Lincoln, NE
Lincoln electrical permit cost
Lincoln prices an electrical permit per item under Sec.
23.10.520. Every permit carries a $30.00 base fee that is "added to all other fees that apply to the application", then $6.00 for each branch circuit and feeder, plus a service fee that runs from $30.00 for service equipment up to 200 amperes to $400.00 above 2,000 amperes.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical base permit feePermit fee | $30.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
| Electrical permit — branch circuit or feederPermit fee | $6.00 per circuit | Each circuit on the permit | — |
| Electrical permit — service equipment 0 to 200 amperesPermit fee | $30.00 flat fee | service work is true and amperage up to 200 | — |
| Electrical permit — service equipment 801 to 2,000 amperesPermit fee | $200.00 flat fee | service work is true and amperage over 800 and amperage up to 2000 | — |
| Electrical permit — service equipment 201 to 400 amperesPermit fee | $45.00 flat fee | service work is true and amperage over 200 and amperage up to 400 | — |
| Electrical permit — service equipment 401 to 800 amperesPermit fee | $90.00 flat fee | service work is true and amperage over 400 and amperage up to 800 | — |
| Electrical permit — service equipment over 2,000 amperesPermit fee | $400.00 flat fee | service work is true and amperage over 2000 | — |
| Electrical permit — dormant service inspectionInspection fee | $30.00 flat fee | dormant service is true | — |
| Electrical permit — re-inspection feeInspection fee | $50.00 per inspection | reinspections is provided | — |
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
An electrical permit for a commercial job: new 200-ampere service equipment and thirty branch circuits.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Service amperage | 200 A |
| Active circuits | 30 |
| Service work | Yes |
Example total
$240.00
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 9
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Electrical base permit feePermit feeSec. 23.10.520 — $30.00 base permit fee, added to all other fees that apply to the application.Show the working
| $30.00 flat fee | $30.00 |
Electrical permit — branch circuit or feederPermit feeSec. 23.10.520 — $6.00 for each branch circuit and/or feeder.Show the working
| $6.00 per circuit | $180.00 |
Electrical permit — service equipment 0 to 200 amperesPermit feeSec. 23.10.520 — $30.00 for new or replacement service equipment of 0 to 200 amperes.Show the working
| $30.00 flat fee | $30.00 |
| Total | $240.00 |
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.
- Electrical permit — service equipment 801 to 2,000 amperes — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — service equipment 201 to 400 amperes — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — service equipment 401 to 800 amperes — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — service equipment over 2,000 amperes — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — dormant service inspection — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit — re-inspection fee — 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 $30.00 base fee, plus the 0-to-200-ampere service band at $30.00, plus thirty branch circuits at $6.00 each, which is $180.00 — a total of $240.00. The counts are the example's, not the City's.
What is different in Lincoln
The base fee is the feature that decides most small permits. Lincoln charges $30.00 on every electrical application and then charges the work on top, so a permit for a single new circuit is $30.00 plus $6.00 — not $6.00. This site deliberately does not credit the base fee against the first circuit, because the code says the base fee is added to all other fees rather than included with them.
Service equipment is priced by amperage rather than by the size of the building: 0 to 200 amperes is $30.00, 201 to 400 is $45.00, 401 to 800 is $90.00, 801 to 2,000 is $200.00, and anything above 2,000 is $400.00. A dormant service inspected to restore power is $30.00, and a re-inspection is $50.00 each.
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 covers Sec. 23.10.520's base fee, its per-circuit and feeder rate, its five service-equipment bands, the dormant-service inspection and the re-inspection fee. It excludes:
- Any work priced by another title of the code — Lincoln's building permit is Table 1A, and the plumbing and mechanical fees are set by the City Council rather than published.
- Electrical contractor, master electrician, journeyman and apprentice registration and examination fees, which are licences rather than permits.
- The refund processing fee of $35.00, which the section applies to any refund request.
- Any utility connection or service-installation charge, which the utility makes rather than the City.
- The doubling of a fee where work starts before a permit is issued.
What you need before applying
- A licensed electrical contractor draws the permitRequired
Sec. 23.10.520's schedule is written "for registered electrical contractors", and the section's own rules on expired permits require a new permit to be obtained by a licensed electrical contractor (or, for a completed residential job, the owner). The electrical schedule is priced on that basis.
Common questions
How much is an electrical permit in Lincoln?
Every electrical application carries a $30.00 base fee. On top of that, each branch circuit or feeder is $6.00, and new or replacement service equipment is $30.00 up to 200 amperes, rising to $400.00 above 2,000 amperes.
Does the base fee cover my first circuit?
No. The code describes the $30.00 as a "Base Permit Fee (To be added to all other fees that apply to the application.)", so the branch circuits are charged in addition to it. A one-circuit permit is $36.00.
How is a service upgrade priced?
By amperage: $30.00 for 0 to 200 amperes, $45.00 for 201 to 400, $90.00 for 401 to 800, $200.00 for 801 to 2,000, and $400.00 above 2,000. The band is chosen by the service size, not by the value of the work.
What does a dormant-service inspection cost?
$30.00. Sec. 23.10.520 lists a separate "Fee for inspection of dormant services for the purpose of restoring power" at that amount.
What happens if the inspector has to come back?
A re-inspection fee of $50.00 each applies. It is separate from the electrical permit fee and is charged per re-inspection.
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. 23.10.520 — Permit Fees (Electrical Contractor Fee Schedule)
Read 2026-09-25. Amended by Ord. 21875 §1, June 01, 2026. A $30.00 base fee added to everything else, $6.00 per branch circuit or feeder, service equipment priced by amperage, and a $50.00 re-inspection fee.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.