Lincoln, NE
Lincoln building permit cost
Lincoln charges a building permit fee from the total valuation of the work
using Table 1A of its Building Code. Up to $1,000 of valuation the fee is a flat $55.00. Above that each row adds a published rate for each additional $1,000, or fraction of one — $8.00 up to $10,000, then $5.00 up to $25,000, then $2.00 — and plan review is a separate 65% of the permit fee with a $100 floor.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee, valuation $0 to $1,000Permit fee | $55.00 flat fee | Project valuation up to $1,000 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $1,001 to $10,000Permit fee | $55.00 + $8.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $1,000 and up to $10,000 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $10,001 to $25,000Permit fee | $127.00 + $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $10,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $10,000 and up to $25,000 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation over $25,000Permit fee | $202.00 + $2.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $25,000, or fraction thereof | Project valuation over $25,000 | — |
| Plan review feePlan review | 65% of calculated permit fee | plan review is true | min $100.00 |
| Reinspection feeInspection fee | $55.00 flat fee | reinspection is true | — |
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 commercial building project with a total construction valuation of $250,000 and plans submitted for review.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $250,000 |
| Plan review | Yes |
Example total
$1,075.80
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 6
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit fee, valuation over $25,000Permit feeTable 1A — $202.00 for the first $25,000, plus $2.00 for each $1,000 value and fraction thereof over $25,000.Show the working
| $202.00 + $2.00 per $1,000 of project valuation above $25,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $652.00 |
Plan review feePlan reviewSec. 109.2.1 — 65% of the building permit fee shown in Table 1A, or $100.00 whichever is greater, for commercial buildings, accessory buildings and apartments.Show the working
| 65% of calculated permit fee | $423.80 |
| Total | $1,075.80 |
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.
- Building permit fee, valuation $0 to $1,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit fee, valuation $1,001 to $10,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit fee, valuation $10,001 to $25,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Reinspection 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.
Table 1A's last row: $202.00 for the first $25,000 plus $2.00 for each of the 225 additional thousands, which is $652.00. Plan review is 65% of that, $423.80, and it is charged in addition to the permit fee. The valuation is the example's, not the City's.
What is different in Lincoln
Table 1A has four rows, and its arithmetic is checkable at both handovers. The row covering $1,001 to $10,000 is $55.00 for the first $1,000 plus $8.00 for each additional $1,000, which comes to exactly $127.00 at $10,000 — the figure the next row opens with. That row runs to $25,000 at $5.00 per additional $1,000 and lands on exactly $202.00, which is the last row's opening figure.
Plan review is the part people miss. Sec. 109.2.1 sets it at 65% of the permit fee, or $100.00 whichever is greater, and says it is "separate from and in addition to the permit fees". It applies to commercial buildings, accessory buildings and apartments — not to a one- or two-family house.
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 Table 1A valuation fee plus plan review at 65% where it applies. It excludes:
- Table 1B's demolition fees ($200.00 residential, $250.00 plus $0.01 per square foot commercial, $30.00 garages), the $100.00 fire- and building-damage investigation fees, and the expedited-review rate with its $300.00 floor and $6,000.00 ceiling.
- The 10% application-extension fee and the 100% reinstatement fee for an expired permit.
- The $55.00 reinspection fee when work is not ready or does not pass.
- The doubling of the fee where work starts before a permit is issued, unless the work was an emergency.
- Lincoln's electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, which are separate permits under their own titles — and, for plumbing and mechanical, priced from figures the code does not publish.
- Development and flood-plain permits, and anything charged by Lancaster County or a neighbouring city.
What you need before applying
- A total valuation of all construction workRequired
Sec. 109.2 defines the value: "the total value of all construction work for which the permit is issued, as well as all finish work, painting, roofing, electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, elevators, fire extinguishing systems, and any other permanent equipment." The building official may determine it "by applying the ICC valuation or other recognized method of estimating building construction project cost".
- Plan review is paid when plans are submittedRequired
Sec. 109.2.1: "a plan review fee shall be paid at the time of submitting plans and specifications for review", and the fees "are separate from and in addition to the permit fees". There is no refund for plan review after any review has been completed, even if the application is withdrawn.
Common questions
Is the Lincoln building permit fee based on square footage?
No. It is based on the total valuation of the work. The building official may derive that valuation from ICC cost data, but Table 1A charges a rate per $1,000 of value rather than per square foot.
How much is a building permit for a $10,000 job in Lincoln?
$127.00. Table 1A charges $55.00 for the first $1,000 plus $8.00 for each of the nine additional thousands. At $10,001 the next row takes over, opening at exactly $127.00 plus $5.00 for the fraction of a thousand.
Is plan review included in the permit fee?
No. Sec. 109.2.1 makes it 65% of the building permit fee, or $100.00 whichever is greater, and says it is "separate from and in addition to the permit fees" and is not credited against the permit fee if the permit is issued.
Does a house pay plan review?
Not under Sec. 109.2.1, which applies the 65% review fee to "commercial buildings, accessory buildings, and apartments". A one- or two-family dwelling is not in that list.
What happens if I start before the permit is issued?
The fee is doubled. The code applies the doubling to work that "is started or proceeded with prior to obtaining said permit", and does not waive it for residential work the way the electrical schedule does for a completed owner job.
Does Lincoln publish its plumbing permit fee?
No. Sec. 24.12.095 says the plumbing fee "shall be set by the City Council and shall be provided to the applicant by the Authority Having Jurisdiction". This site does not estimate it; ask Building and Safety for the current figure.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Lincoln Municipal Code Sec. 20.06.130, Sec. 109.2 — Schedule of Permit Fees (Tables 1A and 1B)
Read 2026-09-25 from the enCodePlus-hosted municipal code. Amended by Ord. 21786 §42, September 29, 2025. Table 1A is the building permit table; Sec. 109.2.1, read on the same page, sets plan review at 65% of the permit fee with a $100 floor.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.