are the same here, so the permit is $226.00 either way.
A two-family dwelling doubles the unit line: two $165 units, a two-unit $400 minimum, and the same $25.00 + $1.00 — where the worksheet's largest-of rule does the choosing.
What is different in Minneapolis
The worksheet offers two ways to price a job and says to take the larger: the number of inspection trips at $55 each, or the itemised lines — services, dwelling units, circuits, bonding, grounding, technology devices. A new one-family dwelling with its service and up to 30 circuits is $165 + $35 + $25 + $1 = $226 computed, and the worksheet's own line 14 minimum ($200 one-family, $400 two-family) trues it to the larger.
The minimum's wording carries its scope: 'for each separate dwelling unit, this includes the service up to 400 A, up to 30 circuits, and a maximum of 4 inspections' — so the $200 is not a floor below the arithmetic but a package covering the ordinary house. Circuits beyond 30 are $12 each; sources over 400 A step to $60 and $100.
Who issues is a lookup, not a guess: 'Before filing a permit or calling for an inspection, verify the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in the directory: If the AHJ column lists State, file the permit with us.' And every worksheet trues itself: 'Any fee discrepancies will be reviewed by the inspector, and you will be billed for the difference.'
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 State of Minnesota's electrical permit, priced from DLI's own fee worksheets. It excludes:
- The worksheet rows outside the page's reach — over-600-volt services ($70/$120/$200), non-dwelling circuits ($12/$15/$24/$30 by amperage and voltage), reconnected existing circuits ($2 for panelboard replacements), transformers ($15 up to 10 kVA, $30 above), manufactured-home park lot supplies ($35/pedestal), RV pedestals ($12/circuit), street and traffic standards ($5), sign power supplies ($5), technology circuits and low-voltage devices (75¢ each), lighting retrofit (25¢/fixture), and center-pivot irrigation ($35/$5) — transcribed in the research record.
- The inspector's trueing — discrepancies are reviewed and the difference billed; the worksheet computes a best estimate.
- Virtual inspection's limits — three circuits at the standard $35 fee, at the inspector's discretion.
- Plan review, technology and city surcharges — none exist; the $1.00 surcharge is the State's own, printed on its worksheet.
What you need before applying
- Who issues the electrical permit is decided by the AHJ directoryRequired
DLI's contractors page: "Before filing a permit or calling for an inspection, verify the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in the directory: If the AHJ column lists 'State,' file the permit with us." Contract electrical inspection areas have their own inspector contacts; virtual inspections are limited to three circuits at the standard $35 fee. The fee is the State's wherever the State is the AHJ — the worksheets are its price list.
- The worksheet fee is an estimate the inspector trues upRequired
Every worksheet states: "These calculated fees may not accurately represent all the required inspection fees. Any fee discrepancies will be reviewed by the inspector, and you will be billed for the difference." The fee the worksheet computes is a best estimate of the minimums; the inspector's review is the final word, and the difference is billed rather than refunded automatically.
Common questions
How much is an electrical permit in Minneapolis?
The electrical permit is the State of Minnesota's, priced by statute (326B.37) on DLI's fee worksheets: $55 per inspection trip, or the itemised lines — $165 per new dwelling unit (up to 30 circuits), $35/$60/$100 per power source by amperage — whichever is larger, plus the $25.00 required permit fee and the $1.00 surcharge. New-dwelling minimums are $200 one-family and $400 two-family.
Why doesn't the City of Minneapolis price electrical permits?
Because Minnesota's Electrical Act gives the inspection to the State. The City publishes no electrical fee schedule; DLI's contractors page says to verify the Authority Having Jurisdiction in the directory — 'If the AHJ column lists State, file the permit with us' — and in contract inspection areas a contract inspector issues. The fee is the statute's either way.
What does a new dwelling's electrical minimum include?
The worksheet's line 14, in full: 'The Minimum fee for a new one-family dwelling is $200, and a two-family dwelling is $400 (for each separate dwelling unit, this includes the service up to 400 A, up to 30 circuits, and a maximum of 4 inspections).' The minimum is a package covering the ordinary house, and the worksheet charges the largest of the computed subtotal or this minimum.
What if my project needs more than 30 circuits?
The $165 dwelling-unit line covers up to 30 circuits and/or feeders; each one beyond is $12 on the new-dwelling worksheet. Non-dwelling circuits are priced on their own worksheet at $12 to $30 by amperage and voltage class, and reconnected existing circuits at $2 — all transcribed in the research record.
Is the worksheet fee the final price?
No, and the worksheet says so: 'These calculated fees may not accurately represent all the required inspection fees. Any fee discrepancies will be reviewed by the inspector, and you will be billed for the difference.' The worksheet computes a best estimate of the minimums; the inspector's review is the final word.
Can I get a virtual inspection?
For eligible permits, yes — DLI's virtual electrical inspection program is limited to three circuits at the standard $35 fee, and at the inspector's discretion some inspections proceed virtually. Scheduling information is provided by email after the permit is submitted, and self-scheduling is available for eligible permits.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- State agencyStatePrimary source
DLI — Electrical permits and the statutory fee worksheets (Minnesota Statute 326B.37)
Read 2026-09-25: the contractors page and its printable page, plus four fee worksheets (ele-fee-new, ele-fee-exist, ele-fee-non, ele-fee-multi-new — REV 6.2025, "Fees are determined by Minnesota Statute 326B.37"). Every worksheet: $55 per inspection trip minimum, services by amperage ($35/$60/$100, over 600 V $70/$120/$200), new dwelling units $165 up to 30 circuits ($12 each beyond), the "largest of line 13 or line 14" rule with the $200/$400 dwelling minimums, then the $25.00 required permit fee and $1.00 surcharge. The worksheets also true themselves: "Any fee discrepancies will be reviewed by the inspector, and you will be billed for the difference." The AHJ directory decides whether the State or a contract inspector issues — "If the AHJ column lists 'State,', file the permit with us."
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.